Iulia Hermeneanu began organizing events as a volunteer at 15 and played key roles in more than 80 events to date. She is now managing artists booking, communication and volunteers at several festivals and events in Brașov area and Romania.
Q: How does the music industry look like to you in 2024?
A: It’s very close to how I imagined it a few years ago. There are more and more talented, young artists, both emerging and established, with whom we want to collaborate. The public has come to understand that not only mainstream events or artists are of interest; they have started to turn their attention to other genres/styles of music and smaller/niche events.
Q: What are the main challenges that a young person faces when starting out in the current music industry (in Romania)?
A: Probably gaining the trust of the people you work with. It might take a little longer to prove your professionalism, and, like any beginning, you need a few successful events to create a solid network of people with whom you can ideally work easily and quickly.
Q: What is the professional achievement of which you are most proud?
A: It’s not a specific event, but I am most proud of who I am now, professionally speaking. With all the events organized over the last 8-9 years, all the artists and people from the music industry I have worked with, I’ve reached a point where most discussions go very smoothly because people know and trust what I do. I am proud of the work done that has taken our events to the next level. I am happy that over the years, we have helped grow several dozen young volunteers, some of whom have found their passion in the music/events industry.
Q: How does the future of the music industry (in Romania) look like to you?
A: I hope that artists, or at least some of them, manage to stay true to themselves and true to their fans. To sing what they want, how they want, without making too many compromises. There will be more and more artists, more artificially-generated music, and without me deciding if this is a good or bad thing, I want to believe that people will remain loyal to the live concerts experiences.
Q: How did you break into the music industry?
A: As an economist would say, I identified the market demand. I noticed that at the Film and Histories Festival in Râșnov, there was no dedicated person responsible for the artist experience at the festival, at that time. When asked if I wanted to take on this role, I instantly accepted, without really knowing what it entailed. Each year, I took on another piece of what it meant to interact with artists at a festival, until I ended up coordinating 100% of the planning, booking, and hospitality for artists at this festival and other festivals in Brașov or across the country.
Q: What piece of advice would you give to a young person dreaming of working in the music industry?
A: First of all, just start. Perhaps the most accessible way to start is as a volunteer (compared to a paid intern). You don’t have as much pressure, you have more room for mistakes, and a lot of room for growth and learning. Take advantage of every opportunity, be proactive, try to anticipate certain aspects, and most importantly, be curious, try to complete each task as well as you can and network whenever you have the chance, and the results of your work will appear.
