Alexandra Dunne (B.S. '07) is the head of publicity at Glassnote Records, an independent record company that is home to the Grammy Award-winning band Phoenix, multiplatinum-selling band Mumford & Sons, Two Door Cinema Club, The Temper Trap, Childish Gambino, Oberhofer, GIVERS, Daughter, Robert DeLong and Little Green Cars. A graduate of Hofstra University with a B.S. degree in music merchandising and a minor in marketing, Alex began studying music in grade school. While at Hofstra, she held numerous internships within the music industry, but her internship with the Sony Music College Department inspired a deep love for New York City and its vibrant music scene.

After a yearlong internship at Sony Music and countless nights spent at New York City's many live music venues, Epic Records hired Alex upon graduation, where she successfully advanced to the position of publicity manager.  After working on publicity and marketing campaigns for artists such as Sara Bareilles, The Fray, Natasha Bedingfield, Incubus, Chevelle, Ben Folds, Franz Ferdinand and The Script, Alex joined Glassnote Records in 2010 to head up its publicity department. 

Since joining Glassnote Records, Alex has played an integral role in publicity campaigns for the label's roster, overseeing all aspects of its media and press plans from local tour press to national print media to television appearances. She has had the honor of attending the Grammy Awards for the past two years with Mumford & Sons, who were nominated an impressive six times for their debut album, Sigh No More. Alex has planned and executed numerous press events and parties for Glassnote Entertainment Group, been the artist and label representative at many major music festivals and summits such as SXSW, CMJ, Coachella and Lollapalooza, and has had the joy of booking Glassnote artists on TV shows such as Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, CONAN, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Austin City Limits, and Live from the Artists Den. Glassnote artists have also been featured in The New York Times, SPIN, Billboard, American Songwriter, and Relix Magazines; Rolling Stone Magazine; NYLON; People; Entertainment Weekly; New York Magazine; Los Angeles Times; and numerous others. Rolling Stone Magazine named Glassnote Records the Best Independent Label in 2011.

February 2013
Alexandra Dunne (B.S. '07)

Alexandra Dunne Q & A:

What was your favorite class, who was your favorite professor, or what is your fondest memory of Hofstra?
My favorite class and professor was Marketing with Professor Barry Berman. He opened my eyes to the world of creative marketing, which fascinated me. His class inspired me to add a marketing minor to my degree. My fondest memory of Hofstra has to be all the great people I met during my time there. I began lifelong friendships and found a support system of people, who helped me get to where I am today.

What was your first job after graduating from Hofstra, and what was the most valuable thing you learned there?
My first job after graduation was as a marketing coordinator at Epic Records, a branch of Sony Music.  The most valuable thing I learned at Epic was that you never stop learning. I supported a small team of executives who helped me navigate the crazy and often political world that is the music business. In a way, that position was my graduate school. While working with them, I found myself drawn to and passionate about the publicity campaigns that we were putting together for our artists. I worked my way up and became a manager of publicity at Epic where I worked on an array of artist campaigns. Publicity was something I had never considered before being hired at Epic, and it has since become my passion and career!

What is your field of specialty, and how did you come to work in the industry?
Music publicity is my field of specialty. I am the head of publicity for an independent record company, Glassnote Records, where I work with the Grammy Award-winning band Phoenix, Grammy-nominated and multiplatinum-selling Mumford & Sons, Two Door Cinema Club, The Temper Trap, Childish Gambino, Oberhofer, GIVERS, Daughter, Little Green Cars and Robert DeLong. I handle their entire PR campaigns, from local tour press to national print media to booking them on television shows. I started interning within the music business when I was a sophomore at Hofstra, and interned every semester until I graduated. Through my internships, I learned what I did want (and just as important, what I did not want) from a job and for my career. I networked my butt off and made real connections with the people who would eventually recommend me for my first job (and we're still in touch to this day!).

What advice would you give current Hofstra students?
Intern as much as possible. There is nothing more valuable than real-world experience. Make meaningful contacts and keep in touch with them. Most businesses are smaller than you may realize at first, so the more you network and the more people you know, the better your chances are of hearing about that job opening. Network, work hard, ask questions and keep in touch!

In one word, how would you describe Hofstra?
Motivating.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you see your career progressing in the future?
It's very hard for me to predict where I will be in 10 years. The music business is constantly changing and evolving, which is why I find it so exciting. I hope to still be involved in the music business, helping musicians break out and make their way to the mainstream media. The end goal is to start my own company.

What is the single most rewarding/exciting experience in your career thus far?
I've been very lucky in my career to have had so many exciting and rewarding experiences. Every time I see one of my artists on TV for the first time or performing in front of a sold-out crowd, I feel like a proud  band-mom. I can name moments with every artist I work with that have been rewarding… The night Mumford & Sons were nominated for their first Grammy in 2010 was an especially proud moment. Phoenix performing to a sold-out MSG, Two Door Cinema Club drawing one of the biggest crowds at Lollapalooza in 2011, GIVERS at Carnegie Hall, Daughter's Letterman taping, Oberhofer being featured in Entertainment Weekly … the list goes on and on! Seeing my artists succeed is really very exciting and what it's all about!