LATROBE, PA – Will Dzombak, a music management executive best known for helping advance rapper Wiz Khalifa’s career, was on campus earlier this month to speak to Saint Vincent College students about the music industry, leadership, social media influencers and different career paths.
Dzombak played drums in various bands during his time in high school before he and his friends started the band The Elderly, for which the 2006 Central Catholic High School graduate served as drummer and manager. This initial management role set the stage for Dzombak’s future career.
He majored in integrative arts—a combination of communications, marketing and music—at Penn State University. During his time at PSU, Dzombak co-founded an indie event company named Nittany Booking, scheduling small bands for concerts in the State College area. He also helped organize social activities for his fraternity, which included booking music artist performances.
Dzombak booked Khalifa, a fellow Pittsburgh native and rising rapper, in 2007, and the show was a success. Khalifa stayed on campus for a few days, discussing career visions with Dzombak as they shared their approaches and music industry outlooks. A partnership was born from those discussions, and through the years, Dzombak advanced from being Khalifa’s assistant to different management positions, before becoming the rapper’s manager and business partner.
Khalifa developed into a successful rapper, enjoying consistent and profitable summer tours. In 2014, the tandem partnered to launch Taylor Gang Entertainment, which now serves as a management company and independent record label. Dzombak later launched The William Gerard Group, a branding and management company that manages various social media influencers.
“Leadership and communication and talking through things is the biggest part of my job,” Dzombak said to a full house inside the Frank J. Luparello Lecture Hall, located inside the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion. “A big part of leadership is not only just maintaining the clients, but it’s also maintaining the staff that’s around you. People have to want to go to work. They have to want to feel motivated … there is no rhyme or reason or defined schedule for what we do and keeping people on track. It’s like a never-ending group project.”
In explaining his leadership philosophy, Dzombak envisions a triangle, with each point equally as important as the others. “You need each point to support each other,” he said. “In our world, there’s no hierarchy. I think one of my strengths is treating everyone as an equal and empowering people.”
Dzombak warned students that they likely will be disheartened by poor leadership throughout their future careers but encouraged students to draw motivation from those negative encounters. “Get everyone involved, that keeps them motivated, and just have conversations,” Dzombak said. “Be assertive but don’t be a jerk.”
For students interested in the music industry, Dzombak emphasized the importance of networking. “That’s one thing I always tell everyone: take everyone’s phone number, take their email, ask questions, even if you never use it. I make all my money through this thing,” he said as he held up his cellphone. When he was initially starting out with music booking while in college, Dzombak said it wasn’t uncommon for he and his business partner to send out 100 emails in a day to network. “And if we get two replies,” Dzombak added, “we’re doing great.”
He also encouraged students to educate themselves, noting that many up-and-coming music artists do not understand the ins and outs of publishing, artists and repertoire, or touring.
Discussing the music industry of today versus when Dzombak played drums, the 2010 Penn State graduate said he feels it’s never been more difficult. “Touring is the hardest it’s ever been with inflation and just how expensive it is,” he said. “When I was coming up, it would be $10 for a show. I haven’t been to a show that cost $10 in a long time.”
What record producers are looking for in talent has also drastically changed. Gone are the days when just pure talent made the cut, Dzombak said. “They’re looking for someone who tours, who makes [social media] content, who has songs that people are connecting with,” he added, “and has a fan base of people who are going to the shows.”
With the industry shifting from physical media to digital music, however, Dzombak said it’s now easier than ever to release music. He always tells aspiring artists to set aside their fears and “just put music out.”
“You just have to get it out there and don’t overthink it,” he said, “and if you hate it later, delete it.”
In addition to Khalifa, Dzombak helped launch the career of singer/songwriter Ty Dolla $ign and reinvent hip-hop mainstay Juicy J. Dzombak also works with record producer TM88 and Chelsea DeBoer, the former MTV star turned HGTV home renovation TV personality.
The March 10 session was scheduled during a Leadership for Jedi, Wizards and Superheroes class taught by Dr. Michael Urick, C’04, dean of the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government at Saint Vincent College. The course examines leadership via popular culture including through movies, shows and other fictional works, but also through pop culture-related industries such as music. Some students from one of Urick’s other leadership classes also attended.
“It is so cool that students get an opportunity to hear from a leader in the music industry firsthand. The music industry is a career path that some students may want to consider, but breaking into it can be challenging,” Urick said. “Will’s presentation provides some context on how to enter and be successful in the industry. Will is also so approachable that he encourages students to reach out to him for advice and to network. As a music lover and musician myself, I personally took a lot away from Will’s talk, and I know the students did as well.”
The Dzombak name has long been a fixture on the Saint Vincent College campus. The music management executive’s grandfather is Dr. William C. (Bill) Dzombak, who taught various chemistry courses for 33 years at Saint Vincent before retiring from teaching at the College in 1986. He subsequently was honored by the College as a distinguished professor emeritus.
The decorated professor’s son is David A. Dzombak, C’79, who earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics before becoming a prominent environmental engineer at Carnegie Mellon University. He was honored as a Saint Vincent College Alumni of Distinction in 2006.
