U Street Music Hall head of promotions and AU alumna Morgan Tepper gave students a behind-the-scenes look at the music industry during a talk in Wechsler Theater on Jan. 31.
“I’m going to be honest and say landing a job is all about being at the right place at the right time,” Tepper said. “Hard work is how you keep the job.”
Tepper, who studied public communications at AU from 2008 until 2010, is considered the first lady of U Street Music Hall. At the first event of the AU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America’s speaker series, Tepper shared her experiences in the entertainment/music industry before and after college.
Tepper handles all social media, PR/communication, artist relations, media relations and bookings for U Street Music Hall.
“I hate writing press releases . . . but I get to write press releases about music that I love,” Tepper said.
Before she was promoted to this position, Tepper worked almost every other position at U Street Music Hall. She said that doing this helped her to truly understand what was going on throughout the entire company because she got perspectives on all different sides.
“You need to understand the brand, understand your boss and the audience in order to communicate well,” Tepper said.
Tepper met one of the owners of U Street Music Hall while doing interviews for her radio show on WVAU, AU’s student-run radio station. After scouting her for quite some time, he offered her a job. She has worked at the hall since 2010.
Reflecting on her undergraduate experience at AU, Tepper strongly encouraged her audience to explore their passions to the fullest.
“The one thing that I didn’t do [when I was at AU],” Tepper said, “was I didn’t go out enough.”
sgore@theeagleonline.com
