As part of our Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys.
This week, we caught up with Grace Croucher – Senior Membership & Events Manager at The Ivors Academy - where she leads on strategy, programming and partnerships to support songwriters and composers at every stage of their careers.
From producing the Academy’s first-ever summit at the BFI IMAX to launching free global Discovery memberships and planning year-round events and songwriting camps, Grace’s role is all about creating opportunities, and making sure creators feel supported, not sidelined.
Her path into the industry has been shaped by adaptability and resourcefulness. Before moving into music full-time, she worked across NHS admin, retail and event production – learning how to lead teams, manage tight budgets and get things done under pressure. She started out teaching vocals at a local studio, eventually managing it, and carried those skills forward to build a career rooted in action.
Grace’s advice is refreshingly honest: say yes to the opportunities you can take, even if they’re small or short-term. Help out a friend, volunteer at a one-day festival or pitch in on a local project – everything builds. And when it comes to networking, she recommends keeping it simple: show up, be open and follow up. You never know when a brief encounter will turn into your next opportunity – even years later.
👇 Read on for Grace’s reflections on learning by doing, staying organised without burning out, and why it’s okay to do things scared – your future self will thank you.
What’s your current role in the music industry?
I am the Senior Membership & Events Manager at The Ivors Academy.
We are a not-for-profit membership organisation looking after songwriters and composers. We protect, empower and celebrate our members through campaigns, events and by sharing industry knowledge that supports them at every stage of their careers.
We also recognise incredible songwriters and composers by presenting the Ivor Novello Awards in May and November, and this October we’re launching The Ivors Academy Honours as a dedicated ceremony to recognise the greatest champions of music creators.
We have recently relaunched our brand, and our member offer, and now all songwriters and composers aged over eighteen anywhere in the world can join as a free Discovery member. Become a member of The Ivors Academy.
What does your general day to day look like?
I am managing a team of four, my main focus is on the overall membership strategy, which includes membership operations, recruitment, events, songwriting camps, programmes and partnerships.
Our day to day varies, we may be securing panelists, running an event with a composer or songwriter, curating content and guides for our members, focusing on outreach, reporting or providing support to our members.
We have many online and in-person meetings connecting with new creators and the music industry, working towards providing the best possible service to our members.
This year we also launched our inaugural Ivors Academy Summit for songwriters, composers and the wider industry. I produced this event at the BFI IMAX in London and we are soon to launch a tool kit providing creators with the knowledge to lead a fulfilling career within this sector.
What steps did you take early in your career to gain experience and build skills to get you where you are now?
I have worked in many different roles from artist liaison at festivals, administration within the NHS, call centres, retail, cleaning a pub, and working at a dance and recording studio.
I was teaching vocals as a freelancer at a local dance studio and got the opportunity to start managing the studios, and built my event and operations experience up from there.
A few years later I was managing larger scale events and producing theatre shows, with those skills I was able to transition back to the music industry and develop in the role I have today. All of these jobs have provided me with different skills I still bring to my current role.
The journey is never linear even when you think it might have been for someone!
What opportunities did you explore early on that were particularly valuable?
I volunteered at a good few festivals and gained valuable experience in the events and music industry. The Great Escape in May in Brighton has a brilliant volunteer scheme that still runs year on year.
I also managed my own band and produced our own music videos, this was great practice in getting festival and funding applications in on time, project managing music releases and managing budgets for gigs and touring.
Has the opportunity landscape changed since then?
The cost of living crisis is taking a real toll on the younger generation trying to get into the industry.
Paying for bills and trying to find volunteer opportunities can be hard, but it’s all about building up your CV - even if you can volunteer for a one day festival, or help out at a local music charity/organisation, this can all be very valuable for securing that first job role!
Speak to friends and help them on projects they’re working on, you never know what skills you may gain.
Are there any specific internships, projects, or initiatives that you would recommend to newcomers looking to pursue a similar role?
Research companies that you want to work for, that inspire you, check their website, Linkedin and socials for opportunities they may have coming up, specifically with events the ‘doing’ is the best experience you can get.
Take on free lessons where you can too, there are some great free one hour creative courses that The Dots offer, along with networking opportunities.
If you are looking to pursue a career in songwriting and composing you can also sign up to our mentoring schemes at The Ivors Academy.
What advice do you have for building and leveraging a professional network in the music industry?
Get into the room, be open and say yes.
I am not sure I have come across many people who say they love getting into a room of strangers to network. It is daunting, but competence equals confidence, there are many networking events you can find online and within the music industry, you find connections in the strangest of places.
Always connect in some way at the end of a conversation whether that is email, LinkedIn, Instagram. I have had a lot of moments where we’re looking for freelancers or panelists - and I think of someone I have met recently at an event and got in touch, even two years later!
How has the evolving digital landscape impacted your role, and where do you focus to stay ahead?
The digital landscape is fast paced, people want to access content quickly and with ease.
I am constantly researching and discovering new ways to put on digital and in-person events. Reaching out to people in similar roles is always helpful to discuss what they’re adapting to keep up to date.
Five years ago, most events were in person, I had to learn within days how to bring events online and adapt to a new working environment - take on the challenge and know there will always be learnings and things to improve next time.
What trends or changes do you see on the horizon for the music industry, and how can early career professionals prepare for them?
The music industry is constantly evolving, and you don’t need to stick to just one job role. You can explore many roles throughout your career, as skills are often transferable. It’s a great idea to build a diverse set of tools and experiences.
Have experience with editing in DAWs? You’d be surprised how easily those skills can translate to other editing platforms across different types of media.
If you’re unsure about something, do some research - there’s so much free short- and long-form content available that can help you upskill in just a day.
If you can’t land your dream job right away, take other opportunities. They can still serve as stepping stones toward where you want to be.
What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
How you prioritise and the tools you use to be organised are more important than getting your entire to do list complete, the to do list will always be never ending.
Do things and do things scared, trust your future self that you will get it right.
I am always happy to offer advice and help - add me on Linkedin!
