Shaping Future Music Industry Leaders: TYWLS at the Workplace with Sony

In what could be a glimpse of the entertainment industry’s future innovators, tenth graders from The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of Brooklyn recently visited Sony’s NYC headquarters. This visit, part of our “TYWLS at the Workplace” series, introduced students to a variety of careers in music production and management.

The music industry thrives on collaboration between producers, sound engineers, songwriters, marketers, lawyers, and talent managers. By meeting with Sony’s team members in their NYC headquarters, students saw firsthand the diverse pathways in music, broadened their awareness of career possibilities and future aspirations, and built their professional networks.

Current Sony professionals shared their career journeys and offered the students relatable advice that can apply to any role. One panelist talked about skills that are useful no matter what kind of role they choose: “It is important to learn to solve issues with communication. Focus on learning how to turn a no into a ‘no but’ or a ‘yes and’ to keep moving forward with your goals.”

In small groups, students explored different roles in music management with Sony volunteers, including sound engineering, marketing, law, and finance, among others. “I realized that many times the artist is the face, but behind them is a lot of work done by many more people,” shared one student. They also visited different areas of the office, including the rooftop terrace with an impressive view of the Manhattan skyline. One student reflected on what she enjoyed most about the visit, sharing, “I loved how everybody had a common interest in music, and I learned that there are different careers that I didn’t know you could invest in.”

A panel of Sony employees shared career journeys and advice with high school students

Students and Sony volunteers engaged in small group discussions

Hannah Stein introduced Student Leadership Network’s programs before the panel discussion

Student Leadership Network’s partnership with Sony has created countless opportunities for students to explore potential careers and connect with professionals about educational pathways. We’re deeply grateful to Sony for their continued support to advance educational equity and to nurture tomorrow’s leaders!

If you’d like to bring the TYWLS at the Workplace program to your company, please contact Matt Chacko at mchacko@studentleadershipnetwork.org.