Tag: music business major (Page 1 of 2)
music business major
After much thought, I would have to say the best thing about the LA Program are the opportunities that become available to you just by being out here and meeting with people.
The industry workshops the program offers are the best icebreakers for meeting people who have been living in Los Angeles and have experience working in music. If I found a workshop particularly interesting, I would ask as many questions as I could, whether it was during the workshop, after the workshop by going up and talking with the speaker, or through emails.
Sending follow-up emails with questions was a great route to go because this kept me in touch with various industry professionals. One workshop was about artist management, a job that I am very interested in. By staying in touch with the manager who spoke to us, I was put on the guest list to go see one of his acts in Hollywood. This was a great perk that I enjoyed just by being a part of the LA Program.
I decided to participate in the Berklee LA Internship Program for many reasons. Fist of all, the transition from student to the “real world” felt very scary. The LA Program seemed like the smoothest transition. The LA Program offers a place to live, a database of companies that are seeking interns, workshops where you can learn from and network with people in the business, and the support of a Berklee staff member to guide you. It was nice to focus solely on securing an internship rather than having to find an apartment, an internship, and become acquainted with a strange new place all by myself. An added bonus is the program is done as a group so there are many other students in a similar situation.
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.