Courtesy of Emily Haworth
Haworth photographing The Marias at the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre on July 21.Ask a senior what they plan to major in next year, and the response is often engineering, computer science, business or psychology. Unlike her peers though, senior Emily Haworth plans to major in music business, which focuses on behind-the-scenes work shaping how music is produced and marketed to audiences.
Haworth’s interest in the music industry began at an early age. Her mom has experience in hospitality management for festivals, coordinating backstage logistics and food. Similarly, her dad would manage the live sound for artists during concerts.
“There’s so many people behind the scenes that provide you with a great experience, like tour managers, the bands, lighting and stage design,” Haworth said.
Her fascination in the industry deepened as she began pursuing concert photography in the past few years. So far, she’s attended 44 concerts; one of her photos was even featured as the cover art for musician Chloe George’s “Heart of Glass” live cover.
“With concert photography, I built a greater respect for people that do that professionally,” Haworth said. “I realized there’s so much more behind the scenes that allows music to be put out — the legal aspects, the work managers put in and signing contracts.”
Haworth doesn’t plan to pursue photography professionally; instead, she hopes to work in music marketing, a career sparked by her fascination for different artists’ promotion techniques and rise to fame.
The colleges that offer this major are limited and competitive, including USC, UCLA, NYU and the Berklee College of Music. Haworth’s options have also been geographically limited, as the music industry is concentrated in large cities like Los Angeles and New York.
The application process for schools like UCLA and USC required her to submit multiple additional video recordings and supplemental essays. For one college, she was asked to design an Oreo cookie flavor for her favorite artist.
Haworth also noted that many colleges asked for music auditions, such as playing an instrument or singing, as a part of the application process. These applications are designed for musicians looking to understand the music business, which makes it difficult for students like Haworth interested in marketing for other artists. As a solution, Haworth decided to major in marketing and minor in music business for many of these schools.
Through this major, Haworth hopes to study how the marketing behind a song release evokes suspense to create an overall aesthetic.
She specifically enjoys the brand archetype of the British singer-songwriter, Charli XCX. In 2024, Charli XCX established a U.S. base with her album, “Brat,” peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
“Some marketing teams feel pushy, but with Charli XCX, she has had a specific message she’s trying to convey beyond the album that she’s releasing,” Haworth said. “Brat really influenced pop culture and it was a big moment for her because she was under the radar before that.”
If her plans work out, Haworth hopes to help create meaningful, engaging experiences for music fans.
“I feel like I’ve experienced so much joy from music,” Haworth said. “I want to be able to provide that same experience for others.”
