VMS-GI 2019

Michael Garcia, CVE
Chair, Music Industry Program, Assistant Professor
University of Southern California


Michael Garcia is the Department Chair and an Assistant Professor for the Music Industry Program at USC’s Thornton School of Music. A seasoned professional with more than four-decades of live-entertainment, concert promotion and venue management experience, Garcia has worked on some of the biggest concert tours in the world at the most respected venues. Mike teaches classes at USC in Concert Promotion & Production, Touring, Venue Management, and Music Business, including music copyright and publishing. Mike will earn a Juris Masters from USC’s Gould School of Law in May 2023, and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration / Finance from California State University, Sacramento. Additionally, he holds advanced certifications in Labor Management, Collective Bargaining and Executive Management from Cornell University. Finally, Michael is a Certified Venue Executive (CVE), recognized by the IAVM as a top facility executive. He continues to give back to the industry by sitting on numerous philanthropic boards including the education board for the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA), as well as has taught for IAVM’s Venue Management School (VMS) and currently teaches Music Business for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (GRAMMY’s) summer program for high-school students. Michael continues to mentor undergraduates at several universities and speaks at several national conferences annually. Mike started his career in the concert promotion industry working for legendary San Francisco concert promoter Bill Graham, learning how to insert a fun, customer-focused “vibe” in everything he undertakes.

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