In 2015, I had just joined Sony Music Italy. The week before Ferragosto, we released the first major-label album of an electronic artist who was everywhere at the time.
In Italy, as we know, August is when the country simply stops. The company was closed, the offices were deserted, and even the official GfK chart tracking was suspended for the summer break. To call the timing of that release “unfortunate” would be an understatement.
And yet, a colleague from the German office started messaging me insistently: the artist’s management demanded to know their chart entry position immediately. With all the patience in the world, I explained that we were closed and the data simply didn’t exist.
She wouldn’t let it go. She asked me for direct contacts at FIMI or GfK so she could call them herself. I tried to make her understand that no one would answer her either, but the situation escalated until my supervisor was looped into the email chain.
At that point, with the bluntness that defines me when logic goes out the window, I replied: “Which part of ‘we are on holiday’ is not clear?”
That phrase remained part of the office vocabulary for years (and might still be in use…), a small reminder that there are moments when silence is the only sensible answer.
I’m telling this story because, just like back then, I’ve decided that for this Easter, my priority is time with my family. I’m switching everything off for a few days to recharge the batteries.
See you next Wednesday.
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Andrea Corelli | Music Industry Professional & Advisor
From Monday to Friday, I share strategies, backstage insights, or the stories behind a song on LinkedIn. On weekends, I enjoy the flow.
If you need help with your artist, label, project, or music startup, get in touch.