I sat down at my laptop with a cup of tea this morning and worked my way through the long list of daily music e-newsletters that arrived in my inbox overnight.

Some come from bands in various parts of the world that I have met during the last 6 years. Some are the industry newsletters all bursting with the daily news of what is occurring within the business, keeping us all up to date so that we can try and fathom what exactly is happening. It is an exciting time to be in the music industry if you like challenge.

Canterbury Christ Church University (www.canterbury.ac.uk) where I am based, is supportive of this new growth in the creative industries and we are focused on bringing innovative opportunities as added value to our courses. But what happens to our Commercial Music degree students once they graduate? It is important that they are able to find opportunities to use the skills they have learned to build a successful career.

Since 2002 I have been self-employed and entered the music industry from a banking and sport science background with no previous knowledge. I now deliver music business modules at the University, consult for major music brands such as Gibson, run an annual America tour promoting British music talent, and manage a great artist.

There are a number of key lessons I learned in my previous business sectors which helped me turn my passion for music into a career. I try to weave these into the academic curriculum wherever possible.

Firstly, I realized there were certain shared characteristics which lead to success in sport, commercial banking or music. They are drive, determination, enthusiasm and confidence. The music sector is more competitive than ever before and it is incredibly beneficial for students to understand the rollercoaster of the industry and how to survive the low points. In my former Sport Science days we actually used music to help students and Olympic squads to stay motivated and focused. It is a powerful tool and should be used frequently to help keep a positive mind-set. Turn your favourite song up loud and remind yourself why you are in this business whenever your self-belief wavers!

Secondly, the music industry today is a global business and offers global opportunities. I try wherever possible to involve our students in real-life international projects to encourage them to understand the trials and tribulations of making global activities a success. In 2002 I left my finance job in London and relocated to the USA to set up a music promotion initiative for British music called The BritBus Tour (www.thebritbustour.com).

In order to tap into the student audience I forged a relationship with New York University’s Steinhardt Music Business Programme, and we have been working closely ever since. This now enables our students at Canterbury Christ Church University to review music issues with New York University students. The initiative has been so successful that we now also work with students at Macquarie University in Sydney and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. There are also other potential student collaborations in the pipeline with China and Europe planned for 2009. These collaborations are now managed by an organization called The Six Finger Think Tank (www.sixfingerlearning.com), an innovative group of music academics and industry experts who recognize the importance of both worlds.

Thirdly, it is important to instill a sense of reality into students and emphasize the fact that networking is key to making progress. It is not enough to create a great song in the studio and put it on MySpace. You have got to get out there and make people aware of your talent. Again the real-life projects are excellent for creating a networking environment. Collaborations help students refine their communication skills and help give them the confidence needed to seek and secure new contacts.

Our view at Canterbury Christ Church University is that we aim to not only give our students the practical skills necessary to help them make great music, but also the life skills and business knowledge which will enable them to develop a successful and long-term career for themselves.

The new BA (Hons.) in Music Industry Management at our Commercial Music and Media campus in Broadstairs, is also an example of this as we combine our Business degree curriculum with specialist music modules. This is something that impressed me when I first visited New York University in 2005 and learned about their Music Business Programme run in conjunction with their Steinhardt Business School. Business skills in any format are a valuable asset especially in today’s industry where like myself, music entrepreneur’s often find themselves wearing many hats. This is an exciting way of learning transferable skills in one of the largest and most dynamic industries in the world.

Biography: After gaining a BA (Hons) and MSc in Sport Sciences at the University of Wales Institute (Cardiff) and Brunel University (London), Julia started her professional life in 1993 lecturing sport psychology, working with Olympic training squads and managing health clubs. In 2000 she took a change of direction and after gaining an MBA degree at the University of Kent she relocated to New York and set up The BritBus Tour as a grass-roots marketing initiative for emerging British music using a converted classic British double-decker. Julia now consults for music companies, manages artists and lectures music business at Canterbury Christ Church University. When she isn't working she enjoys learning the trumpet!