Draft:Robin Sloane Seibert

Robin Sloane Seibert
Born	Robin Sue Sloane Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Vermont
Occupation	Music executive
Years active	1976-1999
Known for	{{hlistPhilo Records|Epic Records|Elektra Records|Geffen Records/DGC Records|Dreamworks Records}}
Spouse	Fred Seibert
Children	2

Robin Sloane Seibert (born 1957) is a former creative director in the record business (credited as Robin Sloane) for Philo, Epic, Elektra, Geffen/DGC, Dreamworks.

Early years & Education

Sloane was born in Manhattan, New York, raised in the borough of Queens and in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Initially educated in a local Yeshiva, she went on to public schools, and matriculated at the University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. She was music director and a show host at the school's WRUV-FM.

Music Industry Career

In Sloane's senior year she interned for credit at the independent folk record label Philo Records, founded in 1973 by half-brothers Michael Couture and Bill Schubart. After graduation, she became a full time employee, before leaving for New York City.

Epic Records

In 1978, Sloane joined then CBS-owned Epic Records in the Press and Public Information department. In addition to the traditional chores of a press group –press releases, liner notes, artist biographies– early on, Sloane took on the responsibility of distributing the company's artists' music video "clips" to any television outlet in America. When her CBS Records companion Gail Sparrow joined the nascent MTV: Music Television as Director of Talent & Acquisitions, Sloane was positioned to begin promoting Epic's artists directly to the national video network. Her 1982 placement of Adam & the Ants' Antmusic video earned MTV's first gold record award. After throwing a celebration party at the World Trade Center's Windows on the World, her successes at MTV had Sloane joining Bob Krasnow's Elektra Records.

Elektra Records

Initially in charge of promoting Elektra's artists' videos, Sloane also took over commissioning music videos for the label's artists. Mötley Crüe, Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Anita Baker, 10,000 Maniacs, Gipsy Kings, Kronos Quartet were among the dozens of artists in her portfolio.

Sloane's commissioning and supervision The Cars' innovative video for You Might Think {directed by Jeff Stein and Charlex) went on to be the very first "video of the year" at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. Her persuasion in getting MTV to program Tracy Chapman's Fast Car in 1988 a surprise hit for an artist whose commercial appeal was in question.

Geffen/DGC Records

After seven years at Elektra, David Geffen asked Sloabne to join Geffen/ DGC Records as creative director, not only overseeing video production, but also album cover design and all artist imaging. Geffen/DGC's roster was surprisingly diverse, but unsurprisingly successful for a relatively small company. The artists spanned Hanoi Rocks, The Sundays, Guns & Roses, Nelson, Joni Mitchell, The Simpsons, Robbie Robertson, Sonic Youth, Jackyl, and distributed label Almo Sounds' Garbage, Gillian Welch, the list was long. The artists allowed for a wide creative latitude for both the album covers and, the primary revenue driver, the videos.

Highlights of her tenure included creative direction of the first release and video by the [[Counting Crows], and all the original releases and videos by the phenomenon of Nirvana.

Sloane was quoted Danny Goldberg's memoir Serving the Servant: "I feel like I just saw the Who in London in 1964."

And again by music journalists Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum in their book "I Want My MTV." "Kurt Cobain was the only artist I've ever known who had brilliant, fully realized ideas he could express in one sentence. With 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' Kurt said, 'My idea for the video is a pep rally gone wrong.'"

Continuing her winning streak at Geffen, Sloane's highlights included Courtney Love's Hole album "Live Through This" and its video "Doll Parts," and two early Weezer videos directed by Spike Jonze, "Sweater Song" and the award winning "Buddy Holly."

Dreamworks Records

When David Geffen decamped to start Dreamworks SKG with partners Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg he asked Sloane to join the Dreamworks Records under industry legends Mo Ostin and Lenny Waronker. While working with their artists like Rufus Wainwright, Eels and Bijou Phillips, her biggest impact might well have been her work with the Broadway sensation Rent.

When Geffen invested in Rent when the musical was off-Broadway, he asked Sloane to help create the visual branding and advertising, making the show feel like a major rock concert tour. She turned to a small, New York design shop, Drew Hodges' Spot Design, who worked with her on a Lisa Loeb album design. Together, they broke the illustration tradition of Broadway advertising, and featured the show's cast in contemporary photography by Amy Guip with design by Hodges. The extraordinary success of the musical prompted Hodges to morph his company into Spotco, one of the largest Broadway advertising agencies of its era.

Personal Life

Robin Sloane Seibert retired completely from the record industry in 1999 after the birth of her second child. She became an amateur adult pianist and writer, now finishing a memoir of music in her life from childhood through adulthood.