Tonya Butler has been named the assistant chair of music business/management at Berklee College of Music. The first female to hold a leadership role in the department, Butler will assume her new duties on Aug. 1. She succeeds John Kellogg, who is retiring after more than a decade in the post.
Butler most recently served as director of the music industry studies program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her background also includes previous posts as coordinator of music business at the University of Memphis and course director of entertainment marketing and media distribution at The Los Angeles Film School.
“I have been in the music business for a long time and trust me, it is no joke,” said Butler in a statement. “Luckily, Berklee understands exactly what it takes to succeed. I can hardly wait to add my two cents to the till and my spice to the pot.”
“Tonya brings a wealth of experience, wisdom and positive energy to Berklee and the music business/management department,” said department chair Don Gorder. “We’re eager to get her into the mix.”
Before segueing into education, Butler spent 14 years working as an entertainment attorney working in-house for various companies including Rhino Records, Japanese label and music publisher GlobalDisc Records, MGM Music and Pioneer Entertainment.
A former two-term governor of the Recording Academy’s Memphis chapter, Butler is the current chair of the College Music Society’s committee on music business and industry engagement. She earned her Masters of Laws in Entertainment and Media from Southwestern University School of Law/Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, England.