Berklee Blogs

First-hand accounts of the Berklee experience

Tag: paul margolin

paul margolin

My Two Cents About Interning – Paul Margolin, LA Intern

Rolling The Ball – Preparing For Departure
Looking back, the only thing I regret about my L.A. experience is that I didn’t do enough processing beforehand to really prepare myself.  Before you consider interning in the music industry, it might be useful to sit down and brainstorm an action plan.  Strategically plan your moves in advance to get the best results. When you form that attack plan, it makes the transition all the easier and can plant seeds for your future success.

Right now you may be thinking, is there a point to this? Well, let’s get down to business. These are some tricks I’ve learned via experience that may get you thinking. (Thinking is always a good thing. ALWAYS take time to reflect. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn about yourself)

Getting The Ball Rolling – Sharpening Your Creative Pretty Little Artsy Axe
First off, I advise you to consolidate your achievements, experiences and successes in an updated resume. At the same time, put together all of your best creative work in a bio, demo, website etc (whatever is appropriate for your goals). This way, when you interview for internships and jobs, you’ll already have a huge leg up on the competition. This material can put you on some of these industry folk’s radars very early. Do this before you even secure an internship and you’ll be well on your way into this business. You’d be surprised at how open minded and laid back a lot of these professionals are, even the big shots.

In today’s industry, you have to be willing to seize any opportunity because the value of music has diminished considerably. If there’s talent there, there’s money to be made and lots of people want to make it. Being prepared (and even over prepared in some cases) makes all the difference in the world.

Deposit one cent…

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Youth, Yearning and Interning (Part 1) – Paul Margolin

So, you wanna intern in the music industry? Thinking about moving to the big city and making connections or are you looking for experience and guidance to figure out what direction you want to take? Maybe both?

Well, that’s the kind of information that many of us young professionals are looking to absorb and utilize right away. It can be difficult to balance these two desires and apply them in the age we live in. Whether you are an up and coming sensation, an aspiring entrepreneur or just an all around dreamer, we are all looking for a “niche” to help us succeed. Make no mistake, some are born to do well and achieve great things while young, but other people are simply built to learn and grow over time. Regardless of which category you fall under, we can all reach our goals just the same. I’d like to offer some insight into the experiences I’ve had so far. With any luck, maybe you can pick up a tip or two while preparing for your big transition to the city of angels and beyond!

First off, let me just say that what you are expecting and what you will experience are two completely contrasting ideas. However, they can be complementary if put together appropriately. One of the first things I learned upon moving to the gargantuan metropolis that is Los Angeles is that opportunities are ripe and plentiful. It will only take but a day before you’re being invited to events, parties, and shows. (Especially true if you already know a lot of people upon arrival). The best thing to do if you’re nervous or unsure is to just put yourself out there. You can’t expect to grow into a comfort zone if you avoid invitations, so take them whenever they are available. People here tend to blow you off entirely if you’re not game for a hangout. Even if you say no one time, they will simply move on to another acquaintance.

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