Julie Viscardi-Smalley

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Associate Professor

JWU Faculty Since 2016

Contact Info

Email: julie.viscardismalley@jwu.edu
Phone: 401-598-5274
Campus: Providence

Julie Viscardi-Smalley, associate professor in the Sports, Entertainment, Event - Management (SEEM) department at ��ֱ��’s Providence Campus, specializes in teaching about the music industry, entertainment management, event management, concert production, music theory and music history. Her doctoral research is centered around the application of threshold concept theory to music industry education. Additional research interests include music education, the analysis of popular music, the music industry, concert/festival/event production, online teaching and learning and curriculum and program design in higher education. She has more than 15 years experience teaching online and engaging in instructional design for excellence in online learning.

Viscardi-Smalley’s professional experience in the music industry includes work in booking agencies, concert production, tour coordination, artist management, marketing for music, record labels and copyright/publishing for musical works. She has worked on the production team for concerts at a variety of club- to arena-sized venues across New England with popular artists such as Metallica, Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani, The Black Eyed Peas, Backstreet Boys, Dropkick Murphys, The Pixies, Bright Eyes, Moby, Keller Williams and more - as well as legacy acts such as Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Frankie Valli, KC and the Sunshine Band, Kool and the Gang, Steppenwolf, Johnny Rivers and more. Viscardi-Smalley assisted in the tour coordination for cross-country sponsored college tours for artists such as Howie Day, All-American Rejects, Gym Class Heroes and Drake. She has handled management, marketing and public relations for a number of growing Boston-based rock acts as well. She enjoys attending live music events, performing music and spending time with family.

Education

DMA, Music Education, Boston University
MS, Music Education, Syracuse University
BA, Music Education, Syracuse University

“In concert production, students are charged with booking and producing an entire concert. Night of the show, they’re on their own — I go only to assess them. Sometimes I throw them a few curveballs”

Teaching Interests

Viscardi-Smalley’s primary teaching specialization is in music industry education. Since 2005, she has taught introductory-level courses in the music and entertainment industry as well as upper-level courses focused on artist management, concert / tour / festival production, record company operations, copyright for music, music publishing, music marketing, public relations and television / film production management. Additionally, she has taught courses in popular music analysis, music appreciation, world music, hip hop culture, history of American popular music, Western music history and music theory. Viscardi-Smalley particularly enjoys teaching small, student-centered experiential learning courses partnered with industry clients such as the TDGarden / Boston Bruins Directed Experiential Education (DEE) course.

Scholarly Interests

Viscardi-Smalley’s doctoral research is centered around the application of threshold concept theory to music industry education. Additional research interests include music industry education, the music industry, best practices for concert and event management, the analysis of popular music, active learning strategies, online teaching and learning and curriculum and program design in higher education.

Courses

Introduction to the Music Industry
The Business of the Entertainment Industry
Concert, Tour, and Music Festival Production Management
Introduction to the Sports, Entertainment, Event - Management Industry
New Media Literacy
Sponsorship, Sales and Relationship Management in the SEE Industry

Extra Curricular Roles

Faculty Advisor for the JWU student chapter of the Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA)

Professional Affiliations

Viscardi-Smalley is a member of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators’ Association (MEIEA) and the Event Safety Alliance (ESA).

Publications

Honors And Awards

Faculty Excellence Award, Bay State College, 2009

Q&A with Julie

How Did You Get Started?

I always knew that I wanted to work in music. I grew up singing and playing instruments - and took music education quite seriously. After graduating college and teaching music for a while, I realized that I wanted to pursue work in the music industry. So, I worked very hard to grow my network in the Boston area - where I was living - and secured a position at a full-service concert production company and booking agency. In this role, I was able to see the entire concert-booking process - from building the offer, advancing the show, planning the show, executing the show and then doing it all again for the next show. I had the opportunity to work at club-level to arena-level concerts and assist in the tour coordination for major artist' college concert tours. At the same time, I was managing a small rock act, touring with them and handling the marketing and public relations for a number of other acts. At the heart of all of this work is my love for music-making and for attending live music events. I truly enjoy sharing my experiences with students and helping them navigate careers in the music and entertainment industry.

What Advice Do You Have For Incoming Freshmen?

The advice that I would like to offer incoming freshmen is to get involved on campus. Join clubs and organizations that align with your interests. Start building you network - build bridges and don't burn them. The classmates you meet now will be your colleagues in industry within a few years. Go to class, do your homework, aim to consistently submit high quality work, aim to engage with high quality resources when completing work, engage with your classmates and professors, take part in class discussions, use your time in college to learn as much as you can, attend any lecture events on campus, take an experiential education course, start researching internships early, use campus resources like the Writing Lab, know and engage with the professional associations in your major and read job descriptions regularly! If you need advice or have questions, ask! Your professors and University staff are happy to help.

What College Do You Teach In?

College of Hospitality Management

Multi-Media grid

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