Katie Curran has over two decades of experience as a music fan and is now pursuing a degree in Music Business at Full Sail University to become an artist manager, having been inspired by attending concerts as a child and wanting to influence positive change in artist management after issues arose with a K-pop group in 2019. Curran has maintained a 4.0 GPA while facing challenges including a pandemic, back injury, and loss of her brother, and is set to complete her program in March 2023 to achieve her goal of working in the music industry.

1. Music Business student and aspiring artist manager: Katie Curran
What could be better than being a fan and music professional? With more than two decades of
fan experience behind her, aspiring artist manager Katie Curran has taken her first steps into the
music industry by joining Full Sail University to pursue her degree in Music Business.
In October of 1999, Curran’s parents, Edward and Pauline, unknowingly gifted their youngest
child an experience that would set the tone for her future endeavors; a ticket to attend the
Backstreet Boys Into The Millennium Tour at the Rosemont Horizon just outside of Chicago for
her tenth birthday. It was that day, as she stood on an arena chair watching strobe lights and
coordinated dances, that she was first entranced by all things music.
During middle and high school, Katie Curran became more involved with music. She was
involved in courses to learn the clarinet and guitar. During her time at school, she would also
join the choir as a Soprano one and learn basic piano skills. It was also at this time that she
would finally attend her second concert, this time for a group called Fall Out Boy, at the same
arena as eight years previous; now re-named the Allstate Arena.
Following her early exit from high school and subsequent early graduation in 2007, Katie Curran
was faced with the same dilemma that all new high school graduates are faced with: what now?
She had many ideas, socio-cultural anthropology? Forensic pathology? Music? While many
reasons were presented, proving that it wasn’t time to pursue higher education yet, it wasn’t until
October of 2009 that she stumbled across a website for a University in Florida called Full Sail
University and requested further information.
However, it would be another decade, until October of 2019, that Curran would finally have her
ah-ha moment. Being a K-pop fan since May 2010 and seeing the different standards that K-pop
idols are held to in comparison to American and other Western artists, Katie understood that bad
publicity could kill a K-pop artist's career. So when the news broke that a member of Monsta X
was facing multiple allegations of different offenses, dread hit. That feeling of dread was soon
proven true when on October 31, 2019, Wonho withdrew from the group, and the four months of
daily trending hashtags on Twitter from fans demanding his return began.
The handling of that situation led Katie Curran to say, “Never again.” As many fans of the group
grew angry with his former management label for continued silence about what was happening,
more grew mad at the American management team for spreading false hope and leading them to
believe that the departed member would be returning to the Monsta X. In March 2020, Curran
finally applied to Full Sail University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Music Business to
influence change in future situations. Facing many challenges, including a worldwide pandemic,
a back injury, and the loss of her brother Joshua in February of 2022, she maintained a GPA of
4.0. Katie Curran is projected to finish the program in March of 2023. For further information,
examples of skills, or to contact her directly, please visit her portfolio available at:
thekatiecurran.myportfolio.com

2. For Immediate Release
LOCAL ARTIST CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH ALBUM RELEASE
AURORA, IL (July 17, 2022) – Raymond Forbes, aka Ray Real, knows how to celebrate.
On the eve of his 35th
birthday, Ray finally debuted his first self-produced album, Gemini. The
album, which boasts a 14-song track-list, is currently available for streaming on Spotify and as a
physical copy by contacting Ray.
Forbes has been active in the local music scene since 2005, when he performed under the
moniker Double R The Boss until adapting to the name Real Ray in 2014. “I love the way music
can cater to your moods and a wide range of emotions,” Forbes states as we discuss his
influences and why he was drawn to the pursuit of music.
Forbes continues, “I’ve always respected all genres and types of music and listen to a
variety. Rap was my first choice, but I believe I have the talent to blend musical styles and
create my own genre of music… I would say I don’t have a style. The best style to me is not
having one.” He proves this stance on Gemini.
Track 1 of Gemini is titled ‘Final Stand.’ The almost music box-like opening gives way
to Ray Real’s rhythmic lyrical style that tells the story of his struggles and refusal to give up his
dream of music. Further down the track-list at number 8 stands Ray Real’s most streamed song,
‘Bliss.’ Bliss features licensed samples of ‘Ocean Eyes,’ the debut single of Billie Eilish. Since
the release of Gemini, Ray Real has seen a nearly 50% increase in monthly listeners on Spotify,
proving his rising potential. For more information, please visit his Spotify at
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1CPWlxKcNMnVSDhm62TdCc?si=W3yG9fFuRj207zaKxv_J_g
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Media Contact
Katie Curran
Krcurran@student.fullsail.edu