Adam Caress has worked in the music industry for over 25 years as a performing and recording artist, talent buyer, venue manager, writer, editor, and educator.

While in college near Boston, Mass., he began performing in bands. As lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for the Boston-based indie rock band The Troubadours, he released five full-length albums, two EPs, and played over 1000 live concerts between 1995 and 2005.

In 2005, Adam began booking and promoting live concerts and was venue manager at The Loft in Harvard Square (formerly the original House of Blues) from 2005-2011. During this time, he was also talent buyer for The Living Room in Hyannis, Mass., as well as booking and promoting an outdoor summer concert series in Kendall Square.

In 2011, he moved to Asheville, N.C., and began managing The Emerald Lounge, a popular downtown music venue. He also booked the local music stage for Moogfest.

From 2009 to 2013, Adam was co-editor of the online music and culture magazine Mule Variations, where he authored over 80 feature articles, reviews, and interviews and edited countless others.

In 2015, he published the non-fiction book The Day Alternative Music Died: Dylan, Zeppelin, Punk, Glam, Alt, Majors, Indies, and the Struggle Between Art and Money for the Soul of Rock. The book is an in-depth exploration of the complex relationship between artistic and commercial aspirations in rock music, and it received enthusiastic reviews from outlets as various as Publishers Weekly and the Journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association.

Also in 2015, Adam began teaching courses in the Music Business program at Montreat College, just outside of Asheville. His courses included Live Concert Planning & Promotion, The Social History of Rock Music, and Songwriting for Contemporary Ensemble. In 2018, he completed his MBA at Montreat College.

In 2019, he accepted a teaching position in the Music Industry program at the University of New Haven in West Haven, Conn., where his courses included Introduction to the Music Industry, Live Concert Planning & Promotion, History of Rock, and Popular Music Writing & Criticism. He was also director of the University’s Nashville Study Away program and coordinator for Music Industry internships.

In 2022, Adam accepted a position as Assistant Professor in Music Business at Middle Tennessee State University. Thus far he has taught History of the Recording Industry (RIM 3000), Concert Promotion and Touring (RIM 4320), and Live Concert Planning (RIM 4810), a hands-on course in which the students plan and execute their own professional live concert event.

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