Columbia students gathered to network over pizza and snacks while tuning into a virtual panel featuring professionals from Live Nation Entertainment, one of the largest entertainment companies in the country that works with artists to bring performances to the stage. The event, organized by the college’s Women in Music club, focused on building connections and exploring career paths in the music industry.
Students had the option to join the panel virtually or gather in The Hive, located on the third floor of the 618 S. Michigan Ave. building, to watch together.
Women in Music founder Ivonne Romo said she aimed to bring together a diverse group of women panelists representing different areas of the business to offer students a broad look at the opportunities within the live entertainment and music industries.
The panel included Claudia Friar, vice president of regional marketing; Mary Connor Cox, promotion prize associate for media and sponsorships; Aisling Mehigan, production manager for Live Nation New England; Kirsten Calabrese, associate ticketing manager; and Marissa Tong, recruiter.
Romo, a graduate student majoring in the arts, entertainment and media management program, said partnering with Live Nation was a great opportunity for students considering its success.
“Live Nation is definitely the largest employer of entertainment in the country, so it’s a no brainer,” Romo said.
With two panelists — Cox and Calabrese — being Columbia alum, Romo said the event also served as a way to connect current students with graduates working in the field.
“The goals are always having professional women and alum come back and share about their experiences and also inspire. If it’s not necessarily the heavy duty of inspiring, just the connections itself are very valuable,” Romo said.
Women in Music president Charlotte Johnson, a junior music business major, said she was looking forward to the panel, especially with her live and touring concentration. Johnson said hearing the women talk about their experiences in their journeys and how they got to where they are was a great opportunity and can make student’s goals feel achievable.
“Live Nation, for a lot of us, is a big goal to work there,” she said. “It seems really unattainable sometimes.”
Johnson said giving the students who attended valuable connections and resources is beneficial to them.
“It gives them a stepping stone to make those connections and foster those connections themselves,” she said. “This school has plenty of panels across all different types of disciplines. We really wanted to make sure that they take it into their own hands and further these connections.”
Adriana Gutierrez, a first-year photography major and member of Women in Music, attended the event both to help out and to learn from the speakers. She said that joining the club and attending events like this has encouraged her to branch out.
“It’s that reminder to me, like, I don’t have to attend stuff that’s only in my major. I can try this out and be like, okay well, if I like it, I can keep doing it. I can do photography and this. I think a lot of people forget that,” Gutierrez said.
During the panel, speakers shared their career journeys, discussed influential women in their lives and offered advice on entering the industry. They also emphasized the importance of collaboration over competition.
“There’s this misconception that there’s one spot to fill, so you have to fight with each other to fill that one role,” Friar said. “The best thing that we can do as women — and really as just any sort of ally — is work together to change those opportunities, not to perpetuate that cycle.”
Copy edited by Katie Peters
