Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica D’Aurora.

Hi Erica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

My dream was always to work in the music industry. I just didn’t know what that looked like for me.

After I graduated from college with a degree in English, I began my music blog, Musical Notes Global, to get my foot in the door. I’m a pretty shy person, and definitely an introvert, so the thought of starting my own platform where anyone could read what I was writing was really daunting. At the same time, though, my dream was something that had been a part of me for so long, and I knew that I had to take some sort of action to start making it happen, so I let it overshadow any hesitations and fear that I had, and I dove in.

One of the main reasons why I started Musical Notes Global, and why it is what it is today, was that I always had a love for music from different countries. My dad is from Italy, and so I was exposed to Italian pop music at an early age. I loved it then, and I love it now, probably more than ever. However, in the United States, until YouTube and streaming platforms became a thing, it was really hard to access that music unless someone in my family brought it back from Italy or went to Little Italy in NYC to buy it on cassettes or CDs. Even with the internet, and as streaming platforms started to become what they are today, I still found it really difficult to find the music that was trending not only in Italy, but in other countries as well, and I was really determined to uncover it. Eventually, with a lot of searching, I started to discover the incredible artists I knew were out there, and I decided that I wanted to create one platform where I could spotlight all of them.

I also have a passion for Latin music, and it was important to me to highlight those artists too, so Musical Notes Global was born as an international music and culture blog, where I feature up and coming, indie, and established artists from all over the world, across languages and genres.

Starting Musical Notes Global was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without it. It was my introduction to the music industry and has opened up my world in so many ways that I never thought were possible. It has also allowed me to meet so many incredible people from all over the world, and I’ve made some great friends through it as well. It even led me to my current job!

As I mentioned before, I had always known I wanted to have a career in music, but I wasn’t sure what that was going to look like for me. As a result of developing MNG, and interacting with people who held a variety of positions in the industry, I discovered PR, and I immediately knew that was where I belonged. From there, I found an internship, worked as a publicist and press release writer for four years, and in January 2023, I launched my own PR agency, Gioia Communications. It was another of the best decisions I have ever made. Within the course of about a year and a half, I have grown personally and professionally in so many ways, and I feel very, very lucky to be able to do what I love every day.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’ve put in a lot of hard work, and I’ve spent a lot of time planning and figuring out how I’m going to achieve my next goals.

The music industry is very fast-paced, so there’s a lot to keep up with, and in the beginning, starting with when I began Musical Notes Global, it took some getting used to.

Aside from feeling the pressure of keeping a blog up to date, in PR, there are often very late nights, very tight deadlines, and very busy times, so one of the biggest challenges–and an ongoing struggle–I’ve encountered, besides actually owning and running a business, has been finding ways to balance my business and blog with life outside of those two things. But I have found that making the time to do small things for myself outside of the world of music, like practicing yoga, buying myself lunch, or spending time with friends, is an easy way to create that necessary balance.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

Aside from owning and running Musical Notes Global, starting Gioia Communications is how I’ve been able to continue supporting artists in different ways while still maintaining a similar foundation and mission, which is to celebrate music and the people who create it.

Music is a tremendous source of joy to so many people, including myself, and so when I started my agency, it was very important to me to keep joy at the core of my work and to always do my best to operate from that place. (Gioia is the Italian word for joy!)

With my blog, I’m able to showcase artists and their work through interviews and other features, but through my PR agency, I get to be on the other side. I can work more closely with artists behind the scenes to help them shine their brightest and to expand their online presence by setting up interviews, reviews, etc.

A publicist wears many hats, and at Gioia Communications, I do my best to support each band or artist that I work with in the ways they need most. From branding to social media to bio and press release writing and running full PR campaigns, it is my job to help them present their story in an authentic way that other people will be able to relate to as well.

There is also a great deal of trust involved in a publicist-client relationship, and I do everything I can to honor that trust by creating a safe space where we can work on accomplishing goals together. This also means that, unfortunately, sometimes I have to be the voice of reason and keep clients grounded in reality, but as someone who believes in the tremendous power of dreams, I always support them in achieving their dreams–we just might focus on taking smaller steps toward making them happen instead of huge leaps. Most days, though, I get to be their absolute biggest cheerleader, and that is one of my most favorite parts of my job.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?

For those who are just starting out, especially in the music industry, I always tell people that your passion for music and for what you’re doing is what’s going to keep pushing you forward. The music business is very competitive, and if you don’t truly love what you’re doing, it’s going to make it harder to not only just survive but to also grow personally and professionally. And always work on building relationships! They are more valuable than you might realize.

There will always be roadblocks and challenges that pop up, but there will be truly special moments as well, and those will also help propel you forward when you feel lost or burnt out. I’ve been very lucky to experience many special moments over the years, and I carry those with me always. They help me get through the tough days.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gioiacommunications.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/gioiacomm
• Other: https://musicalnotesglobal.com