Music Publicity: A Practical Approach

Sarita M. Stewart (Ph.D., The University of Alabama) is an Associate Professor of Creative & Entertainment Industries in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. She teaches on numerous topics at Belmont at both the undergraduate and graduate level. This includes courses in public relations, consumer research, fairs and festivals, and entertainment leadership. She was inspired to write this textbook as a guide for music publicists and artists.

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Dr. Stewart focuses upon varied topics as an entertainment researcher. A published author, she especially enjoys writing articles on music consumption, video games, artist fandom, and mood management. She has several published book chapters to her credit, including an essay on LeAnn Rimes’ album “Blue” in “Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself: Essays on Debut Albums” (Ashgate). Her book chapter, TV, Radio, and Music Research, written in collaboration with Dr. Louisa Ha of Bowling Green University and Jeff Green of Stone Door Media Lab, was published in “Research Methods in Communication” (Third Edition) (Vision Press). Dr. Stewart has spoken at numerous academic and music industry conferences over the past decade.     

Maria Ivey is the owner of IVPR, a music and lifestyle PR firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. She, along with her team, bring a deep knowledge of local, regional, and national media strategies to a wide variety of music and lifestyle-based clients: artists and bands, festivals, events, fundraisers, brands, and books. Her clients and experience stretch the widths of roots music—from Americana and singer-songwriter to bluegrass and jam bands, and beyond. “I’m drawn to artists, brands, and festivals that hold a true sense of self in their own artistry—clients who know who they are and have something to say, and it’s always an honor to help tell their story. I’m essentially a storyteller and I don’t take the role lightly,” says Ivey.

She has moderated and presented on PR panels at AmericanaFest, Folk Alliance International, and IBMA. Ivey is a fan of big picture planning, triple-checked to-do lists, and the Oxford comma. She lives in Nashville with her husband and animals—a dopey Labrador Retriever (Willie), and a wild kitten (Mama Roux).

Dorren Robinson came to this project almost accidentally. As a long-time journalist and fellow professor at Belmont University, Robinson was asked to edit early versions of this text. Having worked at a major metropolitan daily for more than a decade, Robinson was the recipient of countless PR pitches while a journalist. She has read thousands of press releases and understands what it takes to get the attention of a time-pressed journalist who can then shed light on an act or a creative.

At Belmont University, Robinson teaches journalistic writing, including the intricacies of Associated Press style. She authored the corresponding section in this book. Robinson holds a B.A. in journalism from Western Kentucky University and a M.A. in mass communication from Murray State University.