Berklee’s Music Business/Management Department Hosted Summer Program with Position Music

Berklee’s Music Business/Management Department hosted its annual Music Business Summer Program in partnership with Position Music, an independent record label and publisher June 24–28 on the Boston campus.

The five-day summer intensive and interactive experience was designed for aspiring artists, managers, and entrepreneurs to learn how to launch a successful career in the music industry. The participants, who ranged in age from 15 to 20, were instructed on artist development, intellectual property rights, revenue streams, music marketing, branding, social media strategy, content creation, and music marketing by members of Berklee’s faculty as well as several established music industry professionals. 

Garrett Ream, the vice president of artist strategy and promotion at Position Music, presented a session on music marketing and artist development, while A&R executive and Berklee alum Mike Torres BM ‘07 (performance) participated in an A&R 101 discussion with Chris Wares, assistant chair of Berklee’s Music Business/Management Department.

"It was incredibly valuable and insightful to have the opportunity to sit with all of the students and hear their ideas on marketing, short-form content, and more,” said Torres. “The students' pitches to our artists were well put together and they were honest with their critiques, which I loved. Chris and Tonya at Berklee did a great job preparing them and connecting us all!"

As part of the program, the students were charged with developing a brand campaign and a social media content strategy for two of Position Music’s emerging artists: German-born and LA-based hip-hop/rock/funk/house/pop sensation NoMBe (“Electric Soul”) and Florida native, R&B/soul/pop phenom Kyle Dion (2019’s SUGA). At the end of the week, they pitched their ideas directly to NoMBe, Dion, and a panel of music industry executives for feedback.

“I had the pleasure of interviewing both Kyle and NoMBe and was thoroughly impressed,” says Tonya Butler, chair of the Music Business/Management Department. “The artists’ relationship with their label and its executives is a testament to the authentic, forthright, and forward-thinking way in which Position Music does business. Watching them all interact was pure joy.”

About Position Music

An independent publisher and record label firm, Position Music was founded by Tyler Bacon and established in 1999. The company boasts a multinational presence and a continually growing staff. As experts in music licensing and synchronization, marketing, and A&R, Position is helping to shape a new era in the industry with their innovative, full-service, artist-centric approach. 

Based in Los Angeles, Position places music across thousands of advertising, trailer, film, TV, and video game projects, contributing to some of the most popular works of the past two decades. Their advertising placements stretch across dozens of brands, from Jeep and Google to McDonald’s and Samsung. Its trailer placements include hundreds of major film campaigns such as Wonder Woman, The Hobbit, Transformers, and King Arthur. Position’s expansive TV résumé includes dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy, Homeland, and Billions; comedy favorites such as Big Bang Theory and Life in Pieces; competition shows including America’s Got Talent and American Idol; and music-driven features Nashville and Star. Video game companies such as EA, Activision, Riot Games, ESL, Microsoft, and Ubisoft trust Position with placing music for their keystone games and corresponding promotions, eSports events, and auxiliary productions.