Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1215963
claiborne ABE Follow 2 Doors Management on Instagram @2doorsmgmt Abe Claiborne found his music career out of the spotlight. During more than 20 years in the industry, he has worked with the likes of Universal Music Group and Geffen Records. Abe is currently a partner at Seattle-based 2 Doors Man- agement. We asked him to tell us about life in the music biz and how he uses the WAC. Q. How did you get your start in the music industry? A. My first job in high school was at a record store, but my real break was in college at North Carolina. I was working at the college radio station when I got a call from a music promoter. He was looking for someone to give his artist some airtime and an on-air interview. It turned out to be Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes from TLC. Afterward, I was asked to help promote other artists around campus. That eventually turned into a part-time position with PolyGram. Q. Who has been your most important influence? A. My mother. She played Motown in the house and sang in the church choir. Growing up in the Carolinas, I also hung out with an eclectic group of friends. They are the ones that solidified music as a passion for me. Q. What are you working on right now? A. A lot of things, actually. A music licensing project for Fremont Street in Las Vegas, consulting with a few early- stage start-ups and artists, and building a music app to help meet the business needs of restaurants and bars that want to use local music in their establishments. Q. Any craziest moments you can share? A. I once had to run and get makeup for Robert Smith from The Cure before a show. He had a really specific shade that was only at one store about 20 miles away. Thousands of people were waiting on me to bring it back. Q. How do you use the WAC? A. I use it a lot to work and work out. I hold most of my meetings there. Also, my son loves swimming on the 6th Floor. Q. What skills are most important in your work? A. Patience. Also, an understanding of people, a strong work ethic, and fore- sight. Music is an emotional product, and the music business is full of creative people. You have to be able to work with them and not impede the creative process and be an advocate for them in business where they might not have the knowledge you do. In essence, artists need all the same things any new busi- ness does, just structured differently. Q. What are some of the most ex- citing things you see happening on the Seattle music scene right now? A. The Seattle music scene is very vibrant. The most exciting thing is the diversity of the talent. The hip hop and electronic scene have some excellent musicians. And the rock heritage here is still going strong. But the best thing is that Seattle still has a unique sound, unlike what I hear everywhere else. There is a fierce independent streak that tends to set Seattle music apart.