Amanda Mester

Music Business, Media Relations, Social Media

FEE: $40/hr

QUALIFICATIONS: My experience within the music industry extends into several arenas: media relations, public relations, journalism, event production, talent buying, marketing, promotions, etc.

I've worked extensively as a member of the media. As a journalist and editor focused primarily on music and culture, I've learned what makes for a compelling story and the best ways to get the attention of a writer. On the other side of the same coin, I've helped musicians on the PR side of working with the media, drafting press releases and managing PR campaigns in support of a new album or venture.

ABOUT: A writer and editor with more than a decade of experience, Amanda "Bonita" Mester is also a communications director and PR strategist. From 2011 to 2014, she served as Adjunct Professor of Media Criticism at Adelphi University. She earned her Master's Degree in Communications from Fordham University. In 2017, Mester was hired as Digital Editor of OffBeat, the city’s pre-eminent music and culture publication. During her tenure, she published cover stories on PJ Morton, B-Mike, The Soul Rebels, Raj Smoove and has interviewed dozens of local musicians including Tank and the Bangas, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 5th Ward Weebie, Trombone Shorty and Cha Wa. In 2020, she co-hosted the Band Together Benefit, a virtual New Orleans music festival. More recently, she produced a five-part Red Bull Radio series featuring New Orleans DJs and an ongoing video series featuring New Orleans hip-hop artists. She is a founding partner at Jazz Crawl Productions, a live event and digital media company devoted to promoting and supporting the cultural performers of New Orleans through documentary media, tours, workshops and more; and she co-founded The Gentilly Agency alongside Raj Smoove. She launched her independent PR and creative strategy company, Under the Sun, in 2021.