Mia Day arrived in New Orleans for the first time as a freshman at Loyola, but she has rapidly carved out a name for herself both inside and outside of the university.

So much so that when it came to deciding who would perform the first in-store show for Loyola’s marketing class at The Mushroom, the tucked away record store and smoke shop above college kids’ beloved bar The Boot, music department’s visiting professor John McHue said Day was the obvious choice.

The indie-folk singer-songwriter took The Mushroom’s stage on Tuesday, Oct. 25, performing a 30-minute set that included two unreleased tracks from her sophomore album, which will be released in the spring of 2023. The performance was a part of the music industry department’s marketing class, where students represent their peers to mimic a music industry experience.

“I never would’ve pictured myself playing here,” Day said. “It’s chaotic, and that’s what I love about it.”

Day’s first job was in a record store back home in Seattle, Washington, which influenced her decision to work at the White Roach record store Uptown on Magazine Street after relocating to New Orleans.

“Record stores have a really special place in my heart,” Day said.

Day also hosted her first album release inside her local Seattle record shop in 2018 and said she was overjoyed to have the opportunity of playing at another.

McHue said Day was the ideal candidate for the marketing class’ first in-store performance, because of her ability to connect with her audience through her voice, songs, and overall style.

“Mia is a super talented artist who has built up a nice fan base at Loyola,” McHue said. “I knew that Mia had worked in a record store in Seattle, so I thought she would be perfect for our in-class promotion.”

McHue’s expertise in the record industry, as well as his work with indie labels such as A&M Records, Elektra Records, and Jive Records, led him to want to educate the class on the value of in-store performances in the music industry.

“This was how most records were launched, with acoustic performances to get the artist’s fans excited,” McHue said. “The fact that it feels like a lost chapter in our business is weird to me.”

To publicize the event, students were in charge of designing fliers and posting on social media.

McHue said that in addition to a radio interview, the marketing students created a blog about the in-store event. McHue said that this helped to emphasize that while marketing a show, it is essential to have as many impressions as possible to create awareness for an event.

“We look forward to doing more in-stores with our Loyola music students and having our music business students market those in-stores,” McHue said.