Rebecca Szymkow is an artist manager and talent buyer for Birthday Cake Media, a management company and record label based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Rebecca represents management clients Mariel Buckley, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald and Sebastian Gaskin, programs lineups for festivals and events, and heads Branding and Synchronization Division for the record label. Rebecca studied Arts and Cultural Management and spent her time travelling all in the name of live music, so decided to marry the two as her career choice. Rebecca spent 6 years at Paquin Artists Agency, progressing to an agent representing some of the best developing talent coming out of Western Canada prior to transitioning further into a career focusing on artist development. She is an innovator for the 2020 Keychange EU Initiative and is passionate about making strides in equality for gender minorities within the music industry.
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?
I would like women to know that saying no is just as important as saying yes. Learning boundaries and not agreeing to take on every task will help you better stick to your career vision and keep you from suffering from burnout.
Can you name a woman who continues to inspire you, and how?
Mariel Buckley inspires me every day. Her ability to speak her mind about bettering the music community is something we need more of.
What do you think are the biggest issues facing women in music today? Do you have any suggestions for the industry to make progress in alleviating these issues?
One of the biggest issues facing women in music today is that the heavy lifting and fight for gender equity should not be solely carried by gender minorities in this industry. Change is most impactful when it is instituted by everyone.