Today we’d like to introduce you to Andre DuBois.
Andre, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started in music at four years old, performing with my family’s group in Cincinnati and playing drums. I did music all through junior high and high school, singing in choirs, playing in bands, and writing songs. When I graduated from high school, I enrolled in Columbia College Chicago and relocated, majoring in Music Business and focusing on production.
My sophomore year of college, I took my third production course and Kosine of Da Internz was my teacher. I produced my first record under him. The same semester, I took a course called Urban Inspirational Music Production. The class was taught by Donald Lawrence and that’s where I started getting into show production. My work in that class also landed me an internship with his company, which ultimately led to three album credits on three major label gospel releases.
Prior to graduating from Columbia, I ended up getting into theater as well and working on some independent projects, which is when I started seriously working with my first long-term client, Ashley Laschelle. A couple of years after, I started doing some work for a talent management firm and got her signed. In 2012, I began organizing Reflective Music as a vehicle under which I’d produce independently. It was working well as I was working on Ashley’s second project and had an administrative coordinator, Brandi, keeping me organized. However, once the management firm restructured, I decided to bring on some help to book artists so we could get the momentum of the project going. That’s how Rhodela came aboard to be our booking manager. I told Ashley that I would oversee her career temporarily, but I saw it as just being a temporary fix because I did not want to manage. I had been approached several times about doing so, but I did not want a headache. I just wanted to be creative.
In any case, Rho was getting Ashley booked and the album was coming along very nicely. We threw her an album release party in the showcase room at Music Garage and the response was nice. Album dropped and the bookings kept coming in. She ended up getting a residency at Underground Wonder Bar, a venue that was downtown, and as her MD/drummer, the two of us would curate shows that the crowds loved. We’d perform two hours worth of R&B/Jazz covers and originals and invite our friends in the independent urban music scene to do anywhere from two songs to a full 30 minutes on the bill. One of those people was D2G.
I’d known D2G for seven years at that point. He was actually one of the first people I’d met when I came to Chicago. He was and still is one of my favorite emcees. So, when I found out his own management situation had faltered, I reached out to him. I didn’t want to sign him. I just wanted to help and make sure he was good. He ended up not being the only one. By the end of the year, we had five clients. Two months later, we were up to seven and in April of that year, Reflective Music became an official business. We’re now in year four as an official business, with ten clients, a team of nine, two self-produced tours, multiple awards, albums, and major performances under our belt. And yes, I’m managing all of them in addition to writing, producing, and performing when they need me to.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh no, it hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine. There have been a number of struggles since I started on this journey. We’ve been jipped on pay, we’ve been shattered (not broke, SHATTERED), we’ve played to empty venues, we’ve had internal struggles. People have come and gone from the fold and we’ve dealt with so many shady people, it’s ridiculous. You wouldn’t believe how many people have thrown dirt on our name and brand just to try and copy our formula later. But we continue to pursue because of the moments that make it worth it. Our first tour took a couple of our artists out of the country for the first time. We’ve opened for legendary acts like Joe Budden, Wyclef, Naughty By Nature, etc. Not many people can say that.
Even before Reflective, I remember sleeping on an air mattress on my friends’ living room floor for over a year because I was pursuing my dreams in theater. I remember struggling to pay for college and working several jobs to make ends see each other. I remember post-college, working in a series of dead end jobs and feeling like a round peg in a square hole. But when I would get on the stage or see my name in liner notes and playbills, I remembered what I was doing it for. I had to trust the process. I’m still trusting the process.
Please tell us about Reflective Music.
Reflective Music is mostly known for being a management firm, but I think that sells us short. If anything, I guess I would call us an entertainment firm because we do so much. We’re mostly known for management, production, and putting on a great show, but our services currently include:
Songwriting
Production
Executive Production
Artist Management
Booking/Production Management
Creative Direction
Production Coordination
Social Media Management
Album Administration/Distribution
Marketing & Promotion
I think one of the things I’m most proud of is that our music says something. Our content sets us apart from a lot of what’s on the radio these days. We’re not afraid to be ourselves and stay committed to our style and theme. The Reflective roster and staff have made me beyond proud on numerous occasions, but I think what makes me happiest and the biggest thing that sets us apart is that we’re a real family. We share in each other’s wins and losses, smiles, and tears. When Rho graduated college and when she started her makeup business (Glow By Rho), we were there and we celebrated her. When Ashley’s mother passed, we were there for her and she, bravely, supported D2G the same night when he took home his first award and even performed with him. When D2G was booked to open for Joe Budden, he shared that platform with the whole family and we rocked that show as a unit. Numerous people have called us The Avengers of the Chicago urban music scene because the artists can rock a stage as individuals, but when they’re up there together, there’s nothing like it. And that’s because of the family bond we’ve cultivated.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Oh, wow. Probably singing with the family group I mentioned. The group was called The Voices of Thunder and, in Cincinnati, we were something. That was really my first tour experience because the group performed all over Ohio, as well as Tennessee and Louisiana. I never took for granted being able to stand next to my father and sing with him and my uncles. After the group disbanded in 2004, I didn’t get the opportunity to sing with him again for 12 years, which was probably one of my favorite Reflective moments as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reflective-music.com
- Phone: 312-254-9912
- Email: andre@reflective-music.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reflectivemusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReflectiveMusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/reflectivemusiq
Image Credit:
Harvey Pullings II, John A. Gutierrez
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