Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Bray.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Angela. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve had a huge interest in nightlife, specifically the electronic music realm since I was probably 15 years old. Obviously, I wasn’t old enough to go out to clubs or similar events, so at that time, I just engrossed myself in the music I loved so much. (At the time it was house and trance music; over time, I was exposed to more genres.)
Fast-forward to turning 18 and moving to Boston for classes at Suffolk, I quickly threw myself into the nightlife scene, learning about what happened at which venues and who was who in the local industry. The first place I was able to get into was RISE, an after-hours club that focused on solely underground electronic music. I spent almost every Friday and Saturday night there, 1-6am. I loved everything about it: the music, the people, the culture. Going out was exciting and fun, and I really believe these experiences can contribute greatly to who a person is, socially and mentally.
After a short amount of time as a partygoer, I knew I wanted to be more involved as more than that. When the club posted online they were looking for interns, I jumped and landed a social media role. I had other social media/marketing internships over time, and it was from those positions as well as time spent just going out, socializing, and networking that I gained the experience for what would come next.
Soon after that, I got involved with my now-partner Eric hosting a series of local college nightlife events called Glow Boston. I started off helping more generally with promoting and ticket-selling and made way to co-produce the events entirely. That series of events also landed us larger opportunities at House of Blues Boston and on college campuses across the country; those opportunities developed our national college tour called Glow Campus. July 2018 marks seven years (and counting) of these events.
Along with producing these events, another project feeding my love for this world (and my journalism degree) would be music/entertainment blogging. I started by creating a small local electronic music blog featuring local DJs, producers, and events. Over time, it developed into something bigger, a website that’s now called Live Inside. It has expanded from specifically local coverage to international, and I’ve had the chance to meet and interview not only massive artists (like Darude, Cedric Gervais, and Infected Mushroom) but also some of the most important people in the industry like talent buyers and those who make large-scale music festivals happen.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nobody knows everything and is going to need to learn more and more on the path to what they’re doing. I think the biggest struggle was getting my foot in the door with this industry, and choosing a city with the busy and relevant scene was a good first move (although I didn’t choose to go to college in Boston based on the fact of being involved with nightlife). As far as advice, definitely education. Not in terms of academics, but knowing who is who and what is what in the industry you’re reaching for.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about iExperia + Live Inside – what should we know?
Regarding our national Glow Campus events, I’m most proud of the level of production we’re capable of. We have a great small team we work with, making it possible to do pretty much everything in-house. A school can give us a bare arena or an empty field, and we can go in and build a concert/festival from the ground up. We’ve produced events for as few as 100 people and as large as 5,000+ people. As far as specialty goes, we’re not just putting events together. We’re creating experiences. A big thing for us is giving people something they haven’t seen before, so if you can picture a big EDM concert mixed with a Cirque du Soleil show, that’s a better representation. The bigger space, the more we can do. Come through and you’ll see DJs on stage, but also an aerialist hanging from above and a contortionist up front and a nine-foot-tall LED robot shooting cryo, all while LED dancers and stilt-walkers interact with the crowd. And if that’s not enough, you’ll see the space being enhanced with custom visuals splashing over LED walls and live muralists and lasers and confetti and balloon drops. Give us an outdoor space and we can make pyrotechnics go off.
Regarding the local Glow Boston events, I’m proud of being able to provide a fun, safe, and quality environment for college students to enjoy on a consistent basis. It’s especially difficult for [students] when the majority of nightlife here is restricted to 21+, so being able to create something for them and to have kept it going for seven years is certainly a milestone. That was the idea, really, when [Eric] had the idea to start this series, being under 21 and needing a place to go out to.
With Live Inside, which is primarily interview-based, I strive to ask questions to which the answers aren’t already out there. You’ll see bloggers ask DJs all the time things like where they’re from and how they got their DJ name. A lot of the time you don’t even see people requesting to meet with those working behind-the-scenes and making it possible for these big artists to have the careers they do. The things I want to find out and share with readers are the things you can’t Google the answer to. If someone told me 10 years ago I’d be able to ask an A-list DJ or the founder of a world-renowned festival to give me 10 minutes of their time before or after a performance, I’d think they were crazy.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Specifically in this field, going out to as many events as possible and just making myself known has worked incredibly well. Supporting your peers and influences will get you a long way. You can’t take only the opportunities that will benefit you; you need to also be willing to assist with opportunities that will help others out. Be open to trying new things. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because that’s how you’ll learn.
When it comes to networking, be prepared. This goes for any field or industry. Have a website, have a LinkedIn, have a cohesive digital presence. All very important.
Contact Info:
- Website: linkedin.com/in/angelambray
- Email: angela@iexperia.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/angelabray , instagram.com/glowboston, instagram.com/glowcampustour
Image Credit:
@alchemyvisual
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