UPDATED: Sept. 9, 2017 at 1:22 p.m.

Charlie Walk, president of Republic Records, was the first guest speaker for the weekly Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries’ Soyars Leadership Lecture Series.

The program hosts a guest speaker every Thursday as a way to keep students in the loop with the music industry and create networking opportunities.

Students packed the auditorium until every seat was filled, anxiously awaiting Walk’s entrance. Bill Werde, director of the Bandier program, introduced Walk as an old friend.

Walk said making it is all about gut before data — it’s more important for him to feel something during a song.

“I can’t do what I do unless I have a song someone cares about,” Walk said.

Among his success stories, Walk shared an insider memory about Joe Jonas and his newfound success with DNCE.

The pair met for an upscale steak and red wine dinner in Las Vegas. As longtime friends, Walk had told Jonas to ditch his DJ aspirations and become the lead singer of a new group. This didn’t go without convincing and Walk wouldn’t agree to help Jonas unless he definitively claimed he wanted to be the “best in the world.”

After more liquid courage and a steady gaze from Walk, Jonas ended up standing on top of their dinner table shouting, “I want to be the best in the world.” The rest is DNCE history.

Within the ideals of the Bandier Program is molding students to go beyond their talent. For Werde, it is important to have a well rounded sphere of influence and to be the right kind of person.

“I want good humans to come out of this program and not just people that have the technical skills to compete in the music industry,” Werde said.

After his lecture, Walk stayed and spoke with every student that lined up to meet him. He took names, business cards and recommendations from each person he spoke to.

Walk’s advice to the packed room was simple: do you.

“You can play it safe and be out of the music business in time, or you can take the risk,” Walk said. “I’m prepared every day to get kicked out and fired, but I don’t really care.”

The story has been updated for appropriate style. 

Published on September 8, 2017 at 9:56 pm

Contact Myelle: malansat@syr.edu