Career Journey: How To Work In Live Music with Sophia Olson

A graduate of American University, Sophia Olson is currently a Box Office Assistant for Live Nation and an Event Coordinator for StarQuest Dance Competitions. Having worked across venues, legal offices, and touring environments, Sophia has built a career rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and a deep respect for the artists at the center of the music industry. Fun fact: - she was also a previous blog writer here at Gen Admission! In this interview, we discuss Sophia’s journey and how she took what she learned across various roles to get to where she is today.

GA: How did you get your start in the music industry - what or who helped you gain a foot in the door early on?

SO: I originally got my foot in the door through venue work! I started in the box office at the Fillmore Silver Springs in Maryland, while in college. Venue work is truly one of the best ways to get started! You get to see the production side of music and tours, but you also interact with many of the stakeholders in music. Working in the box office, I got to know bookers, label heads and PR agents, as they were constantly coming to see the artists they worked with. I was lucky enough to transfer venues when I moved to NYC, and still continue working within venues in NYC, which only expanded my network and knowledge. 

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Venue work is truly one of the best ways to get started!

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GA: How did volunteering with Gen Admission help you progress in your career?

SO: Volunteering with Gen Admission has given me the opportunity to meet some of the most talented and kind folks in the music industry. The relationships I have built with fellow Gen Admissions folks have given me the skills, connections, and knowledge to continue growing and expanding my career. So many of my friends in this industry are Gen Admission friends, which has allowed me to have a network that I can call on when I have questions or want to collaborate in my professional life. 

GA: As someone who didn’t major in music in college, how did you leverage your college experience in the early stages of your career?

SO: I am so lucky I had some of the most flexible professors who allowed me to bring music into the international relations space. I spent the last year of college using any paper or presentation as an opportunity to learn something new about the music industry. I wrote a paper on protest music for a class on India/Pakistan. I did a presentation on cultural ambassadors for a class on the UN. Music affects and influences every part of the world, and thus was able to be malleable into my International Relations degree! Plus bringing your passion into your college work makes the work easier, and makes you stand out of the crowd! 

GA: Who have been your biggest mentors throughout your journey and how did you come to know them?

SO: I have been beyond lucky to have some great women bosses in many of my roles, and they are my biggest mentors. In all the venues I’ve worked in, my bosses were women, and they both navigated venue production and logistics with grace and composure. At the law firm, I had a lawyer I worked under who was incredibly smart and a great teacher. I’ve had tour managers who are the kindest people I know and work to build up those around them. All of these women led by example and taught me that I can be authentic, kind, and smart and I belong in the rooms I find myself in. In what can be a boys' club, they truly took the time to show me I can build a career and should do so!

GA: What have you learnt through working in multiple different sectors of the music industry - legal, record labels, and live events? 

SO: Having a dynamic and wide-ranging knowledge and skill base is the greatest thing I’ve gained through having experiences in many different sectors. No part of the music industry functions by itself, but instead in a web of many moving parts. By working in different sectors, I’ve learned the language and functionality of each area, and have been able to help bridge gaps between departments. For example, a tour needs a lawyer, a label exec, and a venue production manager to communicate to make it successful. By having experience in all of these areas, I am able to help bridge the gap between these departments to help execute projects successfully!

GA: What advice would you give to young professionals who are just beginning to navigate their journey in the music industry?

SO: Be kind and remember empathy! It costs nothing to be kind to someone else. I think in the hustle and bustle of the music industry, sometimes the art of empathy and kindness can get lost. But at the heart of the music industry isin the music, and the art that seeks to build empathy between our experiences. Beyond that, being empathetic and kind allows you to build relationships and learn new skills and open doors to new opportunities. 

GA: What does a day in your current role as an Event Coordinator look like?

SO: Every day is different, which I love and find I thrive in! The main areas of my job are scheduling and logistics. Prior to each event, I work to make sure all the artists coming have their schedules worked out and are ready for the event. This could be taking into account prior commitments and scheduling around them, or working on the logistics of getting their gear into the building. Logistically, I work with our Tour Manager to make sure the finer details of each event are prepped and ready. From the layout of the venue, to cable runs, to meals for the staff, I help solidify that our shows are planned with detail and executed efficiently. Lastly, I am collaboratively working to manage our staff and make sure that they are executing their jobs so our shows run smoothly. Somedays I am in a coffee shop going over spreadsheets and my busy email inbox, and some days I am running around a venue troubleshooting video feeds or helping merch cash out! After doing work in both the office setting and in a traveling tour setting, I’ve discovered that being out and on my feet on the road is where I work best!

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Be kind and remember empathy! It costs nothing to be kind to someone else.

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GA: Which skills or experiences from earlier in your career ended up being most valuable in your current role?

SO: I was once told I cared too much about the artist and not enough about the money side of the music industry. It was the best advice I’d ever been given. Not because I thought I should care less about artists, but because it reminded me to continue to be intentional in how the center of all my work in music is to help make it a more inclusive space, focused on artists and the art, and not on the financial gain of others. In each job I’ve had after being told this, I’ve worked to keep the art and its transformative power at the heart of my ‘why.’ In my current role, I get to directly support artists and provide spaces across the country where artists can perform and connect. Everything I do within the tour works to care for the art, and I think it makes the work better as it is human-centered! 

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