UCLA is becoming the music industry’s new home, thanks to a new student organization.

The Music Industry Students Association is dedicated to helping students navigate the broad scope of the music industry, said lead director Trinity Drummond, a rising fourth-year music history and industry student. With around 150 members, MISA is open to all UCLA undergraduate students, regardless of their area of academic study, Drummond said.

“Our mission is, essentially, to help students get access to the music industry, since this industry is really hard to break into if you don’t know a ton about it,” Drummond said. “A lot of the information about it is not as easily accessible, so our goal is to get any UCLA student – not just majors and minors – in the music industry world.”

MISA was officially founded last October as a modified continuation of the Music Industry Committee, which Drummond said had become inactive in her sophomore year. Drummond said she was inspired to transform this resource from its original office hours system into an organization that provided greater education and community building. The club now offers information that appeals to members from varying levels of familiarity with the music industry, she said.

As a way to supply the necessary tools for members to explore the music industry, MISA hosts a range of activities and events throughout the academic year, Drummond said. These activities range from meetings where members discuss specific topics – such as social media – to trips to visit major music companies, such as Warner Music Group, she added.

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MISA also organizes a campus event series called Backstage Pass, in which industry professionals such as Willo Perron – the designer of Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show stage – are invited as panelists to answer questions from attendees, said events director Madison Starr. The rising fourth-year music industry and political science student said these events ensure members can learn more about the business, no matter what their specific interests are, since a variety of topics are discussed.

“It’s definitely more of an exploration kind of thing,” Starr said. “You don’t even have to want to pursue a career, necessarily, in the music industry. We try to make it as open-ended as, ‘If you enjoy some aspect of the music industry, whether that’s the legal side or just the actual music of it, you can come and gain something from the club.’”

When it comes to moving up within the industry, Starr said a significant part of being able to access opportunities comes from word-of-mouth connections. She also said UCLA’s music industry program tries to help students understand the importance of networking, which is why MISA focuses on spreading this information to all students interested in the field – even those outside the academic program – so they can foster these connections early on.

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On the same note, Drummond said MISA is its own network, as members are actively in contact with other students who aspire to be part of the industry and will possibly be future colleagues. Similarly, Lilianna Gracia – MISA’s co-lead director and outgoing media production director, as well as a rising third-year music industry student – said making connections in the club can help students understand the value of cultivating friendships among people who share similar interests and goals.

“Fostering connections in the music industry, I’d say, is probably one of the best things for furthering your career and getting to know more people – broadening your horizons in different ways and seeing the way the industry is,” Gracia said. “You may meet your best friend in the industry, and so many people get different opportunities and can help you get opportunities just from being friendly.”

MISA also collaborates with other on-campus music organizations, such as a production workshop with Digital Audio Workspace. As part of the campus music community, MISA helps its members connect with other UCLA organizations to ensure that members take advantage of all resources offered by the community, Drummond said.

As MISA goes into its second year, Drummond said the organization will continue with its educational strategy, hoping to offer more activities that will give its members insight into the music business. She said students can expect more Backstage Pass events with professionals such as tour manager Marty Hom – who has worked with artists from Stevie Nicks to Beyoncé – with topics ranging from artist management to music supervision. These events are set to kick off as soon as possible in fall quarter, with the first general meeting scheduled to happen Oct. 3, Drummond added.

“We’re planning on doing some great things in the future – bring more active music industry professionals and get more people knowing about the music industry,” Drummond said. “It’s a pretty elusive industry, but we want to give as much education and networking opportunities to it as humanly possible.”