Drew Thurlow

Drew Thurlow is the founder of Opening Ceremony Media, where he advises music, music technology, and entertainment clients, including Primary Wave, the NHL, and Live Nation. He serves as the principal advisor to Mindset Music, a music technology investment fund, and teaches music entrepreneurship, innovation, and AI at Berklee College of Music. He also cofounded Lone Wolves Community, a nonprofit providing advocacy and resources for industry professionals.

Previously, Thurlow served as senior vice president of A&R at Sony Music, leading its global Masterworks creative team. He signed more than 70 artists and intellectual properties across genres and formats.

Earlier, Thurlow spent six years as director of artist partnerships and industry relations at Pandora, developing artist and brand programs and championing the platform throughout the music industry. He previously worked in marketing and A&R at Nonesuch Records with artists ranging from rock bands to classical composers.

Thurlow began his entertainment career in the Boston Red Sox front office. A professional musician and session player, he has recorded for major and independent labels and is signed to Rough Trade Publishing. He has written for Billboard and CREEM and has lectured at New York University, Syracuse University, and Rutgers University.

His first book, Machine Music: How AI Is Transforming Music’s Next Act, was published by Routledge in April 2026. He holds a master’s degree in technology leadership from Brown University.