Copyright Alliance

Clint Gee and James Oliva are both finishing up their senior year at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). I had the opportunity to tour the Department of Recording Industry in January, and that is when I met both of them. No doubt both of them are talented musicians and seem to be more business savvy than your average college student. Their keen business sense is something that they both attribute to their experience at MTSU.

Indeed, during my tour of the Department of Recording Industry, I had a chance to chat at length with professors Ramona DeSalvo and Matt Foglia, both of whom emphasized the importance of providing students with a well-rounded perspective of the music industry, its many players, and its changing landscape.

Both Clint’s and James’ passion for understanding the music industry stems from their love of music. With other fellow Recording Industry classmates, they are in a death metal band call The Castle is a Tomb. Clint handles vocals while James is on the guitar. The band tours around Tennessee and has already put together an EP and, when I talked to them, they were in the process of releasing an album.

Clint and James, both eager to learn, are not shy about picking the brains of established bands and industry professionals in order to better understand how their band can succeed and the appropriate next steps for their careers. This desire can be seen when they talk about working together as a band and connecting with their fan base through social media and at their concerts.

These two musicians and aspiring industry professionals are definitely an asset to the ever-changing music industry.