Genevieve Spielberg, a music industry professional and Syracuse University alumna, will speak on Thursday at the Setnor School of Music’s Soyars Leadership Lecture Series. The ongoing lecture series offers a conversation between students and high-level music industry leaders.

In sharing her personal journey, Spielberg said she hopes she can help students move forward with their careers and offer insight into the music business. Her career path, like many others’ in the industry, was a long one, and at times it was an uphill battle.

Before graduating from SU’s music industry program more than 30 years ago, music played a major role in Spielberg’s childhood. Her mother was a piano teacher and her father a music lover. She was introduced to the classical genre from an early age, which would later guide her career into managing high-profile classical musicians through her managing company, Genevieve Spielberg, Inc.

But before that, she faced her own challenges being a woman in the industry. Spielberg said she was passed over for a promotion because a company president thought her family life would make it too difficult to travel for work.

“I am happy to say that there are many women working there now,” Spielberg said in an email. “So they have clearly grown with the times, and the leadership has changed as well.”

Spielberg said the entertainment industry is driven by relationships, and learning how to work with clients is key. For her, it’s important to have an open dialogue with every one of her clients. When she can’t address a client’s need, she will find the best person to partner them with in order to achieve their goal.

Having a solid relationship with clients, said Toni Rhatican, an associate at GSI Artists, is one of Spielberg’s many areas of expertise.

“She seems to have a great handle on everything,” Rhatican said. “A great rapport with clients, a great rapport with reporters and presenters, a wonderful negotiator when it comes to getting the best fee she can for a client.”

Todd Herreman, an associate teaching professor at Setnor and the director of the lecture series, hopes the conversation engages students to peek inside the management world of the classical music industry.

Herreman said he wants to focus on connecting students with SU’s music industry alumni base. He hopes for speakers to share their experiences, talk about their career paths and to discuss both opportunities and shifts within the industry.

The lecture series has also become a way for students to network, develop relationships with professionals and explore potential internship and job opportunities. Herreman said after a speaker’s presentation, a few students who have a particular interest in the guest’s background will be selected to go to dinner with them.

“As a result, they can get a little more firsthand experience, ask questions one on one,” he said.

In choosing which students get to attend a free dinner with the guest speaker, and members of the faculty, it all comes down to pairing the interests of the student with the career background of the speaker.

“There’s got to be a fit there, otherwise, it can kind of be dull conversation,” Herreman said.

The Soyars Leadership Lecture Series with Genevieve Spielberg will take place on Thursday from 6:30 to 7:50 p.m. at the Whitman School of Management, room 007. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Published on November 6, 2018 at 8:59 pm