Networking: The Key to Success! (Alumni Success Story)
Tom Roberts, 2012 Entertainment Management graduate
Current Title: Production Assistant for Pink
Company : Blah Blah Blah Touring Inc.
What inspired you to study what you did while at Bay State College?
I‘ve always loved live music, the crowd interaction with the talent and the environment of concerts cannot be beat! Getting paid to do it was the kicker!
What did you enjoy most about your education at Bay State College?
The freedom to concentrate on the music industry. The schedule I had at BSC allowed me to have a gig on the side, get my studies done and network constantly with others trying to crack into the industry.
Did you have a favorite class/instructor?
Tour Management with Jess White. Looking back I believe this was the class that brought out how daunting, but more so exciting, the music industry is! It was an exhausting detail orientated couple of months, but without it I do not believe I would have been as mentally prepared to go on a tour as I was.
Do you have plans to continue your education after Bay State?
Right now I plan on focusing on advancing my career but BSC really opened me to the idea of education and how important it really is. I would love to one day learn more about legal issues, psychology, history, world culture, basically anything intriguing to me!
What do you currently do now/how did you get there?
I just got a job as a Junior Production Assistant for Pink. We will be doing a nationwide and Canadian tour starting in October and ending in December. While at BSC I was working as a runner for Live Nation at most of the Boston area venues. The summer of graduation, my connections at Live Nation landed me a gig on tour as a production assistant for The J. Geils Band. We did stadiums, arenas, and theaters while on the road. This led me to working with Peter Wolf as a personal and production assistant on smaller tours throughout the US for about a year.
How did Bay State College prepare you for your career?
The professors and courses showed me how in-depth and thorough the industry is. I learned the importance of making informed decisions, the consequences of making poor ones, the rewards of putting on a great show, and all of the possibilities that can be accomplished with music. All in all, Bay State gave me experience and knowledge about the music industry that definitely put me ahead of the game, and gave me the confidence to go out and accomplish all that I wanted.
What is a piece of advice you can give current students?
The more you can learn the better! We are in an industry that focuses on your expertise, so if there is any way to further that, take it!
What role (if any) did Career Services play in your success?
Everyone in career services boosted my confidence to a new level! Just going in to chat and see what was new was a great experience! But Tom Corrigan did get me a gig working a merchandise table for Aimee Mann that later played a role in securing me an internship with a tour publicity group. Take any opportunity you can get!
What role (if any) did networking play in your success?
Networking may be the reason I have gotten to where I am and is definitely playing a huge role in moving forward. There’s not much to say except networking is absolutely essential, so start early!