Mila balella
Mila Balella recently graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Music and Entertainment Industries from William Paterson University, where she was awarded magna cum laude through the Honors College. Throughout her academic journey, she developed a strong foundation in her musicianship as a classical flutist and took every opportunity to increase her skills and network within the music industry.
Mila was heavily involved in the Music and Entertainment Organization (MEO) on campus throughout all four of her undergraduate years. As President, she was responsible for duties including, but not limited to, setting and managing meetings, appointing crew, organizing promotions, and delegating tasks. She worked closely with university staff to create live music events that raised funds for charitable organizations, including The Madison Holleran Foundation, O Bom Samaritano, and People to People. Her leadership strengthened relationships with other clubs and organizations, promoted MEO across campus, and increased membership engagement and interest. Mila’s leadership experience with MEO helped develop her dedication to grow as an aspiring music industry professional.
In addition to her academic achievements and extracurricular leadership, Mila has gained valuable hands-on experience through several internships. In her current role at Collective Entertainment, she collaborates with partners, Melissa Garcia and Lesly Montes, and graphic designer, Sofia Ballestin, to develop branding, digital marketing strategies, and artist management. For Melissa Garcia, Mila provides assistance in project management using Google Suite and Notion. In addition, she works with Lesly Montes as a social media administrator and edits the company’s website. She especially loves to attend client meetings to see the growth Collective Entertainment provides for its artists. Overall, she is responsible for individual tasks and administration across all departments. Along with her internship, Mila helps Melissa Garcia with her podcast, Yoga on the Move, by strategizing social media plans, editing social media content, and administrative organization.
From August 2023 to December 2023, Mila Balella interned as an Artist Management Intern at The Rocks Management where she managed several social media pages by creating content, organizing social calendars, and scheduling posts for artists on multiple platforms. She also led AJ Smith’s Street Team project by coordinating social media engagement. A highlight of her internship there was her graphic design work for The Zombie's first annual St. Albans Festival. Her responsibilities extended to additional administrative tasks such as playlisting and posting on Bandsintown.
Furthering her industry experience into the live side, Mila interned at The Newton Theatre in New Jersey during the summer of 2023. There she learned the intricacies of day sheets, merchandise contracts, and artist/venue contracts while shadowing front-of-house management and the box office team. Her role also involved volunteering with concessions. Mila is excited to begin working in the box office at The Newton Theatre during the summer of 2024 to continue learning about venue front-of-house operations.
Mila’s side hobbies include everything music. She loves to spend her free time practicing flute and piano, singing, and songwriting. Her dedication and eagerness to learn and improve her musical skills are ever-present in her music industry work. Mila enjoys spending time with friends trying new coffee shops and taking day trips to the beach and New York City. Traveling has always been a part of her life, as she has traveled throughout the U.S. and internationally. During the Spring of 2024, Mila was invited to play flute with the William Paterson University Chamber Choir and chamber instrumental groups in Europe. There she assisted the instrumental director with administrative tasks and social media posts.
Currently residing in Hackettstown, New Jersey, Mila is embarking on her professional journey. She is eager to apply her comprehensive education and practical experience to make a mark on the music and entertainment industries.