A Nashville Move From MSU to Music City
How MSU advertising grad, Gabrielle Morton, turned campus experience into roles supporting Morgan Wallen and Faster Horses
By: Natalie Szliter
When Gabrielle Morton graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in advertising and journalism, she never imagined she’d be managing VIP experiences for major music festivals and artists like Morgan Wallen in just a few years. However, her journey that once started in financial technology, is a reminder that true growth begins when you choose to step out of your comfort zone.
“I feel like, for myself and a lot of people that I know in Nashville, no one’s path into music is super linear,” Morton said. “It’s kind of all over the place.”
Morton recalls the start of her passion for event planning in her college years. Through her involvement in on-campus extracurriculars, such as VIM fashion magazine (linked here) and event coordinator for her sorority, she was able to carve out her passion for event planning. Those experiences combined with her advertising and journalism studies, which she says strengthened her communication and organization skills, gave her the foundation to thrive in fast-paced environments. It’s a skillset that would later be essential in the high-energy world of Nashville’s music scene, where deadlines and constant client needs keeps her on her toes.
After graduating from MSU, Morton worked in the world of financial technology public relations, a role that required quick thinking and adaptability. On the weekends, she dedicated that same energy into freelance music work in Austin, Texas, finding that the live events and artist support felt just as demanding as her day job. When she realized her creative interests were pulling her in a new direction, she decided to take a leap; a move to Nashville without a clear plan, but with a belief that this was where she was meant to be.
That leap paid off. Today she holds a full-time position with Live Nation’s VIP Nation team, where she helps run behind-the-scenes experiences for major tours, as well as festivals including Electric Forest and Faster Horses.
Breaking into the music industry wasn’t easy, but Morton says that mentorship and building genuine connections made the difference.
“The most pivotal piece of advice I’ve ever been given is from my first mentor, who I met back in 2022,” she said. “To network in a way where you absorb as much information as possible, meeting people that are doing different things and hearing what they have to say has been super important to my career.”
For Morton, believing in herself turned the unknown into opportunity. Showing that sometimes, the best path is simply believing that the leap is worth it. To stay updated on Morton’s path through Music City, you can find her work on LinkedIn here.
