Berklee intern Gary Lazzara asks the question “How does music education translate into the realities of life in the industry?” Gary interviewed Keith Harris– producer, songwriter, musician and performer with The Black Eyed Peas for answers and will post his interview on Thursday.
There was a time in my life when I used to think there were only two types of income possibilities in the music industry. One was as a super-star artist making millions of dollars, like the artists I saw on MTV, and the other was the musician dressed in a funny costume playing the Dixieland combo-band at Disneyland. As a result, I felt pressured to follow a career in business and to keep my music interest as a hobby. Becoming a super-star felt as far fetched as winning the lottery and I felt the odds of being successful with a business degree were more realistic.
After a few semesters as a business major and a partnership with an internet startup, an offer came my way to work in the mortgage industry during the height of the mortgage boom. Like many others, I rode the mortgage wave until its collapse in 2007.
At the same time I was learning about the internship program at Berklee, through a contact, I met Jared Mooney, Owner/Producer/Engineer of Dirty Water Sound and Music (DWSM) in Charleston. He informed me that he had an internship program through Berklee at his studio and invited me to come down. So I contacted the Office of Experiencial Learning to get more information about the internship program and how to register. The following day I visited the office, registered, and so officially began my internship.
