Music industry interview series gives UCLA students insights into entertainment busines

2 min read

“Office Hours,” a new live-streamed interview series, will launch Jan. 19 at UCLA and showcase prominent artists and entertainment executives from the music industry sharing their career insights with students and offering tips on how to break into the business.

Conceived by student group the Music Industry Committee at UCLA (MIC at UCLA), “Office Hours” is produced in partnership with MIC at UCLA, the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Tumblr and WERD.

The series’ inaugural guest is renowned singer, songwriter, producer, DJ and remixer Kaskade, who will have a conversation with music journalist and show host Steve Baltin. “Office Hours” with Kaskade will premiere at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 19 as a livestream on Tumblr and on YouTube.

“Excited to talk shop with the students at UCLA who are looking to get into the music industry,” Kaskade said. “It’s inspiring to see the faces and hear the voices of the people who are next, and I’m always up for sharing my experiences, both good and bad. See you January 19th!”

In February, “Office Hours” will welcome American rapper and actor Machine Gun Kelly. UCLA alumnus Brad Delson, founding member of Grammy Award-winning rock band Linkin Park, piloted an offline installment of “Office Hours” during a campus visit in November. More guests will be announced.

“The idea for the series stemmed from the fact that students usually attend office hours to better understand a particular subject. What better way to understand the music industry than by attending office hours with some of today’s biggest artists?” said David Brik, president and co-founder of MIC at UCLA.

UCLA students and faculty will have the opportunity to join Office Hours live. Admission is free with valid UCLA ID and registration is required. Follow @MICatUCLA on TwitterInstagram and like on Facebook for exclusive invitations.

UCLA students and the Tumblr community can submit questions for guests in advance and during the live interview at the WERD Tumblr Ask Box.

The Music Industry Committee at UCLA was founded in fall 2016 by brothers David and Allan Brik, both UCLA students. The organization — composed of undergraduate and graduate students — provides events and networking opportunities to students who wish to learn more about the music industry.

Founded and curated by respected journalist Steve Baltin (Rolling Stone, Billboard, Forbes, L.A. Times, Riffing With, the Grammys), WERD is a live magazine experience that brings together musicians and fans in an intimate setting. Since its premiere event at Mack Sennett Studios in November 2015, WERD has hosted events in Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas with Brandon Boyd of Incubus, G-Eazy, Moby, Dua Lipa, Joy Formidable, Linkin Park’s Brad Delson and many more.