Berklee Honors Tina Davis, President of EMPIRE, at Annual Music Business Lecture Series

Berklee’s Music Business/Management Department commemorated the 31st annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture series on November 14 by honoring Tina Davis, president of the independent distributor, record label, and publisher EMPIRE, for her sustained success in an extremely competitive and traditionally male-dominated industry. 

Moderated by Music Business/Management Department Chair Tonya Butler, the conversation offered students a professional’s insight on relationship-building, perseverance, and how to build a lasting career in music as an A&R executive.

Davis described how she began her career under the mentorship of LaRonda Sutton, who kept her promise by firing Davis after only one year of employment, a move meant to encourage her growth and expand her opportunities in the industry. This unexpected turn of events led to a position at Def Jam Recordings, where her people skills, work ethic, and talent-spotting prowess earned significant recognition throughout both the company and the music business. Following her departure from Def Jam, Davis was approached by Grammy Award–winning artist Chris Brown to take on the role of his manager. Though initially reluctant, his persistence won her over. “How could I say no to Chris Brown?” she reflected. “He’s undeniably the next Michael Jackson.”

Davis continued to uplift and encourage the Berklee students by urging them to approach setbacks, such as being fired, as opportunities for growth and redirection. “Challenges can be stepping stones to something greater,” said Davis, who took multiple questions from more than a dozen students that lined up to seek her advice.

After the interview, students showcased their original music in a live A&R listening session, hosted by Chris Wares, assistant chair of Music Business/Management. Joined by Latoya Lee, the Berklee Career Center’s director of industry relations, the EMPIRE president critiqued and offered feedback on the strength and viability of the student’s submissions. “Rarely do up-and-coming artists get the chance to hear from a genuine record label president and A&R icon like Tina Davis," said Butler. “The students were both honored and grateful that she took the time to listen to their music and share her honest opinion of their work. This turned out to be one of our most inspiring Zafris events to-date.”   

About the Zafris Lecture Series 

The James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture Series for Music Business/Management is Berklee’s first endowed visiting lecture series, established by the Board of Trustees in 1992 and named after James G. Zafris, a longtime chair of the board and one of its founding members. Past Zafris lecturers have included Andreea Gleeson, CEO of Tunecore; David Israelite, president and CEO of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA); Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Publishing; Dina Lapolt, renowned entertainment attorney; Jeff Harleston, general counsel and executive vice president of business and legal affairs at Universal Music Group, and many more.