From tours to Thornton: Sophie Beem brings it back

Since the age of 16, Sophie Beem has performed on stage, gone on tours and released music through Parkwood Entertainment after being signed by Beyoncé to a three-year artist development deal. Now, a junior at the USC Thornton School of Music, Beem is hoping to “change her sound” and learn from her peers as she redefines herself in the world of music.

Beem remembers being a part of the music world since she was a child. Growing up, she would listen to the radio and sing at the top of her lungs, and, when she was eight years old, she started taking voice lessons to improve her breathing and singing skills. It was at this time that Beem also began to learn songwriting. 

“For me, songwriting has always been a form of therapy. I feel like sometimes, as songwriters, you might be bad at just talking about your feelings, but you can actually write a song and convey your message through that song,” Beem said. “Which I think is really special, and it’s really nice that other people can relate to it.”

Curious about expanding her audience beyond friends and family, Beem spent her early teenage years searching New York City for opportunities for young people to perform. From open mic nights to small venues, she performed at any opportunity she found.

At the age of 13, Beem began co-writing songs to produce. She would go to studios and work with other artists and producers to create her songs. Although she said she enjoys writing her own music, the collaborative process created a safe space where she tried new lyrical and creative ideas without having to second guess herself. 

Beem’s deal with Parkwood Entertainment lasted three years and allowed her to dive deep into the music industry at a young age despite minimal previous experience. It was during those three years that she released her first EP, “Sophie Beem,” which consisted of five singles: “Girls Will Be Girls,” “I Got It,” “Skyline,” “Nail Polish” and “Sleepless / City Kid.” According to Beem, a lot of the songs originated from her experiences growing up quickly in a city that left little time for typical childhood experiences.

“It was a really incredible opportunity that I got when I was 15 years old, where I knew nothing about the music industry and making it in the industry,” Beem said. “I stopped going to regular high school, and I was just working full time.”

“Girls Will Be Girls” and “I Got It,” from her album received more than two million streams. She also performed on tour in 2016 with Charlie Puth on the Nine Track Mind Tour and with Beyoncé on the Formation World Tour. Since the release of her self-titled EP, Beem released three more singles.

Immersed in the music industry at a young age, Beem said she wanted to experience school and get a college education like the rest of her peers. Beem decided to work without an agency and develop her music skills and sound at Thornton. 

Eric Bender, Beem’s manager, helps her make music career decisions and the direction she hopes to take with branding and her voice. Bender saw value in her decision to escape the industry and grow in her life experiences.

“Her attending school, especially at USC, is great for her because it’s going to bring her a lot of new experiences and relationships and also growth, not only as a student and an individual, but as an artist,” Bender said.

While at USC, Beem said she wants to collaborate with as many other students as possible of all different genres and learn about the inner workings of the music industry that she never learned before.

John Turpin, a sophomore majoring in music industry, is a part of the A&R team at 840 West, a student-run record label working with Beem to help grow her connections and promote her career. 

“It’s just helping her find people to work with to create the sound for the music she wants,” Turpin said. “We like to have our hands on everything, from marketing to imaging, but for the most part, I’m helping her get connected to other people within USC’s music industry program.”

At Thornton, Beem can work with an assortment of young voices who are passionate about all aspects of the community and different genres of music. 

“​​I am really looking forward to collaborating with as many people as possible, who love music and who love to create music … [from] EDM to pop music,” Beem said.

From attending other people’s shows to working with budding artists, “it’s a super collaborative and not a very competitive space,” Turpin said. “Everyone wants everyone else to succeed.”

“I wanted to go to USC to have a community of people my own age and really be able to go through trial and error, learning and growing,” Beem said. “I feel like at a young age, I had to be really perfect because I was in this professional industry setting … but I knew I wanted to be able to be a kid and fall in love with music again.”