To succeed as a musician involves risk-taking. That’s exactly what Boston rapper, artist, and entrepreneur Red Shaydez did last year when she left a high-profile job without a backup plan. “It was a leap rooted in faith and purpose,” she said.
That sort of pressure situation can yield pretty powerful results if handled correctly. For Shaydez, what has culminated since that decision is a project focused on building community and helping develop emerging talent in Boston.
When she hasn’t been working on new music to release, Shaydez has been spearheading Music Jumpstart: The Artist Development Program, designed for independent musicians who are “passionate, talented, and often overlooked.” To get this program off the ground, Shaydez raised over $100k in funding, with sponsorship coming from the City of Boston, Focusrite, and EliteTeam Logistics.
Launching on May 17, 2025 at SPARKFM – a digital radio station founded by Danielle Johnson – the program is a perfect opportunity for up-and-coming artists who are looking for career coaching. How do you market yourself as an artist in the social media age? How do you assemble a unique, eye-catching press junket? How do you book shows? How do you pitch coverage to press outlets? These are things any independent artist needs to know how to do for themselves if they want to get their career off the ground.
“I’m creating the kind of artist development experience that I wish I had,” said Shaydez. It’s not an education that many artists have the opportunity to get on their own. Leading some of the program sessions will be local music journalist Vicki Wasylak of the Boston Globe, International Show of Berklee College of Music, and more.
Some of the most important pieces of an artist’s press kit are photos and multimedia. Included in the bootcamp are free sessions from local creatives to take photos and videos of the artists who make up the cohort. These services will be provided by Saturn Makeup & Artistry, StillsandFilmz, and Dreana LeMaitre Photography. The cohort will receive free Focusrite products, a full media day package that includes photoshoots and radio interviews, and more. Other workshops will include a focus on intentional branding and marketing; career sustainability; health and wellness; and having confidence in creativity.
For Shaydez, this is more than just a new business project. “It’s part of a greater shift I’m experiencing in my career,” she says, “one that transcends music and centers community.”
