An Atlanta, Georgia native, Monika spent her years in high school interning in the music industry, playing in bands, and studying bass guitar. When she started at Drexel in 2008, she immersed herself in Philadelphia’s local music community by playing in bands, as well as DJing and becoming Program Director at Drexel’s radio station WKDU. She was also chosen as Drexel’s Grammy U Campus Representative for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy.
Throughout college, Monika supplemented her education by regularly attending conferences like the Future of Music Policy Summit and South By Southwest, promoting shows and booking national tours for local bands, and doing co-ops with a booking agency and PR firm.
In 2012, Monika founded the organization Loves Local Music and organized Philadelphia Local Music Day, a citywide event where local businesses played recordings of local bands in their establishments for a full workday. The event brought awareness to Philadelphia’s vibrant local music scene while also encouraging Philadelphians to support the city’s local culture and economy.
Monika has since shared her experiences on panels at music conferences and with other aspiring music professionals. Today Monika works at Cornerstone in New York City, an agency that facilitates partnerships between lifestyle brands and the music industry. Monika is currently helping to implement campaigns for brands including Converse and Microsoft.
What are you doing in the Music Industry right now?
I work at Cornerstone Agency in NYC as part of their Strategic Marketing team. The agency is most well known for connecting brands like Converse, Microsoft, Mountain Dew, and more with recording artists through a variety of campaigns, partnerships, and marketing initiatives.
What did you do for your MIP co-ops?
I co-oped at Panache Booking, a booking agency in Brooklyn, as well as the NYC-based PR firm Susan Blond, Inc. Both opportunities gave me very different perspectives on the music/entertainment industry, and were some of the biggest learning experiences I had while I was at Drexel.
How did Music Industry at Drexel prepare you for your present career?
The Music Industry Program gave me a well-rounded foundation of knowledge about the music business which I continue to draw from in my professional life. While I currently work at a marketing firm, I am constantly using things I learned about radio, artist management, touring and promotion, entertainment law, and more to better serve clients and artists.
What would you say to someone interested in Music Industry at Drexel?
Take risks and go outside of your comfort zone. Network as much as possible both inside and outside of the classroom – go to music conferences, join professional organizations, attend lectures and panels, and meet people who are active in different areas of the industry. Be open-minded, as you never know when and where a great opportunity will present itself. Your time in the Music Industry program is a prime opportunity to learn as much as possible about the business – take advantage of it!