Track & Trace: Sarah Fadl
There’s almost nothing as personal as music. Take one look into someone’s record collection, and you immediately know what type of person you’re dealing with. Within the Amp.Amsterdam // The Sonic Branding Company team, music flows through our veins. So what better way to get to know us than to take a sneak peek into our playlists?
In this edition we’re talking to Sarah Fadl, Project & Licensing Manager at Amp.Amsterdam. You’ll find her dancing at countless festivals, although her mom will show her around during Breda Jazz Festival. She once worked at an opera in Los Angeles and her favorite album of all time is Paul Simon’s Graceland.
“I don’t remember what my first concert was, my first festival however.. The moment that I saw the Killers and Editors at Pukkelpop in 2008 I knew that this was something special. At that moment I knew that my holidays would consist of going to festivals instead of going to Blanes or Salou. And that has never changed. With my group of friends I’ve been to Lowlands, Sziget, Exit, and Pukkelpop, but also smaller festivals like Dekmantel, Draaimolen and Lente Kabinet. I love going out to bars, clubs, and festivals.
As a Music Management student at the HKU I was more reserved than I am now. To challenge myself, I went to Los Angeles for six months for an internship at a production company. We made an opera that took place all over the city. The work mentality in LA is much harsher; it’s hard to land a job in the music industry. I had to stand my ground so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed. Besides learning a lot in terms of working, I learned a lot on a personal level. I had to navigate living in another country and city where I didn’t know anyone. It was a great way to learn more about myself.
I learned how strongly visuals and sound complement each other during my first job at XITE. I created playlists for broadcast and categorized music videos according to different properties such as mood, types of hits or genre. I also ensured that the videos were aired at the right time of day. Personally, I can easily wake up to Slipknot’s metal music, but that might not be the case for everyone. Even though I no longer work at XITE, I still enjoy music videos. My favorites are A$AP Forever by A$AP Rocky and This is America by Childish Gambino.
A song can touch me in different ways: through its lyrics, its intro or even a six-minute middle part. You can see this reflected in my playlist, which is a mix of everything I enjoy, all intertwined. Amr Diab, a great in the Arab music world, was one of my Egyptian father’s favorites. He liked different styles of music, he was a fan of Michael Jackson and André Hazes. His favorite album is now also mine, perhaps out of nostalgia: Graceland by Paul Simon. My mother knows a lot about music. Among other genres, she really enjoys jazz and has been a long-time volunteer at the Breda Jazz Festival. We attend that festival every year, she acts as my guide and always shows me around. She still ensures that I learn new things and make exciting discoveries.
As Project & Licensing Manager at Amp.Amsterdam I oversee music licensing for clients seeking existing music and manage music productions when bespoke music is needed. My favorite thing about my job is the fact that everyday is different and I get to work with a lot of creative people.”
