Elodie Junkere

Unaware of the career paths available in the music industry, when Elodie Junkere discovered Solent's BA (Hons) Music Business, she said it felt like a 'no brainer'. She now works as a UK Promotions Assistant at [PIAS], and has shared with us her thoughts on her time at Solent, and how it helped her prepare for her career.

Why did you decide to study an undergraduate course?

I had studied music performance at both GCSE and A level, however I was unaware of the career paths available to me aside from the performance side of the industry. I remember having one college seminar about music contracts and my whole perspective on working in music changed.

I learned what the ‘music business’ was, and subsequently found the undergraduate course at Solent - applying for it felt like a no-brainer.

Did you have any concerns about studying an undergraduate course?

I didn’t have many reservations about studying an undergraduate course, however I remember feeling conscious of the fact that I was starting out with very little knowledge about the music industry. I quickly realised that this wasn’t an issue as the course was structured in a way that allowed me to get to grips with the different areas of the industry without feeling overwhelmed.

What was the best thing about your course lecturers?

The best thing about the course lecturers is their professional experience in the industry, and when combined with their ongoing participation in research projects they were able to give a very well-rounded perspective on the industry past, present and future.

Their personable attributes made them easy to approach, and collaborate with on projects which allowed me to get the most out of my time studying on the course.

Did you do any work experience as part of your course?

I didn’t take part in any explicit work experience during my studies, however our modules related to creating public facing businesses and projects gave us the opportunity to meet and collaborate with music industry professionals outside of the course. These people have become valuable additions to my network, and they also kindly offered me support when preparing for the interviewing process for my current role.

During my studies, I also found employment at the university within their equality, diversity and inclusivity services, my role being an inclusive curriculum consultant. This involved tackling issues such as equality, racial inequalities, implicit biases and accessibility within higher education, by reviewing undergraduate course content and working with the course leaders and lecturers to help improve their syllabuses with EDI in mind. This role gave me practical experience working professionally - with my previous experience only being in hospitality and retail - and so helped me feel more confident when stepping into my current position.

Tell us a bit about your experience as an undergraduate student?

Unfortunately, my undergraduate experience started during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, so it was a slower start. However, my experience in halls was a positive one, surrounded by like-minded individuals who became a great source of support whilst living away from home for the first time.

The course was structured in a way that allowed me to feel confident in completing my coursework and achieving the academic goals I had set for myself, but also left me with enough time to work part-time and enjoy the ‘student lifestyle’ when I wanted to. Southampton has a vibrant nightlife with many iconic live music venues on your doorstep and I made full use of this as soon as the COVID restrictions were lifted.

How did Solent prepare you for your career?

Solent prepared me for my career by giving me a fully comprehensive overview of the music industry. The course content gave me an in-depth insight into the key elements of the music business, and my lecturers were up-to-date with current trends and challenges within the music industry, which allowed me to feel confident and knowledgeable when finishing my course and looking for work.

I made great use of the career’s advice service at the University, which provided me with useful resources to help write my CV, refine my cover letters and develop my interviewing skills.

What’s been your proudest career achievement?

My proudest achievement has been accepting my current position before graduation!

Tell us a little bit about your current role?

My current roles as a promotions assistant within press and radio involves developing a story behind an artist and their campaign and communicating this to media with the press releases that I write or edit.

These are used to secure promotional activity for the artist such as live radio interviews or sessions, magazine coverage, social media collaborations or brand partnerships which I pitch for and subsequently schedule.

I really enjoy the artist facing nature of my role, as it allows me to further build personal relationships within the industry on a more creative basis.

I was interviewing for this role during the final stages of handing in my dissertation and accepted the offer not long before graduating.

Do you have any advice for anyone thinking of studying in your subject area?

My advice for anyone thinking of studying in this subject area would be to go for it! If you have the passion for music as an artist, producer, writer or gig-goer you might not be aware of the career paths available to you.