As many of you know, the Berklee experience is not an easy one. The Berklee drive inspires you to want to take on so many things at once. Some semesters at Berklee you have so many tasks you forget what a normal night of sleep feels like. Various careers pulled at me. I wanted to be a songwriter/producer, work at a label and be a film composer. There are only so many hours in one day! So much information was thrown at me I wasn’t sure my brain was retaining any of it.

Going into my internship at ASCAP I was nervous. How would I finally apply all of this information in the real world? Majoring in Music Business / Management let me experience classes covering the wide spectrum of the business, yet I was still unsure if I knew enough and could take the next step.

People will tell you there is no substitute for real world experience and they are right. Within the first couple of weeks interning, I truly felt it all come together. Jumping into conversations with everyone in my office over, I pulled knowledge from classes (especially Music Publishing, Record Company Operations and Legal Aspects). It all started to click for me.  I went from feeling worried about my foundation to feeling confident. Internships help you realize that what you learned did sink in, however learning in a classroom is only the first step. Your learning is not complete without applying your knowledge in real life situations.

My advice for those studying any major at Berklee is to try to find and understand the general concepts from all the information being thrown at you. See the big picture concepts first. Add on the details as you go. You will be surprised as to how much it all comes together the moment you get out of the classroom and into an internship or job.

Continuing on at ASCAP, I have not stopped wanting to be a songwriter / producer, work at a company, and be a film composer. The music industry is all tied tightly together, and whatever major you decide does not limit your direction. At ASCAP I am working in the Film and TV department, learning skills applicable to the business side of performance rights organization. At the same time, I am being mentored by Charlyn Bernal (Associate Director of Film & TV at ASCAP). She’s worked for years in the industry as a sound designer / composer’s assistant on countless network TV shows and movies.  I am learning film scoring through Charlyn. She gives me shows she’s work on without the music cues. After writing my own cues, I receive feedback and advice from her. Also, I’ve met several people who work in studios as producers and beatmakers. They’re willing to listen to my demos and give me and advice as well.

Coming out to Los Angeles and participating the LA Internship Program has been amazing. I am truly getting a sense of what is out there and understand the business to a much greater degree. Through this internship I am now one step closer to pursuing a multi-faceted career in the music industry.

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