Kim is a senior music business major at Hofstra University who recently started her own music blog, Kim's Music Finds, to write about anything she finds interesting in the music industry.
Playing piano and violin since she was a kid, Kim has always been into music. When she was a senior in high school and was trying to figure out if she wanted to go to college and what she wanted to go for - like everybody else - she realized that music was the only thing that she was actually passionate about.
Education can often be a struggle for aspiring music industry executives, who can sometimes find it really hard to choose one college career over another. The music industry is so broad that just knowing you want to work in music is not enough, and most of the time it’s easier to make up your mind through experience rather than education.
We had a chat with Kim about this, to have her point of view as someone who’s currently a senior: “I think that a college degree is not essential and there’s ways you can get around it, especially in the music industry; but I also thinks that if you can afford it, it’s definitely helpful. A lot of internships in the industry are only available for college students, and that gives you a huge advantage in an industry that’s so competitive.”
Kim’s Music Finds
After doing album reviews for about a year for other publications, Kim recently decided to start her own music blog.. and what better time to do that than during a global lockdown?
In a time where we almost have more music blogs than musicians, Kim wanted to do something a little different than the average music forum. She wanted to focus more on “behind the scenes”, so she started reaching out to music companies and artists on Instagram; people that she finds interesting and that she wants to give a voice to.
When it comes to the future of her blog, Kim is very open to wherever this project will take her, as long as it allows her to keep following her main goal of working in brand partnerships and digital marketing.
Talking about this dream of hers, Kim recognizes that “It will always be hard and there will always be people you’re competing against” but this is definitely not something that she avoids. She grew up competing and is too determined to live up to the commitment she made with herself to refuse some healthy competition.
“One of my biggest inspirations is Ethiopia Habtemariam; as black women we often have to navigate the industry differently. She’s a powerful black woman who proved herself as one of the most influential music executives in the industry. She’s a role model for me “
Kim is excited to see what the future holds for her and she’s ready to make a name for herself in the industry.
“As women, we are still very underrepresented in the industry. But I really don’t think it’s about taking away the competition, it's about always having the professional and emotional intelligence to recognize the best fit for a specific position, without letting bias getting in the way.”
If you’re determined enough, music won’t say no.
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