THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION INSPIRES EMERGING INDUSTRY
PROFESSIONALS AT 11TH ANNUAL CMA EDU LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Leadership Summit Welcomes 49 Students From 32 Universities Across the United States
The Country Music Association held its 11th annual CMA EDU Leadership Summit from Sunday, July 28 to Tuesday, July 30. The CMA EDU Class of 2024-2025 took part in three full days of professional development training, industry education and community-building at CMA HQ in Nashville. The coveted program was created to develop and support the next generation of music industry leaders who aim to succeed in the music business.
This year’s CMA EDU class is made up of 49 students representing 32 unique universities across the country, including Coastal Carolina University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Tennessee, Belmont University, Murray State University, Middle Tennessee State University, University of South Florida, Tennessee State University, Auburn University, Stonehill College, Boston College, University of Miami, Vanderbilt University, University of California Los Angeles, Northeastern University, Chapman University, Michigan State University, Clemson University, South Dakota State University, University of South Carolina, Baylor University, University of Montana, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Tampa, University of Southern California, The University of Alabama, High Point University, University of Notre Dame, Baldwin-Wallace University and Carson-Newman University.
“These past few days have been another fantastic opportunity for our CMA EDU program to pour into the music industry professionals of tomorrow and give them a glimpse at what their future careers could offer,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Senior Vice President, Industry Relations & Philanthropy. “The CMA EDU Class of 2024-2025 has some of the most ambitious and hard-working students we‘ve ever seen. We are beyond excited to watch what they do and how they bring the knowledge they picked up from this experience into their careers.”
Over the three day event, CMA EDU students had the chance to hear from professionals across all facets of the music business. On day one, Black River Entertainment hosted a panel with McCall Chapin (Songwriter), Rebekah Gordon (Black River Entertainment, Vice President of Publishing) and Country artist MaRynn Taylor before students attended a show at the Grand Ole Opry featuring Scotty Hasting and took part in a backstage tour during intermission. On Monday, CMA CEO Sarah Trahern gave students an encouraging presentation to kickstart the day, followed by a welcome speech from Kerns, before Brittany Schaffer (Belmont University Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, Dean) moderated a conversation with Country artist Tucker Wetmore and his team, including Cindy Mabe (Universal Music Group Nashville, Chair and CEO), Rakiyah Marshall (Back Blocks Music, Founder and CEO), Carrie Murphy (WME, Agent) and Braeden Rountree (WME, Agent). The panelists gave students an in-depth look at what each of them do in their separate roles to make an artist a success. After that, Catharine McNelly (CMA Vice President, Communications) spoke with students about marketing themselves and personal branding, before Kylie Gambone (WME, Agent Assistant) moderated a panel of professionals from WME consisting of Lauren Cunningham (WME, Agent Trainee), Carter Green (WME, Agent), Kallie Rhea (WME, Agent Trainee) and Carlile Whillett (WME, Agent). On Tuesday, students rotated to different rooms to practice interview skills, have a conversation around empathy and cancel culture with Mia Jones (CMA Senior Director, Industry Relations and Inclusion), build a strong resume and take quality headshots. A conversation on touring featuring Kaleb Steele (Parkwood Entertainment, Tour Operations) followed, before leading into a streaming panel with Vipin Reddy (Universal Music Group Nashville, Vice President of Streaming), Lucia Kaminsky (Sandbox Entertainment Group, President of Digital) and Claire Heinichen (Spotify, Editor of Country). To conclude the summit, Kerri Edwards (KP Entertainment, Founder and President) offered the closing keynote.
Applications for the 2025-2026 program year are now open. To learn more about applying for the next CMA EDU class, visit HERE.
About the Country Music Association
Founded in 1958, CMA is the premier trade association of the Country Music industry. Representing professionals making a living in Country Music globally, the organization serves as a critical resource of support and information, honors excellence in the genre and provides a forum for industry leadership. CMA is dedicated to expanding Country Music around the world through a number of core programs and initiatives including the organization’s three annual television properties—the CMA Awards, “CMA Fest” and “CMA Country Christmas,” all of which air on ABC. The organization’s philanthropic arm, the CMA Foundation, works tirelessly to provide equitable access to music education in order to create impactful change for students and teachers across the United States.
Photo Credit: Zach Whitmore/CMA
