"I studied advertising and imagology at Tallinn University and worked in a record store at the same time. My love for music started in childhood; I recorded songs from the radio onto cassette tapes and went to various summer tours in Estonia, I was a fan of many artists. Then I volunteered at the Positivus festival, and from there I was invited to do marketing and communication," said Liina Tammepõld, marketing and communications manager for the Estonian branch of L Tips Agency, which organizes large concerts in the Baltics.

L Tips Agency is organizing concerts by Moby, The Cure and OMD this August.

The stress level in this work can be very high at times, but the adrenaline and the experience you get when the concert is finally over are worth it. "The coolest moment is when the concert begins and I send photographers right to the front of the stage to shoot, and I can spend the first songs right at the stage myself. The energy that arises when the artist comes on stage always gives me chills," Tammepõld said.

"The choice of artist mainly comes down to logistics and dates, not so much thinking about the audience reaction. When we do something in Estonia, Latvians and Lithuanians also come," said Tammepõld, who works at a Latvian agency. "For very big artists, we treat Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as one region."

Tammepõld works in a small company with four Latvians, one Estonian and one Lithuanian. "We talk a lot about artists among ourselves, and the final decision is made by the company's director, who also carries the risk."

It can also happen that an artist's tour is cancelled. "I gave my husband Neil Young concert tickets in Italy as a gift. We also bought flights and accommodation, but already in spring he cancelled the entire tour. Thanks to the fact that I had a credit card from a bank that included travel insurance, the insurance covered the costs because the purpose of the trip was the concert. It's worth checking these things," Tammepõld noted.

Moby had no surprising requests. "Moby's personal assistant on this tour is an Estonian, with whom we have been in close contact to make sure the artist feels very comfortable in Estonia," Tammepõld said. "Artists want to feel as much at home as possible while on tour. This week we have at both concerts a backstage helper who works with Andrea Bocelli. Estonians are capable people," she smiled.

American multi‑instrumentalist, producer and singer Moby released an album earlier this year that includes a track titled "Tallinn." "I did a bit of research and found that the song is a tribute to Arvo Pärt," Tammepõld said.

Tammepõld also organizes community concerts and wants to help Estonian artists reach big stages.

"I feel that a big part of my heart belongs to Estonian artists and Estonian music. Working at Tallinn Music Week is very close to my heart, and contributing to helping Estonian musicians reach big stages. In my hometown Elva, I organize a couple of concerts myself. At the end of July, Mikk Tammepõld and Lauri Räpp performed in the garden of the Verevi Motel. At the end of August, Mari Jürjens will perform," Tammepõld said.

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