Vanderbilt Media Group Presents: An Evening with Music Industry Executives

On February 23, 2011, the Vanderbilt Media Group (VMG), a newly-relaunched Owen club devoted to serving students with a professional interest in media and entertainment, hosted a panel discussion and Q&A with senior music industry executives and luminaries hailing from record labels, artist business management, songwriting, publishing, and digital/social media. The panel featured Ken Robold (Executive VP/GM, Universal Music Group), Jamie Cheek (Business Manager for acts including Kings of Leon and Pearl Jam), Tom Douglas (2011 Grammy- and Oscar-nominated songwriter), Duff Berschlback (VP Business Affairs, Sony/ATV Publishing), and Brian Peterson (Founder, RedRovor). Hosted by industry legend Tim Dubois, this fascinating group discussed the inner workings and current state of a music industry famously in crisis, their visions for the future, how the industry might recover, and broader implications for media. The event was well-attended by a broad mix of first and second year students, who asked a number of insightful questions during the Q&A. Afterwards, a wine-and-cheese reception with live music took place, giving students the opportunity to mingle with the panelists. VMG is committed to hosting similar events in the future, covering different industries within media and entertainment. (Written by Barry Nelson, MBA Class of 2011).