EYE ON EVIT – From EVIT to Reverend Guitars: How Graduate Torri Ross Turned Touring Experience into a Dream Marketing Role

By Dave Juday

EVIT Radio/Audio Production instructor Dave Juday caught up with Torri Ross, a 2019 graduate of EVIT’s Radio/Audio Production program and a former Instructional Aide at EVIT. Torri recently joined Reverend Guitars in Toledo, Ohio.

Dave: It’s been a few years since you finished up at EVIT and worked with us as an instructional aide. What have you been up to?

Torri: After my final year of being a TA at EVIT, I relocated to Buffalo, NY to pursue getting my Bachelor’s in Music Business at SUNY Fredonia and to play in the band Carpool. I stayed at Fredonia for a couple of semesters before un-enrolling due to my touring schedule at the time. I was out for 2-3 months at a time during the school year with Carpool, so there was no point in paying for it if I wasn’t going to be there. While in Carpool, I toured in the fall of 2023, some small runs in the spring of 2024,  a summer tour and a full U.S. tour in the fall of 2024. I also went on a small tour with the local AZ band Playboy Manbaby in September of 2024! I ended up no longer working with Carpool at the end of 2024 and moved in a different direction in terms of my musical career. I decided I was going to focus on trying to be behind the scenes (tour managing, merch managing, stage manager, any crew position I could be qualified for). I reached out to an old friend of mine who knows how to build guitars and worked as a guitar tech on a tour that I did with my old gig Doll Skin. I asked if he would be willing to show me how to work on guitars so that I could have another tool in my belt. Luckily, he was more than happy to, and I spent a week down in Orlando working under him!

Dave: Tell us how you ended up at Reverend Guitars.

Torri: So I’ve been a Reverend “artist” for about 4 and a half years at this point. Over that time, I’ve gotten close with the CEO Ken Haas and have built a relationship with the company. I’d try to stop in when I could on tours, and they’ve actually given me some great opportunities such as playing with the NAMM after party in Anaheim (I also got to go to the NAMM show too which ROCKED! NAMM is basically a massive music convention where big brands unveil new things and there are a lot of famous musicians roaming around). Ken would ask me every once in a while how I was and kind of check in to see what music/band stuff I had going on. I reached out to tell him that I was going down to Orlando to learn how to work on guitars and he told me to keep him updated. So I did! I gave him updates as I went along and shortly after I got back to Buffalo, he gave me a call. He invited me out to Toledo to work under him for a week around the shop here. I went out and while there I bounced around and shadowed everyone here – so everything from admin work, social media, literally working on the guitars, and more. At the end of the week, I was offered a job to be their “marketing assistant” where I would focus mainly on social media and help out in other ways when needed.

Dave: How did your time at EVIT prepare you for the next steps along the way?

Torri: Right off the bat, my first week was spent editing the audio of some bass demos that were recorded a month prior. If I hadn’t gone to EVIT, I wouldn’t have known the basics of Pro Tools, how to EQ, or anything like that. I hadn’t done it in a while, so I had to shake off the rust but being able to use those skills that I learned felt really good. Aside from that, I know that social media was talked about a lot and understanding the best way to use it. I’ve definitely had to reflect on that to help me make videos and think of creative ways to market the company. Today I wrote out a script AND timed it to make sure it filled the 30 seconds I needed – which made me feel like I was writing and recording my first radio spot all over again!

Dave: What advice would you give to new students coming into the EVIT program?

Torri: My advice would be to be patient. Take in the information being given to you now and keep it in the back of your mind as you navigate your career. Some of it may seem mundane or flat out not interest you at times – but eventually it will be useful and you’ll be so happy that you have that knowledge. I was touring and working as a barista for the last 2 years, and I never thought I’d use my audio editing or journalism skills again – yet here I am! You don’t have to jump into something right away either. It’s okay to have that trial and error period before you land on something that feels right. I was in and out of college, switching majors, bouncing around different parts of the music industry and now somehow I’ve landed in this wonderful position here at Reverend Guitars.

Dave: What are some of your future goals?

Torri: I definitely see myself here at Reverend for a while as I hope to work my way up towards more responsibility. Maybe take on more roles, work in the shop a little more as a tech, stuff like that. Outside of that, my top goal will forever be to tour as much as possible and meet new people in the industry. I continually want to learn and gather up as much knowledge as I can about this industry – and the best way to do that is to put myself out there. If it weren’t for touring, I would’ve never met my friend down in Orlando that led me to getting this job. I also just want to write and create music that makes me happy, and cultivate a safe space for those around me to also express themselves without judgement.