Maria Ivey
A near 20-year veteran of music publicity who still, amazingly, genuinely enjoys her job, Maria Ivey has maintained a singular career focus since her first internship at age 18. “I set out at a very young age to champion artists who moved me, and I wanted to tell great stories,” says Ivey. “PR was the perfect blend of my two passions, and I had a great mentor (Hi, Tamara Saviano!) who really lit the match for me.”
IVPR was founded in 2019 by Ivey as a music-first communications firm, growing to accommodate new perspectives from a range of diverse clients over the past six years. “Look, a festival or a brand is no different than an artist from a ‘what’s the story’ point of view,” says Ivey. “Brands need personalities, and events need a heartbeat. PR, when done well, can be that for a client, no matter the category they fall in.”
Passionate about student journalism and the next generation of publicists, Ivey is the co-author of the textbook Music Publicity: A Practical Approach (Kendall Hunt) and is a mentor for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Artist in Residence program. When time allows, she’s an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Belmont University.
During Covid, Ivey spearheaded All the Thyme in the World: A Collection of Recipes from the Grounded Music Industry, a community cookbook totalling $50k in donations for Music Health Alliance, and was celebrated in Garden & Gun’s Best Cookbooks for Southerners in 2020.
For brain balance, Ivey pens a monthly column for Nashvillian Magazine called "Fixin' to Eat," which is a love letter to—and celebration of—Nashville's endlessly inspiring food scene.
