Sarita Stewart

Biography

Dr. Sarita M. Stewart is the Senior Associate Dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. She also serves as a Professor in the Media & Entertainment Industries department. Dr. Stewart has taught numerous entertainment marketing courses across Curb College as well as graduate courses in the Jack C. Massey College of Business. She is perhaps best known for co-creating the Bonnaroo University program with cultural sociologist Dr. Ken Spring. This class, which combines consumer research methods and sociology theory, has been adopted by universities worldwide.

Her 2020 book, Music Publicity: A Practical Approach (Kendall Hunt) co-authored with publicist Maria Ivey and Belmont journalism professor Dorren Robinson, now in the process of being updated, is used at universities throughout the U.S.. Stewart’s teaching expertise has also been recognized within the industry, as she was presented with the inaugural International Entertainment Buyer Association (IEBA) Educator of the Year award in 2022. Stewart has authored several book chapters and made numerous academic and industry presentations over the past two decades. Her research interests include music consumption, fandom, mood management and music festival pedagogy.

Dr. Stewart began her entertainment career in Los Angeles as a receptionist for Curb Records. She later moved to Nashville to serve as Director of Marketing for the company. She also served as U.S. Marketing Manager at AKG Acoustics in the early 2000s. She began her academic career as an adjunct professor, prior to joining the CEMB faculty full-time as an instructor in 2007.

Dr. Stewart holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Oregon State University, and Master’s in Business Administration from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. She is a 2013 graduate of The University of Alabama with a Ph.D. in Communication. Dr. Stewart continues to be active in the Nashville music community as the Program Facilitator for Leadership Music, the nation’s premier education, networking and leadership group designed for industry leaders from across the U.S.