About
It takes a myriad of professionals to turn this wheel we call the music business: radio air personalities, tour managers, record label insiders, specialists in television programming, directors of live events and publicists who provide artists with the exposure needed to keep the wheel in motion.
Knowledge is power, and executive/entrepreneur Jeremy Westby is the power behind 2911 Enterprises. Westby is the rare individual whose twenty-five years of experience in the music industry champions each of those arenas—on a multi genre level in all realms. After all, how many people can say they’ve worked side by side with Megadeth, Meat Loaf, Micheal W. Smith and Dolly Parton? Westby can.
“I want 2911 to be a change agent in the world: in entertainment, sports, politics, and in many different areas, because I think the world needs to hear good messages,” says Westby. “The world needs healing and inspiration, and if there is a way I can go about my day and provide inspiration, healing, hope, and change, I want to do that.”
“There are three divisions within 2911,” Westby explains. “2911 Media handles publicity and marketing services. 2911 Productions handles audio/video production, which includes liners, lyric videos, concept videos and events such as a red carpet and concert or showcase logistics—basically anything that needs to be produced from scratch, whether it’s an event or media asset, would fall under that,” he shared.
2911 Enterprises’ three divisions:
2911 Media – Publicity and Marketing
2911 Productions – Production of any necessary media assets
Audio/Video Productions
Liners
Lyric Videos
Concept Videos
Events:
Red Carpets
Concerts
Showcases
“And, finally, I have branded 2911 Digital as Mission CTRL. It includes website development, socials, data analytics, Google adwords, online advertising, social calendaring, setting up MailChimp lists and integrations, Spotify for Artists, Pandora AMP, pushing out singles, EPs and albums, getting videos distributed and all those things that need to be accomplished.”
2911 Digital – branded as Mission CTRL
Website Development
Social network calendaring
Insights & data
Google analytics
Online advertising
MailChimp lists & integrations (set up & maintain)
Spotify for Artists
Pandora AMP
SoundCloud
Distribution of singles, EPs, albums
Video distribution
A Minnesota native, Westby admits that the music business wasn’t in his original plan. “Once I figured out that I was too tall and my vision wasn’t good enough to be an astronaut or a fighter pilot, I thought, ‘Hmmm, broadcasting is cool. I’ll do broadcasting.’”
From there, Westby worked for a Christian radio station in Blue Earth, Minnesota, taking a position as an on-air personality for 104.5 KJLY when he was only 16-years-old.
“I walked in and said, ‘Hey, I’ll sweep the floors. I’ll take out the trash. I’d love to learn about broadcasting,’ and the next thing I knew I was doing a live air check… and the weather.’”
Westby chuckles as he remembers his supervisor handing him the weather, and the next thing he saw was a red light. “I think I forecasted tornadoes and a 30 degree drop in temperature. I was so flustered. But I got the job, and I ended up working for the station for two years, working nights and weekends, doing news, weather, telethons, commercial production, literally everything, for the station.”
Next, after hunting for a college with a good broadcasting program, Westby relocated to Oklahoma to enroll at Oklahoma City University. While working to earn a degree in Mass Communications/Broadcast Journalism, he met legendary artist manager Jim Halsey.
“I shot a Q&A on The Oak Ridge Boys and later attended their show and filmed some clips. Afterward, I edited together a piece to promote the University’s entertainment program.”
Westby remembers that Halsey was pleased and told him, ‘You need to join my class.’ So, he did, and it was then that he became fascinated with entertainment and the music business.
That was a pivotal moment in Westby’s life. Although he grew up singing with his family in church and performed with various ensembles throughout high school and college, he never considered the business side of entertainment as a career until Halsey opened his eyes to the possibilities.
“I was classically trained vocally and instrumentally, and I’ve always had a love for music,” he said. “But college is where I figured out what I wanted to do. I had a scholarship taking care of all the computers in the mass comm facility, so I maintained all of the computers from the TV station to the news room to the Mac lab.
“At the same time, I road managed our fraternity brothers’ band, called ‘Kerowac Jack,’ Westby adds, “And we traveled all over Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas doing shows. There were also times when big acts would come into Oklahoma City, we’d have the opening slot for them, so I mixed sound, sold merch, and learned how to do the road management thing.”
In addition to his production and computer jobs, Westby also worked as a D.J. at proms, weddings, and dance clubs.
While in college, under Halsey’s direction, Westby spent a week in Nevada working on the television special, The Oak Ridge Boys Live From Las Vegas.
“I constantly worked on projects to make connections and build experience. Downtime for me is a sin,” he says. “I want to be active, doing things that matter. Within twenty-four hours of moving to Nashville, I was on a bus with the Clark Family Experience, working fairs, festivals, and two tours with Tim McGraw. I perfected my skills as a camera operator by shooting footage of the artists. I shot 8mm film on the group while we were on the road with Tim. Then in ’99 we were on the George Strait Festival Tour, on the Strait Land stage, and that’s where I learned how to do front-of-house sound engineering. Since then, I’ve loved mixing live sound. To me, live is everything. It creates the experience between the artist and the fans… To this day, that’s what drives me.”
After two years on the road with the Clark Family Experience, Westby landed a job at Provident Music Group, Sony’s Christian music division. “I was the digital go-between for four imprints–Reunion, Diadem, Brentwood, and Benson labels,” he says of working with Michael W. Smith, Joy Williams (pre-Civil Wars), Newsong, Bob Carlisle, and others. “My job was making sure that the creative services department, marketing, A&R, and publicity were all sending and receiving what they needed. Socials had just started back then. MySpace was around, but Facebook, Napster, iPods and MP3s had just started, so everybody was freaking out when it came to all things digital. I had to help the presidents and vice presidents at the company understand the technical side of things. As a young 20 something, it was my job to inform them.”
After three years with Provident, Westby exited to spend time working with his church, Bethel World Outreach. He then took a job with the non-profit Mercy Ministries, working in IT and donor development. But the entertainment industry lured him back, and he took a job with a talent agency, booking performers in commercials and video, while also delving into commercial photography, shooting headshots and promotional pieces. Then, when an opportunity arose to go back out on the road, he took it and spent the next two years (2005—2007) as the tour manager for the award-winning Christian group Avalon.
“I was their tour manager, merchandise guy, and front of house sound engineer. I did all of it. It was just the four of them and me on the road,” Westby recalls.
But another career change was looming. After some friends bought 12th & Porter, Westby signed on to help revive the noted Nashville nightspot. “We gutted the whole building, fixed it all, and brought it up to code,” he says. “We totally rebuilt the venue and reopened it. During that time was when John Rich had his ‘Gone Country’ TV tapings, and I was production managing live performance elements of that.”
During his first fifteen years in the industry, Westby amassed a wealth of experience in several areas and became known as the go-to guy for anything technical, as well as photography, road management, and live sound. His understanding of the burgeoning social media movement, and the fact that he was one of the most well-connected young movers and shakers in both the country and Christian music communities, opened doors for him. That diverse experience coalesced when he took a job with Nashville-based Webster Public Relations.
Over the next nine and a half years, he earned the senior VP title, and he was instrumental in working on a variety of projects, from political campaigns to international tours for country and rock acts.
“In 2008, we worked on the McCain/Palin campaign. In 2012, we worked on the Romney/Ryan campaign, and through that time we also worked with the RNC providing talent for their events, as well as countless fairs and festivals, and helping many companies with their marketing efforts,” Westby shares.
“We did international tours with Dolly Parton in 2011, 2014, and 2016. We helped establish and market the StarVista Live cruises. And we helped produce the ‘All-In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration.’”
In addition to his work with recording artists, Westby has also steered PR/marketing projects for Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks, and various other actors, authors, athletes, and organizations.
“No matter what I do, getting to stand side stage or front of house and watch fans react to our artists, to me that’s everything,” Westby says. “Because you are allowing the artist to just be themselves and to do what they are supposed to do without having to worry about anything else. That’s our job in the industry, to literally give them the platform. Then we just step back and watch the magic happen.”
As President & CEO of 2911 Media, Westby continues a working relationship with Country Music Hall of Famers The Oak Ridge Boys that began when he was in college. He also represents country legends Charley Pride, Lee Greenwood, Lacy J. Dalton, and Janie Fricke, pop/rock icons Wanda Jackson, Don McLean and Sam Moore, newcomers Lee Gantt, Sara Spicer, JD Shelburne and Patrick James, and acclaimed musicians Tim Atwood and Kyle Dillingham, among others.
“I created 2911 to be a vehicle for change in the world for the right reasons,” says Westby, who named the company after his favorite, namesake Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’
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