Sierra Dudas Is Sharing Music Industry Knowledge In A Fun, Modern Way

Posted On April 14, 2021

Samantha Colleran, April 2021

On April 7, I sat down for a Zoom chat with Sierra Dudas, the host of the podcast Sierra Spills: A College Girl’s Guide to Breaking into the Music Industry. We talked about what inspired her to create the podcast, how she finds all of her incredible guests, our thoughts on the music industry, and (this will come to no music industry major’s surprise) the importance of networking! You can read the full interview below, and links to the podcast and Sierra’s social media accounts will be included at the end of the post!

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SC: Hi Sierra!

SD: Hi! So nice to meet you, so good to be here!

SC: Nice to meet you too! I’m really excited for today! Not all of my followers may know who you are or what you do, so if you would like to give a brief introduction before we get fully started that would be amazing!

SD: Definitely! I’m a senior at USC studying music industry, and I’m also the Grammy U representative for the LA chapter of the Recording Academy. I’ve also recently been able to add to my resumé that I am the host of a podcast called Sierra Spills, and it’s all about breaking into the music industry and professional development and all the answers to questions I wish I asked when I was just starting out. 

SC: I’m so excited to have you here! I’ve listened to the first few episodes, I haven’t listened to today’s if it’s out. 

SD: It is, but no worries it’s only been a couple of hours!

SC: I will definitely be listening when we’re done today! You’ve had some really interesting people on your podcast. How do you meet these people, how do you get to know them, how do you get them on your podcast? There’s been some really cool people featured so far. 

SD: It’s a good mix between people I actually do know and people that I’ve never met before. Actually, my very first episode with Cole McCarthy, I had never met him before! He’s a cinematographer for UMG at the Digital Studios team, and I found out who he is through the 1824 Instagram, which is UMG’s creative network for college students. He was highlighted and was doing an ‘Ask Me Anything’ segment because he was an employee, and I just really thought he was cool so I followed him on Instagram! At the time I hadn’t launched my podcast but I knew it was happening, and obviously he didn’t know it was happening, but I also thought he was really cool so I wanted to keep up with him. I cold DMed him and I said, “I think you’re really cool, I’d love to have you on the podcast”, I had a little script typed up to send to him! 

The other episode that was launched during my first week, with Tori, we have mutual friends. She’s part of Grammy U and she’s in Philly, so she’s part of a different chapter but I had worked with people who had worked with her before, and I’d seen her interacting on the Grammy U page so I reached out to her. That was more of a fluid introduction. Some people I’ve interned for or we were alumni from the same program. It’s just about finding what unites us and making connections and hopefully having a good enough pitch for them to say yes! 

SC: You’ve had a lot of really cool features so far, and especially the Tori episode, that was definitely among my favorites! Can I ask who do you think so far has given the most insight, or who’s given your favorite piece of information? 

SD: I’ve absolutely loved all of my guests, but I will say with Tori it just felt- we had never talked before recording the episode, but it felt like talking with an old friend! It was so conversational and fun, that was definitely my favorite to record. When I was editing and cutting parts out, we were laughing so hard and making all these jokes and it felt like ‘This is someone I’d love to be friends with’. 

As far as advice, I will say that there are two things that have been mentioned in every episode I’ve recorded. The first is the importance of networking; even if the question I’ve asked has nothing to do with networking or people skills, it always comes back to who you know and your connections and making a good impression. I had known that, but sitting down and recording these episodes in a short period of time and hearing it over and over again, it was so interesting to see that that one piece of advice was so important for everyone to mention it. The other piece of advice that’s come up is more of a concept, and that’s courage. In Tori’s episode we talked about just starting conversations with people you don’t know. Like when you’re in line at a concert or talking to the bartender, that’s how you meet people. In today’s episode with Julianne that just came out, she was an assistant and she was the one who asked for a raise because she realized she was doing coordinator duties, and she was talking about taking the initiative to ask for that promotion and to say “I’m doing this work, I should be compensated for it fairly”. Having the courage to do things like that, it was really unexpected to hear it multiple times. Sending that email, or just talking to someone you don’t know, it really pays off if you have the courage to do things like that. 

SC: It is a little bit of a nerve wracking thing, especially in our industry, but it is important to have courage. Kind of building on the networking aspect, how did you get involved in the music industry and what made you want to start this podcast? Have you always known that this is what you wanted to do? I know everybody’s path in the music industry changes, sometimes people are like “I wanted to be in management but now I’m on the road”, you know? So, what’s your path been like?

SD: I always knew I wanted to be in the music industry, even when I didn’t fully know what exactly that meant. When I applied to colleges, I only applied to music business programs, I was like “Mom, Dad, I’m going to one of these schools and you don’t have a choice”! *laughs* But I really didn’t understand- I knew what a manager was and I understood that artists go on tour, but I didn’t fully understand what those roles were or what they meant so I was kind of just along for the ride and learning about it as I learned about it! When it came time… I’ve always been interested in podcasts, even non music industry related ones, and I’m graduating in just a few weeks-

SC: Oh my gosh, congrats!

SD: Thank you! Very stressful, but I’m excited! As my senior year is coming to a close and I’m starting to think about the future, I’m getting a job and thinking of what I want to do with my life. I realized I wouldn’t have another chance to work on a podcast, you know? A music industry podcast isn’t a job that comes along everyday and I wanted to explore it while I have the time and capacity and I didn’t have any NDAs signed with the company I’m working with and so that’s why I wanted to do it now! I’ve also really enjoyed this kind of professional development, the college student audience, and I thought it was a great way to get my questions answered. Some of the questions I ask on my podcast are things I have learned along the way but others are things I’m genuinely interested in. I’m getting my first job, I won’t have the backing of a college infrastructure behind me, it’s an appropriate arena for me to ask questions I genuinely have. 

SC: I love it! I really feel like I’ve learned a lot, even within the first couple of episodes that have been released. Everybody is giving great advice, you’re such a great interviewer and I love the questions that you’ve been asking! Do you have any particular advice on your end for people who are just beginning in the industry or even for people who have been in the industry for a while and just want some questions answered?

SD: Well first of all, thank you so much! I’m glad you’re learning something and that you found the podcast helpful! For just starting out, that’s the whole reason why I started the podcast! Not so subtle plug but if you want to listen to it I cover a lot of things like resumes, networking, how to get your first job, just really basic things that I had no idea about! The music industry is really specific. When I first decided to go to USC I was telling my mom, you know, “Look at all these things, USC grad salary”, and all of this other stuff. You can’t really find this information just by Googling it, so a lot of it is reading books. Donald Passman is great, his book is like the industry Bible. I also like Ari Herstand, he has a book called How To Make It In The New Music Business, and that one’s more about DIY and managing yourself, it basically shows you how to work affordably but effectively so you don’t need the help of a big company. I think that’s a really good one. Attending as many networking mixers and panels as you can, there are so many good resources out there. I mentioned 1824, Grammy U, there’s Sony Music U, there’s Quadio Media, there’s so many student run ones. Look at your university if you’re a college student! Just be as plugged in as you can and you will learn by being surrounded by people who are already doing this. 

SC: Definitely! Networking is such an important thing! Join Grammy U 100%, it’s very cheap considering the fact you get to be in it two years after you graduate, so if you’re a college freshman join now! I’d love to know who are some future people that you’ll be featuring on your podcast in the future!

SD: Okay, that’s interesting. I will say next week is my Season 1 finale, which wraps up everyone I’ve recorded with up until now. I’ll release a Season 2 this summer, so I’m just doing short seasons right now so it’s not every week. My season finale is one I’m really excited for! The theme is career longevity, so I have a really- she is so amazing, she’s a producer in the music industry. She’s also the VP of the LA chapter of the Recording Academy. I won’t reveal her name yet, but I’m super excited because a lot of my other guests have been people who recently graduated because I wanted to target people who understood what it was like to interview for an internship or search for their first job. This upcoming episode is about, once you have that position how do you maintain it over a longer period of time? When you’re networking and you meet someone, how do you make sure you’re still in contact with them ten years down the road when you’re no longer actively working them every single day? 

I think this one will be a really valuable episode because for me it’s so elusive. Even thinking about the future, where do I want to be in ten years? I don’t have an exact plan, so this episode was enlightening. A lot of times in panels, guests will talk about the immediate future and that’s really helpful and I definitely want to know that information, but sometimes you don’t think about things like how long you should stay with a company. If I get my first job, am I there for years, or is it normal to move on after a year or two? I’m really excited for that one. 

SC: I love the variety of people. Like you said, some people have recently graduated, but I love the fact you’re incorporating people who have been in the business for a little while longer. It shows where you could be, or what your future could look like, and I think that’s really amazing. 

SD: Well thank you so much! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it!

SC: I really am! I’ve enjoyed every single episode so far, everyone has been giving really insightful advice, especially the key thing; networking, networking, networking! It’s just more of drilling it into your mind and I think even those who aren’t interested in the music industry or are not pursuing it as a career should give it a listen. Even if you’re not in the business, it covers general ideas so if you want to know more about it, it’s easy to understand. 

SD: Thank you! My guest from today’s episode, Julianne, was a PR major. She was a music industry minor but a lot of her internships were music focused but were related to PR and communications. You never know when you’re going to pivot in your career. There’s some people who started out doing one thing in entertainment and are now doing something completely different! It never hurts to know what you’re talking about, even if you don’t go into a career within the music industry. If you’re in an adjacent field, you’re going to be working with them. It’s always good to have a baseline understanding and know what the job is of the person you’re talking to or working with.

SC: College especially is such a good time to take all of those classes you’ve always been interested in. And our major is really interesting because you’re not taking strictly music classes; you do have to take that law class, you do have to take that business class, you do have to know economics and accounting and all that fun stuff. It’s really interesting to see how each individual person that you talk to has followed their own path but has used the skills learned in these classes and has expanded on them. I’ve been fascinated by every episode and it really is cool to see how many different paths you can take within our industry. For me personally, I’ve always wanted to be a manager, but within the past year I’ve been working on this blog so now it’s kind of like, I don’t know what I want to do! 

SD: That’s so awesome! I love the blog, I found you on the Grammy U page, so once again shoutout to Grammy U! But yeah, I totally agree, I think it says something about the music industry. Everyone I know isn’t doing one thing, even people who are professionals. I work part time at the Recording Academy so I get to see a lot of board members and people who are definitely further along in their careers than I am, and they always have their main job, but maybe they have a side project. Even people who work at a label may be managing an artist on the side and it’s totally the truth of the music industry that you can explore all of your passions if you want to. You don’t just have to be in the one job you said you want, and I love that because whenever I’ve been asked in job interviews, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”, I don’t have a specific goal like being an A&R at a certain label, it’s more of, I just want to explore what I’m passionate about! If that’s A&R for a few years, that’s amazing! If it’s social media branding for a few years, that’s great too! I just love that the industry has that flexibility and it’s so interesting to see how people have transitioned. 

My episode last week, “From Music To Music Business”, also talks about that. A lot of people who are working on the business side now, even major presidents of labels, were originally musicians, they were artists working on the creative side. As an artist, it’s good to know about the business so you don’t get screwed over by a bad contract or because you don’t know what’s going on, and you also never know if you’re going to be working in the industry. 

SC: I love the flexibility of it all. Like you said, that’s one thing college has taught me. They say even if you’re not going to be an artist, you have to know how to play something just so you can kind of understand the artist perspective. For me, I have to take nine semester hours of an instrument so I can see more of the music side. I think it’s one really good thing my college does, so we’re well versed in all aspects. I also think having some sort of artist background makes the transition smoother, whether you’re going from artist to business or business side to artist side. In terms of career paths for me, one class changed my entire perspective on what I want to do. I was writing papers, and I enjoyed writing the papers, and I just thought of writing about more artists than just the one I had to write these papers on, and now it’s turned into my blog. It seems sort of similar for you, like you’ve been in the music business for a while and now you’re working on this podcast and that way you’re helping all of these other people!

SD: What school do you go to, by the way?

SC: I’m in Oneonta!

SD: Cool! That’s awesome! Same for me, I had to take these production and engineering classes and I am so bad at it! I could never be an engineer! However, when it came time to work on this podcast, I’m obviously not doing anything crazy, but now because of those classes I know how to import files which I couldn’t even do before the class! I know how to edit some sounds out, and some other basic things. While taking the class I thought “I’m never going to use this, I’m so bad at it”, but it ended up coming back a lot quicker than I thought, it’s only a few years later and I’m using these skills. You never know when you need to be able to speak the language of the industry and use the jargon of the business, it’s really helpful and can totally change your outlook. 

SC: I agree 1000%. I haven’t taken any production classes yet, and I’m kind of scared to because like you, it’s not really my niche. I’m strictly business, don’t put a soundboard in front of me because it won’t end well! I do love how when you learn about industry things, you know at some point, even if you aren’t a pro at it, it will come back at some point in your career and it’s good to know the very basics. Even if you can’t produce an entire song, there is a chance you can help with something small, and that’s a really cool thing about the music industry. 

SD: My A&R professor was a really big executive, but before that he was an artist. He’s always saying that’s the reason he signed artists. He worked at RCA Records when they were just starting out and struggling, they were just starting to build up their roster. He was competing against these labels that had more money and a better name recognition. He signed artists purely because he was a fellow artist and he understood the things they were going through, he paid attention and made comments about the music itself that made a difference. That story has always stuck with me because you never know when your knowledge can come in handy and when a little tidbit can make a huge difference. I always try to have my eyes and ears open so I can soak up as much knowledge as possible!

SC: I think the entire industry is a learning experience whether you’re on the business side or you’re an artist, it’s all an experience. That makes the industry very unique and very niche. You definitely have to be in it to want it and to win it and it’s very clear that with all the hard work you’ve put into your podcast and all of your endeavors that you’re definitely in it to win it!

SD: Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! This has been my one passion! I didn’t even know about the music industry. My roommate, she was like, “I watched Never Say Never [the Justin Bieber documentary] and I wanted to be like Scooter Braun”, and she did all this research and found out who was working on One Dire- I mean Justin Bieber’s album, she did it for One Direction too, sorry for exposing her!

SC: It’s okay I did that with One Direction too! They’re the whole reason I want to be in the industry!

SD: I really enjoyed artists, but I didn’t do what my roommate did. I didn’t know who Scooter Braun was until I was in college, and so it’s really interesting to me that I chose this major. The point of that story was to say that I chose that major then, and although I didn’t really know much about it at first, now I love it! I love every single class, I just know this is where I’m supposed to be. I’m really lucky, because I felt like my peers had more knowledge coming into this than I did!

SC: I think any amount of knowledge is important and can be helpful, whether it’s miniscule or if you know anything and everything. People are also always willing to teach, if you’re excited and willing to learn, people will always be happy to share their knowledge with you!

SD: That’s a good point! Almost everyone I’ve reached out to for informational interviews or guests in classes, they’ll always say something like “Your professor has my email, feel free to ask for it and reach out if you want to talk more”! Everyone genuinely wants to help you out. Obviously if you’re just asking them to sign you or to listen to a demo they may be a bit standoffish, but if you genuinely have questions they want to help. Everyone is so nice, which is not what you would expect or think if you’re on the outside. It seems so cool and aloof.

SC: It seems really cutthroat. 

SD: Yes! But people do want to help. If you cold email someone and say “Hey, I’m a student and I would love to learn more about what you do, do you have ten or twenty minutes?”, most people are going to say yes. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!

SC: It all circles right back to networking!

SD: Exactly, it always does. 

SC: If anyone reading this who isn’t in the music industry can take one thing away from this, whether you want to be in the industry or not, networking is the only word you will ever hear! In any lecture, from any professor, or any guest speaker, anyone you talk to in the industry, network!

SD: There’s two quotes everyone loves to say, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”, and also “Your network is your net worth”!

SC: I’ve never heard the second one, that’s a new one for me!

SD: I’ve heard both of those at least once a class!

SC: It’s definitely drilled into your brain to the point where it becomes second nature. 

SD: It’s important!

SC: It really is! Sierra, those are all of the questions I have for you today! I just want to say thank you so, so much for speaking with me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this, I’m absolutely loving the podcast, I can’t wait to listen to the new episode! Where can people find you on social media, and I’m a Spotify girl so that’s where I listen to your podcast, but where else can people listen? Where can people find you, connect with you, network with you?

SD: First of all thank you so much, I’m so glad to be on today and to be talking with you! My podcast is called Sierra Spills: A College Girl’s Guide to Breaking into the Music Industry, it’s available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, basically anywhere else you get your podcasts. You can follow me @sierradudas on Instagram or connect with me on LinkedIn, I’d be happy to get to know you all! And you too, Sam!

SC: Definitely! Thank you so much Sierra!

SD: Thank you!

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Check out Sierra’s podcast using the links above, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments! Thanks again to Sierra for speaking with me, and be sure to catch the final episode of Sierra Spills today!