Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley with his Protégé, 19-year-old singer-songwriter Austin Michael
Protégé, a talent discovery and mentorship platform in the celebrity EdTech space, expands into the country genre with the help of Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and BRELAND. CEO Jackson Jhin, an aspiring musician himself, launched the company last year after he struggled to get his music career off the ground.
“I wanted to be a musician and I just could not get in touch with the right person. I couldn’t catch a break,” he tells me. “This was a problem that I faced that I’ve always dreamed about solving. I may be past the point where I could do it myself as a career, but I want to solve it for other people.”
The platform, which has more than 100 mentors, allows aspiring artists and creators the ability to pay for guaranteed advice from industry professionals. Mentors include Kelley, BRELAND, Bebe Rexha, DJ Khaled and Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander. Khaled, Alexander, Lionel Richie, Ben Simmons, Will Smith and Scooter Braun also are investors in Protégé.
Each mentor or “expert” sets his own price for his feedback. Hopeful protégés can submit a 60-second video for guaranteed feedback within seven days.
“It’s a feedback platform,” Jhin explains, “and you’re working, you’re getting coaching, you’re getting tips.”
Kelley’s former manager introduced him to Protégé, and he immediately saw the appeal. He describes the platform as “a different version of American Idol on your phone.”
“I thought it was an opportunity to help another artist out and give back and also have some fun and see what we can make out of it,” Kelley says. “It’s a well-rounded idea and very forward-thinking so I wanted to be on the front side of that.”
Kelley is working on a collaboration song with his protégé, 19-year-old singer-songwriter Austin Michael. It’s a song Kelley has loved for many years, and the pair decided to join creative forces on the tune.
“From the beginning, this relationship has been authentic and genuine,” Michael says. “In the music industry, it’s all about who you know. The song we cut is actually called ‘Who You Know’ because of the past experience trying to break through and how much things have changed since we connected. This Protégé opportunity is surreal – I’m so happy to be a part of it!”
BRELAND helped his protégé, Zachary Manno, sign a publishing deal with Reservoir Media in May. The deal was the first-ever signing through Protégé. The pair also wrote “Told You I Could Drink” featuring Lady A with the trio’s Charles Kelley. The track is featured on BRELAND’s debut album, Cross Country.
BRELAND initially connected with the idea behind Protégé, as he recalled his early struggles reaching out to people in the industry in hopes to get feedback on his own music.
“When the opportunity came up for me to be one of the people to help launch the platform – just recognizing what that opportunity could be and that I’m in a position now where I could find someone and partner with someone – it made sense for me to do that,” he says. “I’ve tried to do my part in breaking down some of those barriers of communication and using my platform to bring other people up.”
Added Manno: “Protégé has opened doors and created paths for me to advance within the music industry more quickly than I ever could’ve thought possible. Working with BRELAND is a dream where I not only get to have the time of my life, but I get to produce incredible music while learning and growing alongside the industry’s top writers and musicians. I’ve gained an incredible team with BRELAND and Reservoir, all thanks to Protégé.”
Jhin’s long-term goals for the company is for every musician and expert in the world to be on Protégé. He sees the platform expanding to include film directors, athletes and coaches.
“It’s very much a who you know business and that’s what we’re trying to change,” Jhin says. “This is a replacement to the Instagram DM. If you want to get in touch with the biggest people in the world, Protégé is where you go to shoot your shot.”
Adds Kelley: “I think we’re just scratching the surface. I’d definitely be down to do it again and find another protégé and help somebody along the way. That’s what we do. That’s the way of the country community.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anniereuter/2022/10/23/talent-discovery-and-mentorship-platform-protg-expands-into-country-music/