A Zine for the Music Industry Scene

Monika Julien wants to raise career awareness for her students.
Photo: Jeff Fusco

The state of gender representation in the music industry is something that Monika Julien has lived and worked through — and, now, taught.

Before joining Drexel as an assistant teaching professor last year, Julien, BS music industry ’12, spent a decade working on branded music campaigns, most recently leading Red Bull’s culture marketing strategy and programming in New York City. Those experiences helped inspire her to develop a course, “Women in the Music Industry.”

“This class was really about getting students to reflect on what their personal philosophy is when it comes to representation and diversity in the music industry, and how to promote that, so they can take that with them when they enter the workforce,” says Julien, who teaches in the Music Industry program at Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.

The class also connected students with Drexel alumnae Julien knows through her professional network or found by combing LinkedIn for women-identifying graduates working in the industry.

“All of my classes have a career development angle to it, so students think critically about what they want to do as well as how they can network and exercise some soft skills that will help them for internships, co-ops and careers,” says Julien, who likes to open her students’ eyes to careers with consumer brands, beyond traditional entertainment careers.

During the spring term, 25 music majors in Julien’s class interviewed 12 alumnae who graduated between 2007 and 2021 and published their career insights in Double Platinum, a small-circulation print publication named after the industry’s term for a blockbuster album that sells 2 million copies. The zine was designed by Jenna Lecours, BS graphic design ’18, who is now assistant operations manager at Universal Music Group.

Julien also arranged for them to hear from even more alumnae and women in the industry: A panel of six women — including three alumnae — from Philly’s Live Nation office came to one class, and students also visited the Universal Music Group’s local office to hear from five female graduates.

“When the students speak to alumni, they see themselves in that person, and there’s that point of connectivity,” says Julien. “It’s really inspirational and motivational for students, and the alumni are very excited to give back and share their experience.”