VITUHMINS VIP: Kasey Gelsomino
On this weeks installment of Vituhmins VIP, we had the privilege of sitting down with Kasey Gelsomino, a brilliant New York based A&R who doubles as a popular TikTok music tastemaker + playlist curator. Although all of these endeavors caught our attention, what really sold us on Kasey’s incredibly promising career was her personality. Kasey has been one of the most fun people we’ve sat down to chat with so far, because she brings an exciting passion and energy to the conversation that proves to us she truly loves what she does. We have no doubt that she will excel to amazing heights, and we’re confident that energy will bring her there, too. If I were a newly signed artist, I’d definitely hope that Kasey, or someone very similar to her, was my A&R.
Decker: “Thank you so much for joining us Kasey, it’s super cool to be talking to you and to hear your story. You have been killing it this year, in regards to both your quickly budding A&R career, as well as your incredible network of playlists that you have continued to build and maintain for quite a while now.”
Kasey: “Thank you for having me & for the kind words!!! It’s an honor to be featured here.”
Decker: “So tell us, who do you currently work with?”
Kasey: “I’m basically working two jobs between A&R at Nettwerk and Kasey’s Playlist so things are pretty busy! Luckily, though, it means I’m working with artists pretty much 24/7. My first signing to Nettwerk, young friend, is an alt-pop artist who I’ve been a genuine fan of for almost two years! He’s crazy talented & working together has been a blast so far. Unfortunately my other signings have yet to be announced so I can’t disclose much else but I have a ton of exciting projects lined up!”
Decker: “Tell us a little bit about your journey; was it a straight path, or did you find yourself taking many twists and turns to get here?”
Kasey: “It has definitely been full of twists & turns! I knew from a young age that I wanted to work in music but it took a lot of trial and error to figure out where I fit in the best.
My journey into music started with writing show reviews & artist interviews for a few blogs throughout high school back in Chicago. I was a terrible writer and completely clueless most of the time but it was a great way for me to learn about the basics of PR, management, and music journalism.
I decided to come to NYC for college because I knew it would bring far more internship opportunities than staying in the midwest. This definitely held true and I was able to intern in departments including Digital at Atlantic, Marketing at Columbia, and Marketing at Epic.
With COVID hitting my second semester of junior year my initial plans were definitely disrupted! I started my Kasey’s Playlist TikTok profile just as a fun way to keep myself busy and it’s since spiraled into something way bigger than I could have imagined! Getting to curate my favorite music for an audience of hundreds of thousands has ended up being the best part of my career so far.
A&R had always been a career path I’d thought about pursuing, but it took the boost in self confidence that my curation created to really make the jump! I started out scouting for Atlantic my last semester of school and then Nettwerk sought me out to take on my current full-time role as I was graduating.”
Decker: “What has been one of your favorite moments of your career so far?”
Kasey: “The entire past year has honestly just been so surreal for me that it’s hard to pick!
Usually my favorite moments are times when I can tangibly see that I’ve helped support artists that I believe in, whether that’s as an A&R or as an influencer. It’s so cool to have the opportunity to help music I love reach people.”
Decker: “With all of the cool things going on at Nettwerk right now, which upcoming projects can you tell us about that you are excited for?”
Kasey: “young friend just released the first single off of his upcoming EP, ‘HOW DID WE GET HERE?’ last month! There are going to be two more singles before the full project is released in September & I’m so stoked about how it’s all turned out.
Nettwerk is in a substantial growth period right now so it’s really exciting to be a part of the label! We’re signing a ton of great artists while also hiring some amazing team members. It’s really cool to help build out the label’s new brand & play a part in shaping the roster!”
Decker: “What advice do you have for young people looking to get into the music industry?”
Kasey: “Answering this feels pretty weird since I’m only 22 & suffer from pretty constant imposter syndrome! But I’d definitely say my biggest advice is just to put yourself out there as much as you possibly can. All of the best things in my career have come from throwing myself into situations that seem intimidating at the time.”
Decker: “Who is your personal hero in life?”
Kasey: “My dad! He taught me the importance of both music & pursuing my dreams.”
Decker: “in 5-10 years, where do you hope to see yourself?”
Kasey: “I honestly have no idea, but I think that’s a good thing. There are so many pieces of the industry that I still find fascinating and I’d love to spend the rest of my 20s continuing to learn & grow!”
Kasey, thank you for sharing your story. We are excited to follow you along journey, hear more of your music recs, and see how you continue to develop out aspiring talent. Cheers!
