Alessandra Vitelli currently lives in Rome, is 38 years old, and works at SIAE. She is a woman who has achieved every goal with sweat and dedication and has managed to turn her passion into work. In this interview, she urges never to give up, always pursue one's goals regardless of everything. Her adventure is full of beautiful anecdotes and challenges that have improved her day after day. Alessandra has given us pearls of wisdom and the hope that with perseverance, anything can happen.
Tell us a bit about your job...
I work at SIAE, which is the associative-based public economic entity responsible for the protection and exercise of copyright in Italy. I am a business analyst and my main task is to correctly attribute the proceeds for copyright. This can sometimes be a bit repetitive but is very rewarding because thanks to my work, the author receives what they are rightfully due every semester. Although it is a job that deals with numbers, it ultimately leads to something human because on the other side, there is the author who sees their remuneration received every semester.
What were your studies?
I have a degree in business economics and, until 2015, I had various work experiences in various fields. From the insurance sector, where I worked for about 10 years alongside university studies, to the non-profit sector, to a maritime anti-piracy company. The first time I heard about this, I thought of Jack Sparrow, but the reality of that world is completely different from how it appears in movies! Then I worked in an accounting firm where I was about to start my apprenticeship but this was a crucial moment in my life. Just as I was starting this internship in 2014, I came across a link on Facebook and realized that the Master's in Music Business at Luiss Business School in Rome would start shortly. So I abandoned the internship and decided to pursue my greatest passion: music. I'll tell you more, I started the master's in January 2015, and during its course, I received communication from SIAE that I had been chosen. After graduating in 2013, I wasn't sure how to proceed, so I had actually sent my first resume to SIAE.
What was your first experience in the music world?
My very first experience was very interesting although brief. I was involved in booking a group that won a contest organized by Rolling Stone and the SAE Institute. Then, along with my master's colleague, we developed a project to export contemporary Italian music to Russia through video interviews with famous artists. My colleague, before starting the master's, worked in Russia for a television network, so we managed to get approval from the television to import this product. The problem is that we started doing a lot of interviews with artists, but then the project unfortunately didn't materialize. Then I fully supported another emerging band, dealing with communication, promotion, digital distribution, social media, and booking. Let's say that before starting to work, I tested the business world a bit, I got my hands dirty.
Who are your favorite artists or your favorite songs and do you think they have somehow influenced you to pursue this career path?
Here we could talk until midnight, but I'll try to be concise. The artist I carry in my heart since my adolescence is Janis Joplin, for me the greatest and most powerful female icon of 60s rock, her rendition of Little Girl Blue is always very emotional. Then, keeping her company on my podium, there are Nina Simone and Patty Smith, the priestess of rock. Of course, there have been many artists I've listened to, like Ben Harper, Bruce Springsteen, and Tash Sultana whom I recently saw in Rome, giving a solo right in front of me. Also, the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons whom I've been following around the world for almost 10 years. I calculated that in just 2 years I traveled 20,000 km to attend their concerts across Europe and America. In addition to all these artists who have left their mark on me, there is a special song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. It talks about that place beyond the rainbow where one can seek refuge to dream, feel far from problems and worries. Moreover, it's a song that also speaks about the possibility of achieving one's dreams even if they seem impossible, so this is my song.
Have you ever faced any difficulties as a woman in your career?
Yes, fortunately only once. It happened in a previous work experience. The environment was predominantly male and chauvinistic, undermining my professional skills just because I was a woman, in a very subtle way. But there was that smirk, that prejudice: "you are a woman, you don't understand these things" and this happened because of the environment. I suffered a lot during that experience, then it ended, and I proved my professional skills which, whether appreciated or not, when the environment is like that, you are not recognized anyway. I moved on, had other great experiences, had people who appreciated me and my professionalism and so that remains just a distant memory.
How would you describe the Italian music industry?
Today I would say it's good, a few years ago, no. In recent years, it has been experiencing constant growth, also thanks to digital transformation, which has made the enjoyment and sharing of music much easier. It is also noteworthy how much the local repertoire is succeeding: Italian music is increasingly appreciated, first of all by Italians, and I think this has changed the perception abroad. We have become less and less "foreign-loving," and I was the first one to love foreign things, in fact, I was the first one. The top ten albums and singles chart is mainly composed of Italian artists; I think of Lazza, Madame, and Geolier, who had great success at Sanremo. This is also thanks to all the investments that record companies are making in artists and new talents. Furthermore, the maturation of the global music market is offering many opportunities for the international expansion of Italian repertoire, as demonstrated by the global success of Maneskin. I think, little by little, we will manage to reach European or even global standards. Now, Sanremo is won by radio friendly song, no longer by melodious song; who wins is the one who owns the stage, who manages to face the European market.
Do you think being Italian has influenced your career?
Being Italian didn't influence me afterward but before the master's, I wanted to enter this world but didn't know where to start, what to do, I knew nothing. I found out about it late because in a provincial reality like mine, I didn't know about the existence of the music business, so being Italian and living in Italy, specifically in the province, penalized me a lot in entering the music business world. After the master's, no, because the Italian market, even though it's small, offers many opportunities. Of course, it's not the English or American market, but those are also bigger and more competitive.
Do you have any suggestions for people who want to enter the music industry?
First of all, I recommend listening to oneself to let the passion flow through one's veins. You have to give voice to that passion, so listen to yourself and let your passion flow, whether it's for music or any other artistic expression. Certainly, you have to study; I was lucky because I have to say that the master's I attended practically encompassed the entire music.
What Italian song do you have to suggest to our readers?
I think of this song they brought to Sanremo covers that somewhat fits with the theme we've discussed, Sogna ragazzo sogna by Roberto Vecchioni. The beauty of this song is that it precisely invites not to give up in the face of life's obstacles, even in the guise of a flesh-and-blood person, there's a part of the song that says 'words red as blood.' Often, many people make you lose the desire to chase your dreams. There are words that sometimes weigh heavily, and if you don't have the strength to react and pursue your dreams, they destabilize you, make you let go. This song encourages self-cultivation and interests above all else.