Impact NextGen: Stephen Schulcz

As a child Stephen Schulcz dreamed that he’d one day be “on the field or on a stage.” While he admits he realized at an early age that being a performer was unfortunately “not in the cards,” he was able to find his own way into working in the industry. He explains, “I did, however, find myself with a different set of skills which allowed me to pivot to representation, helping others with those innate talents to reach new heights. Being in a venue, watching my clients perform in front of a live audience, is an extraordinary rush.”

The WME music agent made his first foray into the biz while he was still in college, where he launched his own blog and PR company focused on electronic music. In 2012, Schulcz started his career at WME in the company’s Music Central division (WME’s mailroom equivalent), and he was “fortunate that Kirk Sommer, Rob Markus and Lucy Dickins mentored me from my earliest days at WME up to the present.” Now, he works with Teddy Swims, Victoria Monét, Mark Ambor, Montell Fish, ian and hey, nothing.

Schulcz points to the achievements of his clients when asked about highlights of his career over the past year, including “continuing to work with Teddy Swims, helping propel his career from sold out clubs to sold out arenas in just a matter of years. This last year we’ve seen Teddy perform main stage slots on festivals and sell out every show globally while his single “Lose Control” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 and joined Adele’s “Hello” as the only song to reach that No. 1 spot and No. 1 on five radio airplay charts. Teddy has been a client since 2020 and I could not be more excited for what’s to come — the sky is the limit.”

Another win was orchestrating Victoria Monét’s sold out “The JAGUAR Tour’ in support of her album campaign, which culminated
in three wins at the 2024 Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. Schulcz adds, “Victoria is an incredible talent who has been at it for over a decade. Now is her time.”

Schulcz is passionate about discovering emerging talent and says that it’s “even more gratifying to be working with them.” So far in 2024, signed artists include Mark Ambor, Montell Fish, ian and hey, nothing. He notes an artist’s career “is never a straight path,” and his clients all require separate needs. “Being able to turn the right dials, knowing when to say yes and when to say no, carefully reviewing and calculating each step of the way. These are just a handful of things I use in my daily approach to help put my clients in the best situations to succeed both short and long term.”