If we could have, we would’ve kept Jamila McCarley and Thalia Ewing (famously known these days as Mimi & Muziqueen) on Zoom with us all night. It’s not every day that people are so excited about a Zoom call that they don’t want it to end!  

Mimi & Muziqueen came that night to teach us all the ways songwriters need to learn to take care of the financial side of music, stressing again and again, “This is a BUSINESS!”  Money, registrations, administration — all of these issues can be complex and overwhelming, and these women know exactly how to simplify and clarify difficult topics.  

Between them, Mimi & Muziqueen have more than 20 years of combined experience in publishing administration, licensing and catalog development. Beyond that, they have giant hearts and apparently endless energy for supporting songwriters. They are Nashville treasures, and we’re so lucky to have gotten to throw questions at them for a few hours! - Deanna

Jamila McCarley and Thalia Ewing, better and more affectionately known as Mimi & Muziqueen, are two names buzzing around the Nashville music industry that are synonymous with the words passion, ambition and progress. Mimi & Muziqueen, as partner and founder respectively of the organization Nashville Is Not Just Country Music, have become a deep-rooted resource of knowledge, support and encouragement to Nashville's long-overlooked urban/hip-hop/R&B music community. 

In 2014, the stars aligned and brought these two female music industry powerhouses together to fan a flame that has been quietly burning beneath Nashville’s music scene. Mimi & Muziqueen began their relationship by doing what they do best, song pitching and placement. While this allowed them to support each other’s business ventures, they also began to cultivate Nashville’s diverse music scene as a team, coming together to create a networking pool, a resource hub, a safe-haven, if you will, which is now known as Nashville Is Not Just Country Music. 

Mimi &Muziqueen began hosting quarterly NINJCM industry mixers and monthly urban writer’s rounds which, right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, had found a home at Acme Feed & Seed in downtown Nashville. 

Mimi & Muziqueen have also landed a publishing deal with Riptide Publishing to provide sync opportunities to the Nashville market as well as expanded efforts in the virtual space, so they can continue supporting, and being a vital resource, to the music community during these socially distanced times. 

NINJCM is a community-based organization aimed at providing music business education, networking opportunities and career advancement support to urban music creators. Through NINJCM, Mimi & Muziqueen are investing in creative professionals of all genres in Music City.

Thalia is senior manager for mechanical licensing at BMG and the founder of Muziqueen Publishing Administration.  Mimi is the founder and president of Collab Music Network, est. 2015.

Blair Hit Songwriter Series: A Conversation with Mimi & Muziqueen

This week, our admissions team talks about cultural fit, GMAT vs. GRE, preparing for interviews, tackling the video essay, waitlists, scholarships, and other popular topics. 

We also dive into international-specific aspects of the admissions process at the end of the pod, including strategies for test-taking, essay-writing, and more.

The Admissions Team Answers Frequently Asked Questions

This is Vanderbilt Business

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