She balances her time between heading educational partnerships at The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) and serving as a faculty member and academic leader at the University of Miami.
PEMBROKE PINES, FL, August 29, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Serona Elton has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
A celebrated figure in the music industry and academia for many years, Ms. Elton balances her time between heading educational partnerships at The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) and serving as a faculty member and academic leader at the University of Miami.
Having joined The MLC in 2020, Ms. Elton serves as a liaison to music business educators, speaks publicly at conferences and webinars, and develops educational materials about the organization. As an expert in music licensing and rights, she has been instrumental in helping many rightsholders understand how to collect mechanical royalties. She has also assisted songwriters, artists, and business professionals as they navigate the music business.
After many years working exclusively in the music industry, Ms. Elton pursued a career in higher education when she joined the University of Miami Frost School of Music in 2006 as an assistant professor of music industry. She was named as the director of the music industry program in 2011, and also served as the chair of the music media and industry department from 2013 to 2018. In 2019, she was named as the associate dean of administration at the Frost School of Music. Elton notably teaches various courses to undergraduate- and graduate-level students, including one focusing on music contracts. During her time at the university, she earned tenure and was promoted to associate professor in 2012, and to full professor in 2020.
Ms. Elton spent her earlier career employed by EMI Recorded Music in New York City as a senior business analyst, manager of royalty system implementation, associate director of royalties, senior director of business analysis, and vice president of mechanical licensing and repertoire data services between 1995 and 2003. While employed with the organization, she helped implement an artist royalty system, laid the groundwork for a global repertoire and rights management program, and secured tens of thousands of licenses needed for EMI recordings to be included in the launch of iTunes. Among other noteworthy roles, Ms. Elton was a conference director for the Miami Music Festival, the managing director of The Selena Brand, a longtime consultant of Sony Music Entertainment, and the vice president of product management for Warner Music Group.
Apart from her long and extensive career in music and education, Ms. Elton spent several years as a criminal prosecutor and assistant state attorney for The Office of Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle from 2004 to 2005. She also gained experience as a family court case manager in Miami-Dade County between 2003 and 2004.
As a talented writer, Ms. Elton took over authoring the well-known music business textbook, "Music Business Handbook and Career Guide," in anticipation of the retiring of its previous author, Tim Baskerville. The 13th edition was released via Sage Publications in 2022. Ms. Elton also authored a book chapter through Oxford University Press and numerous articles through the Journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA).
Ms. Elton supports various charities that support animals. As a breast cancer survivor, she participates in fundraiser walks yearly.
Ms. Elton graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with honors, in 1993. She also achieved a Master of Music in music media and industry from the University of Miami in 1995 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence, magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School in 2000. Ms. Elton became licensed to practice law by the New York State Unified Court System and the Florida Bar Association. She also received lean six sigma yellow belt certification through the Six Sigma Global Institute.
Active in her professional community, Ms. Elton is a member and former president of the MEIEA, and held leadership roles in the Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law section, the Recording Academy, the Copyright Society, and the College Music Society. In honor of her accomplishments, she has been recognized for her work with the Phillip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in 2018. She was subsequently named as the inaugural winner of the Music Business Educator of the Year award by the Music Business Association in 2023.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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