Written by: Angelea Hengle
Hi everyone! My name is Angelea Hengle and I am so thankful to be part of the HearRVA team as a blog writer! In June of this past year, I graduated from DePaul University (Chicago, IL) with a B.S in Management and a double minor in Psychology and Music Business. With my degree, I aim to be in festival management and later in life own a record shop.
When I was a senior in high school, I knew wholeheartedly that I wanted to do music business. I’ve been to concerts since I was little, I was a dancer, and I would constantly be listening to music. However, I knew I wasn’t musically gifted as I didn’t play any instrument and couldn’t sing, but I quickly learned that that isn’t all there is to music. With a music business minor, I was required to take Intro to Music Business, Understanding Music, and Music Theory. After the basics have been covered, the program requires students to take a class in Pro Tools, Artist Management, and a music studies course where they can focus on specific types of music/artists. An additional three music courses are required, for example, Festival Management and Music Publishing. These additional courses were a great way to test out other areas of the industry that one might be interested in.
Once I got to DePaul, it took me a while to figure out what facet of the industry I wanted to look into, but through the fantastic professors and classes, I found I was interested in booking, festival management, and tour management. Music business degrees/minors aren’t used just for finding an area you are interested in. It prepares you to be well-rounded and opens you up to network opportunities. Since I was in the business school, it was hard to network with people in my classes because they focused on working in accounting or finance. Having this minor allowed me to meet people that loved music as much as I did and learn from professors that had multiple years of experience in about every area of the industry.
Another aspect of my time at DePaul was joining the DePaul Music Business Organization (DMBO) and being their Co-Event Coordinator my Senior year. If you are a college student looking to get into music business, I highly recommend either joining a music business club or starting your own! DMBO was a great way to meet like-minded friends and connect with music industry professionals. It also is helpful when looking to get involved with your local music scene and meet new people. There are also many programs founded by music labels that cater directly to college students and can help them launch their careers; some examples are the Orchard from Sony Music and 1824 from Universal Music Group.
My time in the DePaul music business minor and with DMBO was crucial to getting my foot in the door of the industry. If looking to go to college for music business, take advantage of the opportunities at hand. Don’t be scared to apply for that internship or job. Become friends with the people in your classes. Utilize your college network to the best of your ability as you may end up working with them one day.
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Blog Author - Angelea Hengle: Hey y'all! I'm Angelea and am super excited to be a part of this great team! I'm a recent graduate from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, and am so happy to call Richmond home again. I received my Bachelor of Science in General Management with also a double minor in Psychology and Music Business. In college, I was President of DePaul Dance Company and Co-Event Coordinator for DePaul Music Business Organization. Creativity and artistry have always been a part of who I am and I am so grateful to be in this amazing community.