Alumni Spotlight: Hilary Brown
Spotlight written by Communications major Graeme Melcher

From displays at Guitar Centers to booths at music festivals, the Martin Guitars company is advertising to musicians across the country, headed by none other than a Dreyfoos alumna. Hilary Brown, a Communications Arts major, is making waves in the music industry as Director of E-Commerce, Direct-to-Consumer, and Channel Programs at Martin Guitars.

Despite majoring in Communications at Dreyfoos, Brown is a lifelong musician, including a minor in music at the (now Bak) Middle School of the Arts.

“I played trombone in the jazz band, I’m a bass player, I’m currently in a gig band right now,” Brown said. “So I’ve always been a musician, and I have a deep, profound respect and passion for all things music, especially the guitar.” 

Brown says she was influenced by European History teacher Thomas Ruth, who still teaches French classes at Dreyfoos.

“He would have these pop quizzes,” Brown said. “He’d give his European history questions to prepare us for our tests, and then he would throw in these random music history questions that clearly he had no expectation of anybody knowing the answer to. Out of nowhere, I would pop in and know the answer.”

After taking journalism and writing classes at Dreyfoos, Brown attended Northwestern University for journalism, aspiring to write for Rolling Stone magazine. Graduating amid the “Great Recession” of 2009, she wasn’t able to find the print journalism position she wanted, ending up at music retailer Guitar Center instead.

“I was out of a job, and that’s why I took the job at Guitar Center,” Brown said. “I was honestly just trying to make ends meet, selling strings. What ended up happening was I was able to leverage my connections, just from being there and having manufacturers coming in to show us new products.”

While working at the Guitar Center, Brown was approached about a copywriting position in Arizona, and her writing career was rekindled. After writing for several music magazines, Brown started using her communications skills to gain management positions in marketing including one at Kyser Musical Products, culminating with her current position at Martin Guitars. Even in her executive positions, though, Brown stays inspired by her Dreyfoos classmates.

“One thing that I love about all of my classmates there is that there really is no plan B for everything,” Brown said. “Everybody’s fully committed to their craft at Dreyfoos. It was great to have that support and empowerment to know that I really could pursue my craft.”

Brown has also embraced her role as a woman in the male-dominated music industry, including an appearance on the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM)’s podcast, “Revoicing the Future”. In her role as a high-achieving woman in the music world, Brown says she hopes to create space and opportunities for women and other minorities.

“Being a woman in the industry, I’m humble, because I always feel like there’s room to raise the bar,” Brown said. “I love to look back and see how I’ve impacted other young women to aspire to be in the industry. But the other thing is, how can I do more?”

Outside of work, Brown is a guitar collector with “stockpiles” in her home and an avid traveler. She says that by embracing her hobbies and eccentricities, she’s become a stronger leader. 

“Back at Dreyfoos, I was super shy and very awkward, and I kind of didn’t know myself at the time,” Brown said. “But I think it’s so great because it’s memorable, and if you can go in with a personal identity and a brand, people will remember you.”

Brown says that her work to diversify and evolve the music industry is far from over. 

“It’s a super cool industry, but surprisingly antiquated,” Brown said. “I would love to be able to be a driver of taking this heritage company, or a heritage industry, and moving it into the future for a new generation of players, so that I can feel inspired and accomplished when somebody new picks up a guitar.”

Spotlight written by Communications major Graeme Melcher