After completing the BA (Hons) Music Industries Management degree at Leeds Beckett University, Katie has been working in venues that focus on art, events, and live entertainment.

Course: BA (Hons) Music Industries Management

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you've been doing since you graduated?

I am currently working in an art gallery whilst I save up to move abroad. It feels like a full circle moment, having written my dissertation on how music can help introduce art to the lower classes. I love working in a space where I encounter people from all walks of life, so it is the perfect passing place for me. I’m mostly letting myself enjoy the free time I have now to focus on the things I enjoy, like creating music, making art, and just consuming as much live music as possible. 

What have been the highlights and challenges of your career so far?

I have enjoyed embracing the confidence in myself that university gave me. Whilst previously I would find myself highly anxious in an interview situation, I have learned to have faith in my skillset and demeanour and trust that the right job offer will come along when the right time comes.

Whilst I have learned to relax a lot, I still have further development to do on my confidence. I will continue to work on this from what I learnt at university. It is something that consistently holds me back, particularly in such a competitive industry as the creative arts.

How has your experience studying at Leeds Beckett influenced you and your career?

Through studying at Leeds Beckett University, I was encouraged to develop and embrace skills that I honestly didn’t know I had. This has led me to various marketing and social media-based jobs, which were extremely helpful whilst everyone was working from home. My time at Leeds Beckett taught me to embrace all my interests, to explore ways in which I can introduce different parts of my skillsets to different jobs. 

This has helped me become less concerned about moulding myself to fit into one specific job role but instead find ways to introduce each of my little bits of knowledge to any situation I find myself in. 

What attracted you to study your course?

I always knew that I wanted to study music but had always been apprehensive about choosing a particular path as I was interested in many different industry areas (performance, tech, marketing, art, history). Leeds Beckett was the only institution that offered a course that covered a range of areas rather than focusing on just one.

I initially looked at Leeds Beckett because it was far enough away from home to be entirely independent but not so far that I would have to worry (I had severe anxiety and moving away was a big step for me). When I visited the campus for an open day, I felt instantly at ease with Headingley being such a small, open campus. The course staff were incredibly friendly, informative, and answered any questions I had. 

What did you enjoy about your course and what advice would you give someone thinking about studying this course?

I loved having so many tutors that were so enthusiastic about their topics, people that could see which areas I excelled in and use that to encourage me to create my best work. I enjoyed having the freedom to write and create things surrounding the subjects that I was interested in due to the broad nature of the course. Because of this, I focused mainly on topics such as protest music, hippies, art, and independent musicians. This was particularly exciting for me when it came to writing my dissertation, as being allowed the space to write about one of my major interests made writing 10,000+ words genuinely enjoyable. 

What's next for you?

I am moving to Canada in the next few months. I plan to see as much of the world as possible before concentrating on my career. I have been offered a job developing the marketing for an eco-friendly resort in Canada. My long-term plan is to open an arts venue, focusing on small independent musicians and artists.

This is something that I have been planning for years with a few close friends, but it is not something I can do whilst I’m planning to travel. I’m definitely leaning toward the marketing side of the music industry for now, just because of the freelance, remote nature of it. I’m in the midst of exploring to what extent I could work remotely within the music industry whilst I travel.