Making Connections In The Music Industry

Graduating high school and moving on to college life is a big deal to many people. By the time they graduate, most people know what they want to do career-wise with their life. I didn’t. After graduating, I took a year off to figure out what I wanted to do. In that year, I worked part-time at a dollar store and used my time to listen to a lot of different music.

I discovered a band called Thirty Seconds to Mars that year and really took a liking to their album ‘This is War’. This album was written in a challenging time for the band, creating some motivational music. The two songs that inspired me to chase my dreams are ‘Closer to The Edge’ and ‘Kings and Queens’.

On my quest to be a part of the music industry, I took it upon myself to start the marketing program and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. After my first year there, I dropped out and gave up on my dream. I began attending concerts on a bi-weekly basis. I lived vicariously through the lives of the tour and merchandise managers of the artists I saw.

It wasn’t until 2015 that I decided to try again. I looked into schools that had programs specific to the music industry. There were a few schools in Vancouver, Toronto, and Orlando that looked interesting. I settled on a Nimbus School of Recording Arts and Media as it was close to home, has tiny class sizes and is co-owned by Bob Ezrin, who is connected to Thirty Seconds to Mars.

This is a photo of myself along with my 5 classmates and record label manager

The program that I graduated with was advanced music business management. I didn’t have an interest in learning to produce music but still wanted to work on the behind-the-scenes aspect of an artist/band. Nimbus did a great job providing the option for those not musically inclined. Another draw to the school was being taught by active industry professionals.

Being surrounded by industry professionals and up and coming industry mates made for a great environment to network with many different people. I took full advantage of this and tried to make as many connections as possible. I would sit in on recording sessions, volunteer for shows that teachers needed help, and always said hi to everyone I walked past in the hallways. Networking is one of the most essential aspects of success in the music industry. I didn’t want to miss out on any opportunities.

This image was taken after an overnight studio session where I found my friend sleeping in the studio the next morning before class

While attending Nimbus, I got to be a part of many fun projects, from helping run the school’s record label, finding talent and putting on weekly shows to planning each term’s grad event. By putting on these events, we actively used what we were being taught in real-time while also gaining vital experience to push us to the next level of our careers.

Being active in the industry while getting the education needed helped create connections that would help branch into the industry once graduated. Overall, the most critical aspect of going to school to work in the music industry was making connections. If you decide that the music industry is where you want to be, my most significant piece of advice would be to volunteer at as many shows as possible so you can make those essential connections while gaining experience.

Photos from one of the many shows the my classmates and I hosted

Story Outline:

Goal: The goal of this story is to highlight my inspiration to work in the music industry as well as talk about the importance of networking to advance your career in the industry.

Audience: The audience that I’m writing to are music industry fans aged 17-30 who have an interest in working in the music industry.

Core Information: Utilizing educational experience as a place to network and make connections to help you succeed after graduation.

Outline:

  • Deciding what I want to do post high school graduation
  • Making the wrong schooling choice and giving up on the dream
  • Rediscovery of my passion to work in the industry and finding the right school
  • Using the school to network and create important connections
  • Highlighting the projects that were worked on while at school
  • Utilizing the projects and connections to further your career post graduation
  • Photos will be placed throughout the story as they fit the narrative