Aspirations for working in the Music Industry

Hi! My name is Alaina and much like Arthur Fogel (Chairman of Global Music and President of Global Touring for Live Nation) I once too debated between careers in Social Work and Music Business. The evident need for people to be loved and valued in this world is undeniable. In my youth music existed all around me, yet while growing older my understanding of people and their purpose in this world puzzled my mind even more. Essentially the question running through my mind during my freshman year of college was: How can I serve the people in this world if I am booking a concert or managing an artist? How does this solve issues of human trafficking or those facing oppression across the globe?

My thanks and appreciation for music goes out to my parents. They introduced my brothers and I to the stylings of Motown, 80s metal, 90s pop, and various forms of worship music throughout our young lives. Music allows me to remember joyous car rides to Tennessee visiting our crazy grandma. My uncle bought me my first boom box when I was five and my dad always wondered where his CDs went (he eventually figured out who took them). Of course, don’t forget about portable CD players because I think I owned at least two of those. Currently, those time-capsule moments are the only memories I have of my family but I know those are not the last.

In high school I competed in Show Choir and started playing guitar. Having a band was a desire of my best friend and I but we completely lacked all the necessary skills to have one. At some point, I came to the realization that being an artist and creating music did not fit my skill sets. Still though, working around music intrigued me along with the idea of having a non-traditional occupation. As soon as I graduated high school, my summer consisted of slime, lifeguarding, ropes courses, and tons of kids. Camp Cotubic allowed me to understand what it means to nurture people, especially children. Many lessons were learned as camp counselor. Most importantly I learned how to live and work with others.

With all of this past history (and much more I cannot fit into one essay) I have this love for both people and music. My entire college career has existed of me fighting this pull between serving people but also working in the music industry. After my sophomore year, I had the opportunity to attend the Contemporary Music Center in Brentwood, TN the Fall semester of my Junior year. The amount of opportunity and knowledge I gained from this program still surprises me. As an individual I benefited most from the staff. My business instructor understood the idea of working in the music industry and striving to serve people. Even though most careers within music do not involve directly working with abused or neglected people, there is a different service the music industry provides. There are reasons why concert tickets sell, there are reasons why people listen to music every day.

On a personal level, music has touched my soul. I’ve gone to numerous concerts. People are allowed to come alive at concerts. I have had the joy to share these experiences with the people I adore. Someday if I can coordinate a tour or a festival that puts a smile on a face I will be content. If I can help take any ounce of worry away from someone’s life in that moment of time, then my work has meaning. Whomever I work with deserves to be respected and treated exceptionally well. Whether it is an artist, producer, live sound engineer, promoter, tour manager, bus driver, or janitor at a venue, having the skills to communicate well with each of these individuals is crucial in the industry.

My goal for working in the music industry is to give the best service possible to those who I will be working with in order to further provide the best service and entertainment to fans because they make careers in the music industry possible.