Music Execs Meet the Industry's Future at Career Jam

Music Execs Meet the Industry's Future at Career Jam This year's event highlighted A&R strategy, Latin music's ascendancy, pioneering Black CEOs, and more.

By

Sarah Godcher Murphy

April 13, 2022

Vocalists Breanna Dickerson (left) and Nia Ashleigh Harris, with Julian Wilson (keys), Yves Delice (bass), Marvin Mumford II (drums), and Kyle Brady (guitar), perform at the Career Jam Original Music Showcase at Cafe 939.

Image by Elizabeth Friar

Music industry leaders from all over the country gathered at Berklee this month for Career Jam, an annual professional development event connecting students with accomplished artists, producers, record label executives, and social media creatives. These industry pros shared stories from their careers and offered practical advice for students preparing to take the first step on their own professional path. The event also gave students the opportunity to perform for talent scouts from major labels and publishing houses through one-on-one song screenings and an original music showcase.

Students could also gain an insiders view of rap music during panel discussions featuring hip-hop pioneer Marley Marl and Grammy-nominated artist Rapsody, who discussed their career trajectories from Marl's early days with Eric B. & Rakim to Rapsody's acclaimed 2019 album, Eve.

Bonnie Hayes, chair of the Songwriting Department, reacts to a surprise musical tribute from her students as Berklee visiting scholar Kara DioGuardi looks on.

Image by Elizabeth Friar

Berklee alumni played a prominent role in the day's events. Mike Cassidy '97, a vice president at the rocket engineering company Astra, and Albhy Galuten '68, a Grammy-winning producer and tech executive, discussed the creative links between music and entrepreneurship; while Pinar Toprak B.M. '00 unpacked her experience writing the score for the hit movie Captain Marvel. Claude Kelly B.M. '02 was featured with his cowriter Chuck Harmony and R&B legend Daryl Simmons in a discussion titled Creating Hit Songs as a Songwriter/Producer.

Career Jam also was a fitting occasion to honor two beloved faculty members who will be retiring from Berklee at the end of the academic year. The Dorenfeld Fellowship Award was dedicated to Jeff Dorenfeld, professor of music business, in recognition of his 26 years of service. This $250,000 fellowship was made possible by donor Ann Kreis, a Berklee trustee emeritus, and will be used to help students pay for living expenses while completing music business internships. Bonnie Hayes, chair of the Songwriting Department, has inspired and mentored countless students since joining Berklee in 2013. At the conclusion of her Career Jam panel, she was f ted with a surprise flash mob of well-wishers who sang a medley of her original songs.

Seeing A&R from All Sides During an afternoon showcase at Cafe 939, eight student artists performed original songs for a packed audience that included visiting A&R representatives. Chosen by the talent relations ambassadors, a team of student A&R scouts, these artists represented the best of Berklee's emerging performers and songwriters, spanning a range of genres from Latin pop to R&B to indie folk. Many of the featured artists have already released singles and are poised to break through to a wider fanbase.

Lindsay Whiteman

Image by Elizabeth Friar

Singer-songwriter Lindsay Whiteman, from Long Island, New York, played two of her songs, Like Like and Best Actress Winner. While she was grateful for the attention of record labels, Whiteman said that, above all, she was excited to play for an enthusiastic crowd of fans-many of whom knew the words to her songs and sang along.

It's always the hope that you can make connections and network a little bit. But honestly, just putting on a good performance is always my favorite part, she said. I love performing, regardless of the outcome.

The original music showcase made a strong impression on Amanda Samii '09, senior vice president of A&R at Capitol Records, who participated in the Art of Record Label A&R panel along with executives from Motown, Mom + Pop, and Atlantic Records. Live performance is crucial to the scouting process, Samii said, because it reveals the fullest extent of an artist's ability-and personality.

The future of the music industry does live in this room.

Amanda Samii '09, senior vice president of A&R, Capitol Records

I love seeing people perform live because the energy is so important, she said. What you see behind the eyes-what we just witnessed at Cafe 939-it was amazing to see some of those artists get up and give it their all.

Every member of the panel stressed the primacy of live performance, despite the rise of social media platforms like TikTok and industry data analytics like Chartmetric. Although these digital tools have changed the A&R landscape in recent years, the fundamental process of discovering and launching new artists remains unchanged.

The data and research are important, but ultimately it's about how you read that data, said Suzanna Slavin, senior vice president of A&R at the independent label Mom + Pop, home to Courtney Barnett and Beach Bunny. If you exude your passion and energy to the people that you're around, it's going to come back. That's why were in this business. We want to discover the thing that's going to make our heart sing.

Left to right: G Rouzbehani, vice president of A&R, Motown Records; Amanda Samii '09, senior vice president of A&R, Capitol Records; and Liza Levy, talent relations manager, Berklee

Image by Elizabeth Friar

Students hoping to work in A&R should be prepared to start at the bottom and work their way diligently upwards. Patience and preparedness are essential, all four panelists agreed. They also emphasized the value of networking an

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