We’ve seen music inspire life-changing decisions in people from all different backgrounds. For Paula Santos, her love of the industry has taken her across three continents while she’s worked to develop her career in artist management.

Paula was born in Belem, Para - a state in north Brazil - and originally earned a bachelor’s degree in cultural management. Music always remained her passion, however, and she would later head to London to study audio engineering. Having gotten a handle on the production side of the industry, she connected with Full Sail to round out her education with our Music Business program.

“Music was always my passion, but I never wanted to be an artist, I wanted to be behind the scenes,” she says. “That’s what took me to Full Sail and Music Business. I like to follow the process of how to build an artist, how to promote them, get them out to the fans, and to see how the evolution happens.”

Following graduation, Paula moved back to Brazil, where she landed a position with music giant EMI as an international marketing assistant. The company’s local offices are in charge of handling the promotion of their artists throughout the region, and Paula’s role with them has blended her knowledge and expertise as a music fan with her varied education.

“I handle most of the promotions for international releases here in Brazil,” she says. “We create marketing plans for the music and do a lot of promo with the artists coming here to perform – scheduling interviews with radio and television. I really like to work on different strategies, and also to receive the artists when they’re in Brazil. It’s really interesting to follow them and see how they work with their fans. Then to be backstage at the shows and see how everything works is very special too.”

After a successful run with EMI, music will soon be the catalyst for another change in Paula’s life, as she’s taking an internship with Guerrilla Management in San Francisco, California. The company specializes in artist management for musicians, as well as work on films, music videos, festivals, and more. It’s a change of both culture and pace for Paula, and the opportunity to work with and help expose new types of artists is exactly what drove her to get into the industry in the first place.

“I’m going to be helping manage artists together with the owner and founder of the company,” she says. “I’m going to be helping her to promote and market them, as well as some events and festivals like the Power to the Peaceful. I’m excited to learn more of the management side of the industry, and it seems like I’m getting to where I’ve always dreamed of. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that this is all happening, but I feel fulfilled that I’m on the right track, and everything I did in my past really helped me get here. Now I’m just ready for whatever’s coming next.”