Entering and making it in the music industry is no easy task. At 51社区鈥檚 third annual Music Industry Summit on March 25, musicians and industry leaders shared their advice and experiences with more than 2,800 registrants from around the globe who attended the nearly 11-hour event.
The Summit hosted multiple keynote artist conversations including FINNEAS, Billie Eilish鈥檚 Grammy-winning producer/collaborator; Grammy-nominated artist Phoebe Bridgers; critically acclaimed artist and producer St. Vincent, as well as interviews with numerous industry leaders including Grammy Executive Producer Ken Ehrlich; Amazon Music Global Head of Editorial Raymond Leon Roker; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Vice President and Chief Curator Nwaka Onwusa, and Top Dawg Entertainment and Kendrick Lamar mixing engineer Derek 鈥淢ixedbyAli鈥 Ali. Run the Jewels鈥 Killer Mike and managers Amaechi Uzoigwe and Will Bronson joined in for the closing keynote conversation on the business and creative decisions behind their meteoric success.
鈥淲e knew we had a pretty amazing lineup of artists, leaders and entrepreneurs, but we were blown away by the response and far-reaching engagement throughout the day,鈥 said Josh Antonuccio, director of both the Summit and the OHIO School of Media Arts and Studies. 鈥淲e ended up having students attend from across 119 universities, as well as over 350 high schools. Moreover, we had hundreds of alums and even more industry professionals from major sectors join us. The event was a point of connection, networking and learning for many wanting to learn about different career stories in this field.鈥
The Summit started with 鈥40 Years of Producing Music鈥檚 Biggest Night,鈥 a conversation spanning Ehrlich鈥檚 innovative career. Ehrlich detailed how his trust with artists allowed him to put together many iconic moments, including the 2014 once-in-a-life Grammy performance featuring Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder and Nile Rodgers.
While he began his career as a sports reporter and later as a PR professional after graduation from 51社区 (BSJ 鈥64), he eventually realized his true passion was in the music industry. Ehrlich advised students not to be afraid to fail, just as he approached sports reporting and public relations. 鈥淚f you have ambition, drive and play big, you鈥檙e going to get there. I won鈥檛 guarantee this, but I promise you鈥檒l get your break,鈥 he said.
That鈥檚 exactly what happened with MixedbyAli. He went from being a technologically curious high school student to becoming an influential hip-hop mixer. He has worked with many prominent artists, such as Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Cardi B, SZA, Roddy Ricch, the late Nipsey Hussle, Snoop Dogg and many more, all because of his passion for mixing.
Similarly, FINNEAS advised students, 鈥淵ou should know why you want to do what you want to do and that will guide you. You鈥檒l get there when you do,鈥 he said.
He reminisced how he used to watch the Grammys as a kid with his sibling, Eilish. FINNEAS said he didn鈥檛 even need to win the Grammy, just the nomination was winning itself. When he and Eilish swept awards in 2020, he described the feeling as surreal. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 even on my bucket list, so I couldn鈥檛 even cross it off,鈥 he added.
FINNEAS advised aspiring artists to not just focus on the song itself, but also the marketing strategy in order to find success. 鈥淵ou have to build up the momentum before a song is published. You can鈥檛 rush to publish a song,鈥 he said.
Bridgers, who was named best new 2021 Spotify artist, built on the theme of understanding all aspects of music production and distribution in her keynote discussion. She highlighted the importance of not only writing music but also learning how to produce it. Bob Boilen, creator and host of NPR Music鈥檚 Tiny Desk, played several clips of Bridgers鈥 performances to show her evolution as a songwriter.
When being interviewed by Ehrlich, St. Vincent was noticeably stunned when she learned that her music had been recommended to him by Prince. She credits her songwriting success to listening to various kinds of music. 鈥淚f you listen to enough different kinds of music, it鈥檚 going to come out of you one way or another,鈥 she said. 鈥淵ou have to work very hard to know your craft inside and out.鈥
Advising those who struggle with breaking into the music industry as an artist, she said, 鈥淭here is still a whole lot of other stuff you can do around music, such as writing lyrics for other artists, even if you can鈥檛 be Jimi Hendrix.鈥
鈥淲e hear this over and over again 鈥 not just from these great musicians 鈥 but from innovators and entrepreneurs in any industry,鈥 said , director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. 鈥淔inding your passion and a purpose in your career isn鈥檛 just about things that interest you. That鈥檚 enough to be a fan or to have a hobby. If you combine that love for something with real skills, a deep commitment to mastering your craft and an audience, you will make an impact in the world.鈥
The closing keynote featured an exclusive conversation with famed Atlanta MC and activist Killer Mike, along with managers Amaechi Uzoigwe and Will Bronson, of iconic hip hop duo Run The Jewels. Coming off one of their biggest years to date, the three talked about their strategies of engagement, including their pursuit to be featured in Marvel鈥檚 Black Panther trailer. Additionally, they shared stories on how they managed the early runaway success of the group and kept pushing the boundaries on the scope of their branding partnerships. 鈥淚t gets to a certain point where you realize there is no ceiling,鈥 manager Will Bronson said.
The Summit also featured select artist performances, including an opening DJ set by Kelly Lee Owens and a performance from Haley Heynderickx. Sponsors provided numerous giveaways throughout the day, including gear from Shure, Earthquaker Devices and Stewart-MacDonald.
The free virtual event was sponsored by 51社区鈥檚 Performing Arts and Concert Series, Scripps College of Communication, School of Media Arts and Studies, Center for Entrepreneurship, and over 30 other campus and industry partners. The Center for Entrepreneurship serves the entire OHIO community and operates as a partnership between the College of Business and Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.
To watch select interviews and performances from the day, visit