Rezak Lecture: A Music Industry Welcome

Please respect that the discussions in this lecture series are off-the-record, with a no social media policy. If you are not registered for this class and would like to join the event, please email bwerde@syr.edu.

Interested in the music business, but just getting started? An experienced student of the business, but looking for a State of the Union? Either way, the first Rezak lecture of the Fall 2021 school year will offer plenty for you. Please join this distinguished panel of Bandier music business program alums, representing a diversity of viewpoints and industry sectors, returning to campus to discuss their paths from sitting in this very lecture series as students, to working at top music companies. As well, we will explore the various states and current events driving their respective industry sectors: touring, record labels, etc.

Alison Murphy ’11: Manager of A&R Administration, Elektra Music Group

While Alison Murphy began her career in artist management, she has been working in A&R administration since 2014, when she started at Atlantic Records. Since then, she has been involved with hundreds of projects across genres, including musical theater albums for Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Jagged Little Pill as well as Burna Boy’s Grammy-nominated “African Giant” and Ben Platt’s debut “Sing To Me Instead.” In January 2020, she made her emo kid dreams come true, and transferred to Elektra Music Group (EMG) where she continues working with acts like All Time Low, A Day To Remember and new artists Sebastian Javier and jxdn among others. EMG launched as a stand-alone label in October 2018, and Murphy is excited to work with such a great team as they build on an already stellar roster. She’s a graduate of Syracuse University’s Bandier Program.

Max Gredinger ’13: EVP and artist manager, Foundations Music

Max Gredinger is EVP and artist manager at Foundations Music in New York City where he manages mxmtoon, Laufey, mazie and more. Gredinger managed 24x-Platinum artist, Lauv.

Gredinger has lectured at Syracuse University, University of California, Berkeley, New York Law School and more. He has been interviewed in The New York Times, Vulture and wrote a recent commentary in Rolling Stone titled “TikTok Is Music’s Latest Gold Rush. But It Won’t Be Enough for Artists.” He is a proud graduate of the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries at Syracuse University.

Lyndsey Lombard ’15: Program activation manager, Twitch

Lyndsey Lombard is a program activation manager in the Brand Partnership Studio at Twitch. Before joining Twitch, she worked in live music as a concert and branded music event producer, tour manager and agent assistant at Paradigm Talent Agency. She is a 2015 graduate of the Bandier Program.

Rico Pedraza ’17: Agent trainee, William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Rico Pedraza is an agent trainee at WME—the leading global entertainment agency representing artists and experts across books, digital media, film, food, music, sports, television and theater. Pedraza works in the agency’s music department in New York and has been at WME for four years. He has worked across various subgroups of the music department including the international department, Latin department, contemporary/electronic department and most recently in the private/corporate department. During his time at the agency he has been a valuable team member in the career development of artists including J Balvin, Rosalia and French Montana. A 2017 graduate from Syracuse University’s Bandier Program, Pedraza spent four years in University Union and was co-director of concerts his senior year.