(Photos courtesy of Rachel Feigelson)
Rachel Feigelson still remembers her time at Stars of Tomorrow in Syosset and at the Cultural Arts Playhouse, observing and learning from Wendy Taubman. The student never followed through with performing on stage, but growing up hearing an agent might be in the audience inspired this scholar to pursue that exact path.
The experience inspires her to this day as she grows Rocksam Management and Consulting, helping artists grow their respective brands and expand to new horizons. The name is a combination of the two Feigelson sisters, with Rachel at the front and her young sister, Samantha, just behind.
Thanks to Feigelson’s efforts as CEO of this startup management firm, she was named as one of Yahoo! Finance’s “top entrepreneurs of 2020 who have disrupted the status quo.” Additionally, Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan awarded the Woodbury native with a citation, recognizing her as Young Professional of the Week.
“When I was in college, I wanted someone to come perform at my sorority,” Feigelson said. “I reached out to what I thought what a singer’s manager, but it was actually the singer’s email. It was Drew Chadwick from Emblem3. I started speaking with him and helping him.”
Feigelson graduated from Boston University prior to heading over to California to attend Southwestern Law School, specifically because the institution has one of the top music law programs in America. But before law school, it was time for a gap year, and that’s when Rocksam began to grow.
“I decided I wanted to go to law school, but I would take a gap year and work at a talent agency,” she said. “As I was in the interview process, I met singer Taylor Dayne in July of 2018. She’s sold more than 75 million records. She’s from Long Island, too, and we immediately got along. She saw a spark in me at a time when I wasn’t sure what path I wanted to take.”
Feigelson’s impact on Dayne’s career is summed up in the singer’s book, Tell It to My Heart, which was published in 2019 and breaks down the journey to success from Long Island.
But what was it that impressed Dayne so much about the Boston University graduate?
“The first thing I decided to do was—it was the 35th anniversary of ‘Tell It To My Heart’—I got RuPaul, Kris Jenner, Hunter Pence and all of these different people to send me a video of them singing ‘Tell It To My Heart,’” Feigelson said. “From there, I had confidence that I could do this.”
To start Rocksam Man-agement and Consulting, Feigelson’s clientele included Dayne, Chadwick, Shae Brock and Nicky Romero. It was indeed quite the powerful quadruplet.
“I know my purpose in life is to make a change in the music industry,” Feigelson said. “I want to help artists get their music out and make an impact.”
The startup firm went hand-in-hand with the law school experience. She maintained a constant work flow, going from a student one minute to managing someone’s music career the next. And the real-world experience of serving as a manager is one she wouldn’t replace.
The recognitions, she explained, are humbling. However, she feels her journey is just beginning. Feigelson’s goal is to protect artists, whether it’s with their contracts or in terms of their growth.
“I want to be an advocate for females in the music industry,” she said. “Music is so important to people. It helps people through their darkest and happiest times. For an artist to put out what they want to put out, they need a strong team. It’s hard to believe.”
Moving forward, Rocksam will continue to grow as Feigelson continues her journey in law school. She will continue to advocate for artists in an attempt to prevent them from coming out on the bad end of a deal.
Currently, throughout the pandemic, Feigelson is working with Dayne to release a new single, called “Please.” It comes out on July 8, and it will be available online.
Visit www.rocksam.com to learn more about Rocksam and the organization’s clients.
