Ep. 030: Gabi Parra - Tour & Production Coordinator
02/01/21 • 32 min
Gabi Parra is a tour production specialist with over 15 years in the live event business. Having begun as venue staff, production runner, and stagehand for a wide array of artists such as Elton John, Bob Dylan, Blue Man Group, Lil Wayne, and Tom Petty, she would then go on touring life.
For the past 10 years, she has served as the lead production coordinator for Earth, Wind & Fire. Parra also has experience working in the corporate world as a freelance production coordinator for corporate and festival events. She has worked high profile events for the Democratic National Committee, Superbowl and Glastonbury Festival. Gabi also currently works as regional operations manager and backstage coordinator for Musical Chairs in the New York tri-state area. She also is bilingual – English and Spanish.
We chatted with Gabi back in early November, 2019 to find out how she found her way into the touring life, how her interest in psychology helps her on the road, and why pickles on your sandwich aren't really a problem in the bigger picture.
https://www.instagram.com/gabbers29/
http://www.tourforensics.com/
https://www.musicalchairsbackstage.com/
Gabi Parra is a tour production specialist with over 15 years in the live event business. Having begun as venue staff, production runner, and stagehand for a wide array of artists such as Elton John, Bob Dylan, Blue Man Group, Lil Wayne, and Tom Petty, she would then go on touring life.
For the past 10 years, she has served as the lead production coordinator for Earth, Wind & Fire. Parra also has experience working in the corporate world as a freelance production coordinator for corporate and festival events. She has worked high profile events for the Democratic National Committee, Superbowl and Glastonbury Festival. Gabi also currently works as regional operations manager and backstage coordinator for Musical Chairs in the New York tri-state area. She also is bilingual – English and Spanish.
We chatted with Gabi back in early November, 2019 to find out how she found her way into the touring life, how her interest in psychology helps her on the road, and why pickles on your sandwich aren't really a problem in the bigger picture.
https://www.instagram.com/gabbers29/
http://www.tourforensics.com/
https://www.musicalchairsbackstage.com/
Previous Episode
Ep. 029: Sarina Larson - Co-Founder, Merch Roadie
Sarina Larson is the Co-Founder of Merch Roadie. In pandemic times, she is focused on Digital-Tour Management work, a new approach to the music business for artists that she's hypothesized. She is from Sacramento, CA, and currently lives in Nashville, TN, frequenting Germany and the UK. She has lived in Thailand, The Netherlands, and the USA. She has a Bachelor's degree in International Business and is currently applying to law school.
http://www.merchroadie.com
https://www.instagram.com/merchroadie
Next Episode
Ep. 031: Lady A - Performer/Manager/Producer
Lady A began her performance career as a back-up singer in a Motown Revue band during the 90's. Her love of music, gospel background, Louisiana roots, and musical family always led her back to the blues and gospel music, mixed with flavors of soul and funk like a perfect jambalaya. Known as "The Hardest Workin Woman in Blues, Soul, Funk & Gospel" continue reading and find out why...
Voted Best Blues Performer of the Year 2020 ~ Lady A's NEW CD Project: Lady A Live in New Orleans released in July of 2020. She and co-producer John Oliver III have been dreaming of doing a live project for some time, and they enlisted the assistance of her Mississippi producer, Dexter Allen. Though born and raised in Seattle, Washington, you can clearly hear the southern undertones in her music and lyrics .
Lady A also performs as a solo act when on the road and has been front woman for European bands such as Sweden's Top Dogs of Soul and The Netherland's band Blind Bart & the Visionarries.
Lady A also works and performs with her accompanist and pianist/producer John Oliver III, doing special projects such as, United by Music Europe and North America, for which she was a mentor from 2011 - 2016. Because of her assistance with the UBM organization, she was asked to come to Denmark by Music Unites Europe in order to work with and teach a Gospel Music Workshop with bands and singers from Germany, Holland, Sweden and Denmark. Both organization help intellectually disabled persons sing and perform on stage and are dear to Lady A's heart. Her belief is to always "Give Back, that which you have been Blessed with"
She produced her first mini tour, Buzin The Northwest, in March of 2015 featuring Deep Rush Record Recording artist, Dexter Allen and herself, from Seattle to Portland. This tour was met with acclaimed success by sold out audiences and festival producers have praised her accomplishment of producing and performing during this tour. In May of 2017, she produced The Big Blues Blowout with mentor and friend, 2017 Grammy Winner Bobby Rush, Chicago's Nellie Tiger Travis, and Producer, Dexter Allen. Again to a sold out Seattle audience. Proving she is a producer as well as an artist.
She is also a mentor to young people as well as a community activist.
https://www.ladyababyblues.com
https://thetruthisloud.info/
https://www.ladyababyblues.com/moments-in-black-history-2021-food-for-the-souls
https://www.instagram.com/LadyA_bluesdiva/
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