First Name:
Prof. Liz
Last Name:
May
Main Title:
Assistant Professor of Music Industry Studies
Email:
Type:
Area(s):
Liz May is an assistant professor of music industry studies in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University. She is a business owner and audio engineer who specializes in studio recording and mixing, with extensive experience in live sound and event production. She has spent her career owning and operating businesses that promote and produce artists, as well as managing the venues where they perform.
Liz May founded SoundLizzard Productions, LLC (SLP) in 2003 within the NC Triad to assist clients and artists in their musical and audio needs. After growing the business to include an A&R department, record label, and publishing company for a short time, sound mixing for several independent films, booking artists, orchestrating an annual music festival, and operating a large recording studio facility, the company now operates primarily as a recording, post-production, and live sound production business.
She has also worked in production management at a number of performance facilities managing the daily operations, booking and negotiating contracts, organizing and producing events, and growing each organization’s revenue stream. Most recently, from 2016-2021 she was the Production & Facility Manager of the historic RJ Reynolds Auditorium in Winston-Salem.
Prior to her arrival at App State, May had been working as the Lead Instructor of Recording Engineering and Music Business at the Guilford Technical Community College in the Entertainment Technologies Program. She has been developing curriculum for Music Business, Recording Engineering, Acoustics, and Entertainment Law courses, while remaining active in the industry and fostering her students’ first steps into their chosen field.
May holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Music Business from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor of Arts in Arts Management from Salem College. She also holds a diploma in Audio Technology from SAE Institute—Nashville.