We’re pleased to welcome new Entertainment Studies instructor Dion Singer! Dion will be teaching Do-It-Yourself Music Marketing this winter. He is Chief Executive Officer at Over the Top Global, where he serves as a freelance marketing consultant for international stars, including Cher, Michael Bublé, and Pablo Alborán. Previously, Mr. Singer served as the Executive Vice President of Creative Marketing at Warner Records.

We checked in with Dion and asked him 5 questions to get to know more about him and his course.

What about teaching for Entertainment Studies are you most looking forward to?
I think that UCLA Entertainment Studies is an extraordinary program. The students are from all over, and they have a passion for their subjects and want to learn and share. They are there because they “want to be” – and they want to learn, and that thrills me!

What do you hope students get out of your course?
I hope they get clear, honest, feedback with useful tools that will help them understand today’s music landscape. I hope they have lots of “a-ha” moments and get inspired by the discussions we all have with each other!

What is one thing you want students to know before they begin your class?
I was always taught that attention is a form of character. When you pay attention, so many things become important great things can be created. I love knowledge and research, and how to apply (or steal) what we have learned to current and future situations. Inspiration can come from anywhere if you can just be open and curious about the world around you.

What are you watching or listening to these days that you are enjoying?
I’m always devouring large amounts of podcasts, books and music.  The Guardian (UK Newspaper) puts about a weekly show called “The Guardian Audio Long Read” which I never miss.  You can learn something new every week.  I love the History podcasts from the BBC; their archive is the best in the world. My favourite subscription service is YouTube – the amount of content and interesting topics is astonishing to me!  I always find fantastic ideas.

What’s the best piece of advice you would give to someone aspiring to break into your field?
 I think you have to be authentic and passionate about what you do. People can feel what is real, or not – there is a saying, “The enemy of great is good”  –  and that is so visible in today’s always-on world. Mediocrity makes everything so much more difficult!