Music Industry Grad Has Front Row Seat at Live Nation

Mia Becker '11 went to her first concert at the age of 13. She was in the crowd at the Stone Pony, the historic New Jersey venue known for launching the careers of Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, listening to The Strokes, a rock band that boasts one of the top debut albums of all time.

"It was a life-changing experience for me," she says. Since then, she has been to more than 500 shows, and working in the concert or touring industries has long been her dream job. 

"Music has always been my biggest passion," she said. "I've always loved music. Since I was a kid, I read every available book I could find about the music industry and rock ‘n roll history." 

She came to the University of New Haven as a music industry major and added a second major in finance not long into her first semester. She immediately got involved with WNHU, the University's award-winning radio station, and she served as the station manager as a senior. She also was active with the Charger Bulletin.

I was able to take on a leadership role within my extracurricular activities," she says. "I worked really hard to get into graduate school and to start the next chapter in my career.

Life After the University of New Haven

After graduating from UNH, she moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California and enroll in its master's degree program in strategic public relations, which is ranked among the best in the world.

Upon graduating from USC in 2013, she was hired by Live Nation, where she had interned as a student. Since then, she has served as a marketing coordinator and media buyer for the global leader for live entertainment.

She spearheads advertising campaigns and promotions for more than 300 events a year in Los Angeles that range from shows at local clubs to tours featuring Cirque du Soleil and music icons Chris Cornell, the Foo Fighters and Beyonce, among others. 

The first show she worked on was the culmination of the Swedish House Mafia's Masquerade Motel Tour, the popular electronic dance music group's six city, 14-show farewell tour that sold out in minutes. 

She credits her time as a Charger for preparing her to excel. 

"I knew what career I wanted to pursue since I was 12," said Becker. "And the University of New Haven gave me a great opportunity to create my own path, to develop a platform for my ideas and to pursue my passion."