The Artist and Repertoire (A&R) department of a record label is the portion of a record company that is responsible for finding new talent and convincing them to sign with their label. When A&R representatives find talent deemed worthy of a record deal, they lead negotiations between the label and the prospective artist. A&R employees usually develop a relationship with the particular artist or band they sign and serve as the primary liaison between the artist and the label.
Practicing And Performing Music
There is a perception that performing and practicing music are two very different activities. I think that the relationship between performing and practicing is deeply intertwined and at a certain level the distinction between the two virtually disappears.