In September of 2024, I interviewed Samantha Lane, who was recently promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Brasswind Instruments at Eastman Music Company. Samantha and I discussed her unique path in music, what a typical day in the life looks like for her, her travels, work-life balance, her advice to others in the field, and more. Getting to know her story more was fascinating and I am especially excited to highlight her musical journey. Samantha is a shining example of someone who has built an incredible career in music that has incorporated many aspects of the field- from performing, to teaching, to music business.

Julia: Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today. First of all, congratulations on your recent promotion! That’s a big deal! Can you give us an overview of your career and your musical path that led you to where you are today?

Samantha: Thanks so much for having me! In early May, I was promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Brasswind Instruments at Eastman Music Company, which still feels like a dream come true. I began with the S.E. Shires Company, part of Eastman Music, 11 years ago now, and honestly, this was not a path I ever expected to take, but I’m so glad I was open to it. 

My musical journey began with piano lessons in kindergarten. My family doesn’t have a musical background, and piano lessons were something I decided I wanted to do. Now that I have a five-year-old daughter, it’s incredible to think back to that time and imagine what sparked that desire. It makes me so excited to watch my own daughter’s interests unfold with whatever she chooses to do.

I began taking trumpet lessons in third grade and joined the band in fourth grade. At the time, I was the only girl playing the trumpet and for some reason I embraced that uniqueness-  that mindset has stayed with me throughout my career. Even in elementary school, I knew I wanted to be a trumpet player or have a career in music one day. I continued taking lessons throughout the rest of my time in grade school, eventually getting involved with the Hartt School and receiving a high school performer’s certificate there. I would go to Hartt three times a week to participate in the Connecticut Youth Symphony, Greater Hartford Youth Wind Ensemble, and take trumpet lessons, music theory, and music history classes. 

I went to the University of Connecticut for my bachelor’s in trumpet performance, which was an incredible experience. While I considered attending a conservatory, UConn offered me the chance to explore academic opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I was able to think outside the box and leverage opportunities through grant writing to fund performances in Europe with my brass trio and support other aspects of my performance degree.

After UConn, I attended the New England Conservatory for my master’s in trumpet performance. My time there was special, filled with freelancing and networking which have always been strengths of mine. My time at NEC was also when I began getting to know the people working at S.E. Shires Company. I had won a Shires trumpet a few years prior and began volunteering my time to help them out at festivals such as the National Trumpet Competition and International Trumpet Guild Conference. Eventually, they hired me to work shows for them.

When I graduated from NEC I moved to Washington, D.C., to establish a freelance and teaching career, but quickly realized the financial challenges of building a career in a new city. I took inspiration from my father, who is one of my biggest role models and a business owner, and established my own LLC called Capital Brass, where I acted as a retailer for Shires. I was selling trumpets out of my home and had a very successful year of sales during my first year, but there was a lot of learning involved, including creating and registering the company, learning how to manage the intricacies of taxes, reporting, finances, managing inventory and developing customer service skills. Looking back now, I jumped into this project with open arms and not much concern… grateful that I had my freelancing and teaching to help support me. 

After a year, I moved back to Boston and started working at the S.E. Shires factory as a sales associate. That year happened to be a pivotal year at the company- Shires actually filed for bankruptcy! We were making incredible instruments with a team of talented, passionate people, but it was a difficult time to have a company post-recession. Fortunately, Eastman Music Company acquired Shires, turning a difficult situation into an amazing opportunity. We received all the support and trust to continue our great work. I was soon promoted to Sales Manager, and then to Director of Sales and Marketing. The more involved I became with the company, the more my perspective grew—how much influence instrument manufacturing has on people and the music industry. Every day I was learning something new and contributing to something really special for the next generation of brass players. I felt the impact that this career would have and loved it. It changed everything for me and I stopped playing trumpet in 2019. I actually don’t miss it at all. Every day I wake up focused and excited about working in this business.

When I was a student, my vision was fairly narrow. I was focused on becoming the best performer I could be. But as I’ve grown in my career, that vision has expanded. I’ve come to see that there are so many ways to make an impact in the music world, and I’ve found that my passion now lies in empowering other musicians, whether it’s through the instruments we create or the opportunities we provide.

Julia: You now serve as a mentor for young professionals preparing to enter the field. Can you tell us more about that? What topics of conversation do you discuss most with your mentees and what advice do you find yourself giving the most?

Samantha: I’m so grateful for the opportunities and experiences that acted as my informal business education and training. Now that I serve as a mentor for programs like NEC’s Entrepreneurial Musicianship Program, the IWBC Mentorship Program, the NAMM Young Professionals Program, and our own Rising Artist Program, I try to emphasize the importance of business and professional skill development during school. So much of your role as a mentor is just holding space to be a mirror or help with problem-solving. Some of the most exciting conversations I have with mentees involve strategically working through different problems or directions that they can go. My mentees and I work on broadening our scope and developing an understanding of how vast the music world is. Developing networking and professional development skills outside of school is something I’m very passionate about and one of the great benefits to the many mentorship programs that are available to students. Exercises as simple as building resumes, organizing calendars to prepare for auditions, and basic budgeting all are topics of conversation that are important but may not necessarily be covered in a student’s degree requirements. Even outside of a formal mentorship program, I believe one of the best things you can do is seek out a mentor, a friend, or a colleague who you are able to brainstorm and share ideas with. My role as a mentor is to guide others as they navigate their own paths, find their unique voice, and think creatively about how they can contribute to the music world.

Julia: What does a typical day at work look like as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Brasswind Instruments for Eastman Music Company?

Samantha: The fun thing about my job is that no two days are the same! I can be in a meeting with our manufacturing team in Switzerland in the morning, move to a marketing meeting with our European sales team in the afternoon, shift to a product development meeting to cover new R&D instruments, get my daughter off the bus and spend time with her that evening before prepping for a trip that I’m leaving for the next day. Each day is different and I love that variety. One of my main responsibilities is to be involved in all aspects of the company and connect the dots between, like how product development relates to our manufacturing facilities, which relate to our sales goals in different markets throughout the world, ultimately relating to our musicians and customers.

Julia: You mentioned traveling for work. Can you tell us more about that aspect of your job?

Samantha: I travel a lot for work and tend to be on the road for a third of the year. We have our own brass manufacturing workshops in Massachusetts, Switzerland, and China and our own distribution in California, Massachusetts, China, Japan, Europe, and Australia. We’re very lucky to have dealers and artists located all around the world and are represented at industry events, trade shows, and conferences across the globe. I’m thrilled to bring together amazing opportunities that bring value and new direction to the company.

Julia: Do you have a favorite place you’ve traveled to for work?

Samantha: Amsterdam is an amazing and beautiful city which is where our European distribution headquarters is located. The team there is special and it’s a new enterprise for our company so it’s really exciting to be a part of the growth in Europe. One of my favorite parts about the travel aspect of my job is that no matter where I am, music is connecting everyone. Every festival and exhibition is full of people who want to be there, making it a really positive environment. My role is all about connection. I’m there to represent our brand, of course, but also to listen—to our customers, our partners, and the musicians who play our instruments. Those conversations are where the magic happens.

Julia: What an amazing opportunity. It sounds like you’re very busy! Can you speak a bit to how you maintain work-life balance and what you enjoy doing outside of your job?

Samantha: I genuinely love what I do, so I’m usually pretty engaged with work in one way or another. With a family and a five-year-old starting kindergarten, I have to be intentional about my schedule to ensure I’m there for my family and able to connect, but honestly my work and life are very intertwined. I don’t necessarily recommend that for everyone, but for me, it’s a good balance. This career has given me so many benefits outside of “the job.” It’s also where I met my husband and so many of my closest friends at this point in my life. I’m grateful to have a lot of flexibility in my role and how I decide to spend my time.  I am very meticulous about my schedule and timebox everything, both for work and my professional life. I make sure all my meetings and action items are planned out, and I even schedule things like school bus pickups, drop-offs, or a quick break to take a walk or pull weeds in my garden to clear my head between calls. Of course this all goes out the window when I’m traveling, but I find that organizing my schedule helps me stay focused and on top of my goals.

Julia: What has been one of your career highlights?

One of my favorite memories is Shirespalooza in 2022, which was an event meant to give the world (both in person and via livestream) an idea of who we are as a company and as people and ideally show how much we care. We put together factory tours, instrument-making demonstrations, panels with our craftspeople, artist masterclasses, group performances, food trucks, and social gatherings with the whole brass community. One of my biggest goals with the company is always to unite people and build our community. Shirespalooza was a reflection of every part of our company coming together and gave me the ability to zoom out and see the human connection we have fostered.

Julia: You mentioned being the only girl in your beginning band trumpet section. Has that carried through in your career? You are creating amazing representation in a male-dominated part of the music industry. Do you feel motivated to create representation in your line of work and do you ever feel impacted by this aspect of the industry? What advice would you give to someone who may have hesitancy taking a specific career path due to a lack of seeing themselves represented in that industry?

Samantha:  I am proud to be where I am today, especially in an industry like brass, which has traditionally been very male-dominated. I’ve always been comfortable in my own skin and have never seen it as a deterrent, but there is a certain kind of subtle pressure when you’re the only woman at the table, especially in a leadership role. I’ve learned to see that as an opportunity to bring a different perspective, one that’s incredibly valuable. It’s not just about being in the room; it’s about contributing in a way that shapes the conversation and the direction of our industry. Within my own company, we have an incredible lineup of women in key positions from sales managers to product managers, and I’m proud that we help lead the way for inclusivity within the industry. 

My advice to others is to embrace the uniqueness of your journey. While there can be challenges, it’s important to have a strong support system—people you can talk to and lean on. Trust that your perspective is valuable and needed. Prioritize building connections with others and seek out mentors who can support you. Representation in our field is growing, and you can play a significant role in shaping that for the next generation. So yes, it’s been a challenge, but it’s also incredibly empowering. Being in this position allows me to advocate for more diversity in our industry and to mentor the next generation of leaders, both women and men, who will continue to push the boundaries and make our field more inclusive. The music industry is full of possibilities, and your path might not look like anyone else’s—that’s okay! Follow your passion, stay curious, and remember that every experience, even the challenging ones, is an opportunity to learn and grow.

Julia: That’s really powerful advice, thank you. I have one last question for you! What advice would you give an undergraduate music student who is just starting their education? What can they do to set themselves up for success in whichever career path they choose?

Samantha:  Do you remember those adventure books from when you were a kid? If you went down path A, it would lead to one set of outcomes, and path B would lead to another. Starting a degree program is a bit like that—you don’t really know where it’s going to lead or what surprises might be in store along the way. The importance of networking can’t be overstated, and I always suggest that students set up brief discovery calls with people in the industry to learn about their jobs and career paths. It can be intimidating to reach out to someone you don’t know and ask for 20 minutes of their time, but doing that early on can broaden your perspective and possibly lead you in an entirely different direction that excites you.

Ultimately, it all comes back to connection and developing relationships with people. Connection is incredibly powerful and can take us on paths we never would have expected. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. The music industry is full of possibilities, and your path might not look like anyone else’s—that’s okay! Follow your passion, stay curious, and remember that every experience, even the challenging ones, is an opportunity to learn and grow.