By Olivia Fischer
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – The third installment of the Business of Music 2025 Speaker Series presented Dave Uosikkinen, the drummer for The Hooters, on April 18 in Lincoln Hall.
Before the event started, the guests were greeted with light refreshments, such as cookies and coffee. The activity allotted time to drink, eat and mingle with other guests. This took place in the atrium outside the Little Theatre. A student attendee of the event, Olivia Williams, said, “There were good refreshments, I enjoyed a cup of tea.”
Olivia Williams enjoys the refreshments. Photos by Olivia Fischer, CCC Journalism Program
Afterward, about her opinion on the event, she said, “It was really interesting to see what it took for him to be successful.” She, among other students, was seen taking notes and pictures. Williams said she did not know of the band beforehand but was impressed by his story.
The event was open to any student at CCC but most in attendance were music students taking a business class. About 25 people attended.
The event was set up in an interview style led by Professor David Downham. They both sat in the Little Theatre. Uosikkinen answered questions and told stories about his life and career. He kept a casual and comfortable demeanor throughout, mentioning he was an “open book.” The overarching idea he was trying to get across was the importance of being educated before going into the music industry.
“I wish I had known a little bit more,” he told the audience. He noted the music industry is changing every day and has especially changed from when he was creating most of his music in the ’70s and ’80s.
Dave Uosikkinen and David Downham speak.
Uosikkinen and his bandmates have experienced commercial success. They performed at Live Aid in the 1980s and performed with singers such as Prince, Rod Stewart and Alice Cooper. The audience had an audible response to learning this, with sounds of shock and amazement. Record labels at this time knew how to get upcoming stars into binding contracts, Uosikkinen stated, mentioning he was lucky his bandmates knew the ropes and made sure they did not lose control of their music.
The interview then opened up to a question-and-answer segment with audience members. An audience member asked him how to navigate protecting yourself in the music industry while also not losing out on opportunities. He answered it with another question, saying to ask yourself, “Am I overshooting my value?” He went on to give more prospective artists advice on how to break into the industry. After each question and answer, the students thanked him for his advice.