Words: Casey Seagriff

All of my pivotal moments have happened surrounded by music. I practically grew up on stage, participating in musical theater from just nine years old. I have been lucky enough to have been able to perform with some amazing people and meet my best friends along the way (thanks to running a fan account)

While theater shaped who I am, I have always had a love for pop and rock music. I remember driving in the car with my dad, Led Zeppelin blaring from the speakers & going to my very first concert (Taylor Swift) with my mom. 

It was no question that I was going to find a way to keep music in my life as I got older.

But if you would have told thirteen-year-old Casey that sitting down to watch Season 14 of American Idol would change the outcome of her life, she probably would have looked at you like you were crazy. I mean, how does that make any sense? But as weird as the butterfly effect is, an hour of television dictated the next few years for me. 

For those of you who aren’t Idol superfans, (or are just a lot saner than I am) season 14 was when Daniel Seavey auditioned for the show. All he had to do was sing one of my favorite Ed Sheeran songs during Hollywood Rounds and I was hooked.

Ultimately, Daniel placed ninth overall before being voted off. After his time on American Idol, I supported him through Social Media where I was able to interact with him and other fans. 

In September 2016, he announced that he would be joining a band, Why Don’t We. I told everyone I knew. I was so excited that one of my favorite people was going to be doing what they loved. I immediately followed the other members, Jonah Marais, Corbyn Besson, Zach Herron, and Jack Avery. 

Flash forward a couple of months, I was standing in line for their Taking You Tour. It was upstairs of a random bar in my city that probably had a mass capacity of 200 people. I will never forget how I felt as the line was quickly moving up the stairs and into where the meet and greet was being held. Soon enough it was my turn, and I completely blacked out. 

The only reason I remember what happened is because the nice guy taking the pictures offered to take a video on my phone instead. I spent the next however many minutes so nervous I mixed up their names, smacked my hand off a table, and tripped going back up the stairs. Way to make a good first impression, Case.

Despite my unfortunate first meeting with who I thought was the love of my life, I was over the moon. I started my fan account the next day. It started as an excuse to share my concert photos and meet new friends, but after a couple of years, I had hundreds of followers and became a master at knowing their schedule even when they weren’t on the same continent I was. I was updating fans, making edits, and learning so much about the music industry as a result. I became fascinated with all things touring and management. I wanted to know everything I could. I started following different photographers, reading books about entertainment marketing, and researching ways to get involved. I started working on fan projects, not only for Why Don’t We but for many other artists I was interested in. I helped with street teams, calling into radio stations, and supporting other fan creators alike. I fell in love with what I was doing so much that it wasn’t about getting noticed by the boys anymore. I wanted to do this as a career. 

So, I started researching different programs and universities before deciding on my current program. After graduating high school, I began attending The Musician’s Institute for Music Business and am scheduled to graduate this upcoming June. Not only have I learned about tour management and marketing as I planned, but I have been exposed to so many different aspects of the industry as well. So many of the skills I learned while running my fan accounts have helped with my classes, too. 

The bottom line is: don’t let anyone make you feel silly for running a fan account for your favorite artist. It just could change your life.