Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariana Hernandez.
Hi Mariana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi, thanks for giving me the chance to talk with you. I always had curiosity and passion for music and cinema, knowing how to make a movie was one of the first things I asked myself as a child. Later in my teens, I began to listen to music by independent artists and have this restlessness to help spread all this good music with the world.
Seeing my idols be multi-talented made me realize that I wanted to be that way, to know and be good at more than one area in my career. LA was my guidance and dream to reach from the point of seeing the biggest stars succeed in the city of dreams.
All of these ideas took me to study Communications and Mass Media in Mexico and then to get certified internationally in Music Business at SAE Institute (2016) where I got a scholarship and had the fortune to have mentors that are already working in the industry as leaders in the biggest companies or working on their own projects.
In the meantime, I had the chance to travel to LA in a small trip that allowed me to see how Hollywood worked, visiting the most iconic places in the city and having some talks with people in the industry like dancers and mkt professionals in Cirque du Soleil, Warner and other companies.
After graduating, I faced the adversity of getting a job but always being an independent and enterprising person made me start to create my own opportunities, understanding that even volunteering is a start.
I began offering my services to independent artists in management, booking, production & video film with the conviction of carrying out a professional career in Mexico and without planning it in the US at the same time.
Los Angeles, CA
In 2013 we can say I began my international career volunteering, interviewing artists, directors, and doing some music reviews of new albums but it was not until 2020 (where all the live shows stopped because of the pandemic) where I returned to international opportunities in a similar way. I had the fortune that the first door was open to me in LA as Remote Production Coordinator in more than 20 conceptual dance videos at the Heat Dance Company (Brentwood, CA) that decided to launch its app in 2022.
I later became the Captain of the Business Development and Music Licensing department helping them to create and plan some strategies, start negotiations and be the liaison between record labels and publishers.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
FINDING A JOB
As a recent graduate, you come out with the idea that you will find a job after applying for a while. In my case, it took me eight months to be able to work in a company in Mexico, which lasted only a couple of months. Dealing with peer pressure, even from your own parents, can be too much since everyone expects you to be successful right away.
Being independent and self-sufficient is not something that comes from one day to another. But something that has always characterized me is that I do not accept the first idea or opinion that someone tells me, I always seek to create the opportunity if it needs to be created and never wait for things to come to me.
LANGUAGE
In 2013, As I mentioned before, I started as a Remote Volunteer Writer for Vents Magazine and even though it sounds cliché, language can always be one of the main obstacles at the beginning for multilinguals, despite the fact that I have studied English all my life, adapting it into a professional level took some time.
Learning the lingo in film and music, translating what you learned from your native language and adapting it to a new culture is always a whole journey that we can say never ends.
PEER PRESSURE
On the other hand, it is true that you will always find people who do not necessarily believe in what you can do, doubting your abilities and telling you that you are not good enough, that you do not have the character to be in this industry or that even as a woman, you do not have the potential to be able to achieve great things; or people that encourage you to give up because they think that maybe what you want “it’s too difficult”.
These are things that I faced and at the beginning were too difficult to overcome. That suddenly, it seems that you are the only person who must draw his own strength to get ahead.
One of my favorite songs says: “Here dreams aren’t made, they’re won” City of Angels by 30 seconds to Mars.
Following your dreams sometimes only depends on you, believing in your convictions and your passions, always looking to be better every day is something that never ends and you must be willing to achieve.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I can talk more about my career, taking international opportunities gave me the chance to remember how far I can go and find skills I didn’t think I had. To realize that starting even remotely is starting, volunteering is also a start.
Film Production, Business Development and Licensing at Heat Dance Company opened a new path and made me realize that my goals are achievable even if it´s in Hollywood.
While Heat Dance is now in the process of finding some investors and to get close to more people who love dancing and fitness, I´ll get into my professional goals and new visa process.
In 2022, I also performed as International Booking Agent at Music Evolved Records helping her CEO to plan her future tour in Mexico where some of my goals were to translate contracts from Spanish to English and get the negotiations with venues and local artists for her.
Recently, I’m improving my skills at Degy Entertainment (Remote Booking Agency) in the Festivals and Fairs, Corporate Events and A&R team while I get my certification in Entertainment Studies at UCLA Extension and additional courses on the Film area.
Mexico
In Mexico (2015), I started as a Producer in music videos, independent short films and later being a Manager, Booking Agent and Music Production Assistant.
I have participated in projects as Music Production Coordinator for the album “Capricho” (2018) and the Musical of the same name, produced by Rodrigo Vidal starring: Alejandro Tomasi, Alejandra Ávalos and others.
I had collaborated with +20 artists such as: Los Lovekills, Zindylay, BNG (with Sebastián Romero) guiding them in their careers taking them to prominent venues such as: Foro Indie rocks, Aldea Vive Latino, Wine Colors Music Fest 2022, La Fiesta de la Música, among others.
For me, developing the careers of new artists and promoting those who already have a career, highlighting their strengths, are fundamental missions for me as a music professional.
True talent must be listened to.
What are you known?
I am known for being very detailed, professional, serious, honest when working, very direct and aware of the pros and cons before making a decision.
Whether as a freelancer, remote volunteering or in person, I am always open to being part of new projects that make me grow together with companies or artists and create incredible things.
What are you most proud of?
Being aware enough of what I wanted to do from a very young age, holding on to what I want and love, which is entertainment, and not giving up so easily.
Tenacity, being the person who says: why not? Let’s try! are some characteristics that set me apart from others.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was always very serious and shy but very cheerful, always imagining that I was leading a band, imagining I was playing drums with my cousins, writing rhymes that could be poems or songs someday.
Pricing:
- Management consultancies: 35 usd/hour
- Management: 300 usd/mo
- Booking: 12- 15 % per show sold
- Other services: request for quotation
Contact Info:
- Website: t.co/nBNW2GnY0A
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianna.hdz/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-hdz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQGURs8n_iU
Image Credits
Heat Dance team: Ally Jacobs, Jaime Robles, Lydia Ho Zindylay´s photos: José Mata, Dann Leyva Other photos: Mariana Hernández, Edgar Roldán
