Well, I've got two weeks left of undergrad, and I keep having to reassure myself that I know what I'm doing. There comes a point in your life where you don't rely on anyone else to make decisions about your life except yourself. For me, that's right now--when my parents no longer finance my life. So how do I know what's right for me when my parents have been influencing my decisions for the past 22 years?
The answer is, of course, that there's no way to tell for sure. You just have to trust your gut and know that no one else had their life figured out at this age either.
I'm someone that's always striving for more and pushing harder and never settling, and it's hard to grasp the concept that I've settled...for now. I've dreamt of New York City for a long time, and to have closed that door for now wears on me every once in awhile. I'll make it there someday. I know it in my gut. I also know that if I'm going to get a job in my field, I need to be in Nashville. I need to work my way up in Music City, pay cheaper rent, pay off loans, and my path to New York will carve itself out somewhere down the road.
I love Nashville to death, but my soul will always wander to New York until I can be there. Wait for me, please.
Ever have one of those days? It's National You're Going To Fail At Life Day, and you were not forewarned. You woke up late, didn't eat breakfast, dressed for the wrong weather, and as soon as you get to work, it gets worse.
I had a similar day this week. The copy machine, stapler, printer, desktop computer, DVD burner, etc. did not like me. Lunch took a half hour longer than I had time for. Then, I got sent on a 4 stop run. How can I screw that up? Don't worry, I'll find a way. It is, after all, National Amanda Fails at Life Day.
I had to go outside of town to pick up a hard drive. I waited about 20-25 minutes for the guy to finish up when I got to the studio. I took the hard drives across town (in some nasty traffic), took those discs back downtown to CMT, almost got a parking ticket, moved my car to where I could park for free (because why would I have change the one day I need to pay for a meter?), walked 3 or 4 blocks to the post office, and saw that two hours after I had left to go on this run, I still wasn't done, had 3 missed calls from my supervisors asking where I was, and ended up an hour late for my second job after driving back to my internship and across town again in rush hour traffic.
Needless to say, they weren't happy that I took so long. Nothing that day was my fault, it just happened to fall on me. After about 5 and a half hours at Bar Louie (which was insanely busy because of the NBA game), it slowed down enough for me to actually think about what all had happened that day.
My day started off terribly at 8:30am, and it took me until about 10pm to actually get mad about what a failure the day was. I've always been a person who dwells on my mistakes. I still remember getting detention in 6th grade for passing a note with Amanda Do about how we hate Language Arts.
I can, however, be proud of how I handled those mistakes. You can only give your best, and if the universe sees fit to screw you up, it will, regardless of your attitude. So why not just smile through the day anyway?
Nothing stresses me out more than other stressed out people, so why spread that around?
Basically, after trying so hard to do everything right, my motto for the day became, "Bucket. I am doing the best I can." Well, not 'bucket.' It rhymes with bucket though...
I recently accepted an internship at Taillight TV in Nashville, TN for this summer, and I thought I should share my story of how I got this internship.
I interned in Nashville last summer at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. It was a wonderful internship where I got to answer phone calls, learn Ticketmaster, manage social media accounts, and even design a new sales kit for the managers to use.
One day, I answered a phone call when no one else was in the office. The man that called is named Brandon, and he is a music video director. He said that he had shot a video in our exhibition hall once, and he was considering doing it again. He wanted to come by and take pictures. I told him that I could save him a trip and E-mail the pictures I already had saved on my computer.
So, I sent Brandon an E-mail with some pictures attached. Then, I took a risk. I've been working very hard to correct my shyness, realizing that that behavior will get me nowhere in the music industry. I introduced myself as the intern and asked if I could help out on his video shoot, and I sent my E-mail.
HE SAID YES.
That's right. Just because I took a risk and asked to work and learn on this shoot, he said, "Okay." That was something I could honestly say I didn't expect.
Brandon sent my contact information (conveniently placed in my E-mail signature) over to Leah, Taillight TV's Production Coordinator. She got me all set up to work on set.
Here's the Randy Travis "Everything and All" video:
(I would've embedded the video if Blogspot were working correctly)
The day after I worked on this set, I sent a Thank You E-mail to both Brandon and Leah for being gracious enough to let me work on their set. They completely took a risk by letting me do that, and I am forever in their debt. It only takes one awesome person to trust you enough and open a door for you, and I wouldn't be where I am now without them doing that for me.
Again, I E-mailed Leah as soon as I saw the music video on YouTube. I asked her about an internship, and she said to send my resume to her. I waited until after Autumn aLive, our fall concert, to E-mail Leah again. I told her about our show and asked about my resume. She responded enthusiastically, but she also asked me if I had any experience in Final Cut, shooting, editing and Photoshop.
Well, the Photoshop I had down, but the rest, not so much. I made it my mission to learn Final Cut and learn more about making music videos. For our spring concert, Turn Up the Good, the planning committee made a video about sticking promotional stickers on personal items versus public property. I jumped to edit this video and learn Final Cut.
Here's how that turned out:
The day after this went up, I E-mailed Leah again with a link to this video. She called me the week after and told me that I had put in so much leg work already that they would love to have me intern at Taillight.
It all started with a chance phone call and taking a risk. After that came a lot of hard work, first on set and then months after.
What I've learned from this:
Be grateful when someone gives you something they didn't have to, and SAY THANK YOU.
Just because you think you'll get a position, doesn't mean you shouldn't work hard for it.
Be persistent when pursuing a job, but have something new and relevant to say.
Be someone that sets you apart from the crowd.
Take those risks. The worst they could say is NO.
If you really want it, you'll make it happen.
This was something I really wanted, so I did everything in my power to make it happen.
P.S. That video was NOT shot in our Exhibition Hall at the Municipal. But, the studio we were in had guitar toilets. and guitar tables. WAY COOLER.
A lot of things have changed since my last blog post. I haven't moved, quit my internship, changed my major, changed my outlook on life, or dyed my hair (although I can't wait to put that purple streak back in my hair when I go back to school). But somehow, everything is different.
Today, or rather this past week, marks a lot of new beginnings.
I'll start with last Sunday, July 3rd.
I've blogged before about a girl named Taylor Meriwether.
She was a very special girl. That's right, I said "was." She passed away last weekend when her heart failed, and her parents decided to pull the plug in the hospital. The good news? She was better. She was no longer suicidal, and she was on her way to being a new person. She didn't get the chance. Mentally, she may have been healing, but not physically. I never got to meet her, but she was and always will be an inspiration to me. No 16-year old should ever have to endure what she did. Sometimes, I'm not sure that it's hit me yet that she's gone. Her story will always remind me of the power of one person. It took one person to post her suicide note on Tumblr, and another to reblog. It took one person to stop Taylor from killing herself. And it only took Taylor to help inspire hundreds. You may not think you matter, but you do. It was the end for Taylor on Sunday, but just the beginning for all her friends and supporters.
Another ending I'm dreading is the end of my summer in Nashville. I've never loved a city so much (although New York and San Diego are still up there). I'm currently sitting in a Starbucks in Hotel Indigo, my favorite building downtown. I wish I didn't have to leave when they close in a half hour, and I am dreading leaving this city in 3 and a half weeks. If you love music, you'll find this to truly be a magical place. I am finally working my first concert tomorrow at the Auditorium, and I am beyond excited. I really can't wait to soak up every bit of knowledge I can, and watch some magic unfold. I think the most amazing noise is a crowd of screaming and cheering people, and there is no more gratifying feeling than knowing that you had something to do with this. These people will remember this night for years to come, and you played an important part in making it a success. I love that feeling. I love that someone could simply stand on a stage and people go wild. That someone could affect someone so positively to bring them to tears. The power of one, the teamwork, and the most gratifying payoff.
Something else soon to end, is something very near and dear to my heart. Harry Potter. I've just finished watching hours upon hours of footage from the London Premiere of the final movie in this incredible series. And it's all about to end. It really dawned on me today, watching everyone at the premiere. If ever there were a book series to recommend to someone, it would be this one. The amazing thing about this series that dawned on me today was that there was not a single unimportant character in this story. Every one of them had a purpose, and every one of them had something likeable about them. Even the villains. I don't know about you, but there is something about Bellatrix Lestrange that is just enthralling. I love that character. And I could say something to that effect for every single character in the book. The uniqueness of this ensemble of characters really astounds me. There is no other series in books or movies that I could say the same thing. To J.K. Rowling (because I'm SURE you're reading this): Thank you for the magic. I would not be who I am today without Harry Potter.
This is such an important part of my childhood, and saying goodbye to it is almost like saying hello to adulthood. I don't really feel like it, but I guess it's about time.
I think Starbucks is closing soon, so that's all for now. But I feel like all of this is leading up to the beginning of something...I can feel it.
One of the first things I stumbled upon in my morning Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr check was this incredibly inspiring article, written by the lovely Jennette McCurdy. Read it here:
I’ve been thinking about this article all day. It just really stuck with me. I was in the most interesting mood for the rest of the day. I drove to downtown Nashville for CMA Fest (actually hoping that Jennette McCurdy didn’t cancel her appearance, as she is an aspiring country singer as well). On my drive, all the songs I normally skip on my iPod, I wanted to listen to. I was weirded out by myself (oh, the things that happen when you spend too much time by yourself…)
I couldn’t stop thinking about Miss McCurdy and her mother’s unfortunate battle, and how that must feel being in the spotlight all the time while everyone is expecting her to keep her smile wide and crack some jokes.
I showed up to Nashville to indeed find the absence of Jennette McCurdy’s name on the schedule for the Lay’s Stage in the Bridgestone Arena plaza (she’s been canceling several appearances recently to spend more time with her mom). I was bummed out, and it just got me thinking more about what she had written in that essay.
I had driven a half hour, so I stayed for a couple of performances, including Sarah Darling and Hunter Hayes. Sarah was absolutely adorable, as was Hunter Hayes. Hunter played this song that I ended up recording on my camera. It was called something like “I’ll Cry With You,” and it just seemed fitting that I record it for some reason. At the time (less than 6 hours ago), I thought it was because of the article I had read that morning, still very prevalent in my thoughts.
Later, I got home and found that one of my friends had posted a song by Ke$ha on their Tumblr page. It’s called “Goodbye.” If you haven’t heard it, I urge you to listen to it RIGHT NOW. It’s such a beautiful song. I first heard this song I think around October, and it is still one of the most honest and beautiful songs I’ve heard in awhile.
Once again, it just seemed to fit the tone of today: Weirdly Sad.
I’ve cried several times today, and I didn’t really know why, until about 30 minutes ago.
My mom called me, and after I answered I heard a monotonous voice on the other end say “Hi Amanda.”
My mind automatically went to Oh my god, something’s wrong.
Turns out, my grandmother had a heart attack today. She’s brain dead. Her heart is beating, but she’s not breathing on her own. They’re pulling the plug as soon as my aunt gets there.
So thanks, I guess, to whatever angel up in heaven was preparing me for this.
Thanks for making me realize that there are worse things than suddenly dying at an old age. You could be slowly dying at a young age. Thanks for making me realize that I can always turn to music to help me sort through my problems. That’s why we have sad songs. And thanks for making me realize that all those old songs that I’ve heard too many times are kept on my iPod for a reason. They’re the songs that can cheer me up, no matter how hard life gets.
When one of my grandmas passed away in the fall, I was surprised at how little I cried. I was more relieved than anything to know that she wasn’t in any more pain. Once again, I am surprised at how little I’m crying. I should be crying more. However, I’ve cried a lot today, and I feel a new understanding of…well, life (to sound incredibly cliche).
I will now spend my evening watching iParty with Victorious, because kids shows make me laugh. They make me forget my problems and think about how simple childhood was. And more than anything, Jennette McCurdy seems to be the center around this incredibly bizarre day, and she’s in this show.
So I've been in Nashville for a little over two weeks now. I thought it might be time for an update, eh?
I'll just start out with this city. I'm currently listening to Taylor Swift's "Enchanted." It's kind of how I feel about this city. I love it so much. I don't ever want to leave. The people are so nice everywhere you go, and there's such a sense of community that I didn't know was possible in such a big city. I love that I can walk anywhere downtown and hear music come from a box on the corner of the street, coming out of a bar or a store on Broadway, or coming from a guitar player sitting on the sidewalk. This is indeed The Music City. I haven't taken many pictures, but here's a few really cool ones:
1st Avenue and Broadway
1st Avenue and the river
This is my favorite picture. I walk over here almost every day, and I stumbled onto this view completely by accident. I like to explore new parts of the city a little bit every day. I just happened to walk behind City Hall a few days ago, and this is what's on the other side. It looks much more beautiful in person. My favorite view of the city, for sure. And that building right in the middle if the picture is my favorite building. It's called Hotel Indigo. Really old and classy looking, and they have a Starbucks inside with lots of nice seating (need I say more?).
So...what's next?
Well, considering that this is The Music City, I've decided that I need to take advantage of as much live music as I possibly can. So last weekend, I did exactly that. I kicked off my summer by heading down to the Bridgestone Arena to see Taylor Swift's "Speak Now, Help Now" dress rehearsal. In case you were wondering, it was a fantastic show. I would highly recommend seeing her on tour. Here's some of the best pictures from the show:
The outside of the Bridgestone Arena, with one of the four Taylor Swift trucks on display.
I just had to put one picture of the crowd in here. Audiences at any show always manage to take my breath away. One of the coolest things ever is a crowd going wild with anticipation to hear some music.
Taylor and her hearts <3
C'mon. It wouldn't be Taylor Swift without some hair flips...
She only came over to our side of the stage once. I got this AMAZING picture from it though!
And lastly, of course, my INTERNSHIP!
I've been interning at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium for a week and a half so far. When I work in the office, I answer the phone and manage the Twitter and Facebook feeds for them. I've also been reading a bunch of Pollstar magazines. Highly recommended for anyone looking to go on tour or work in a venue. GREAT information.
I've also been assigned to create an online brochure for them to use for people who want to rent out the venue for their events, as well as a video to post on YouTube. That stuff I've been doing from home.
It's been really great so far. The staff is really fantastic, and they are as determined as I am to help me make as many connections as I can while I'm down here.
Right now, we are hosting Keith Urban and all his people as they rehearse before they go on their US lag of his World Tour. My goal for the next week? MEET HIS PEOPLE. I am determined.
In the next couple weeks, I am going to see Idina Menzel perform with the Nashville Symphony, seeing as many free performances during CMA Fest as I possibly can, and after that going to see Mat Kearny with Owl City! June shall be a blast and a half.
And with that, I leave you with Taylor Swift's "Long Live." I've decided that there really isn't a song on her album that I dislike at all.
I haven't posted a new blog in a LONG time. I thought it was about time. If you follow my blog, you're most likely more updated on my life than what this blog would reflect. However, just in case you aren't, I'll update you anyway!
I finally have a breather since I just finished my last test for the week. (only one left next wednesday!)
So first, SUMMER
This summer, I got the internship I wanted at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium! I am so excited to be moving to The Music City for the summer! It is such a beautiful place! In case you were curious, here's an overview of what I'll be doing:
Assist with the sales and marketing of a multi-purpose venue:
Answer the phone and provide administrative support.
Sell tickets on the Ticketmaster system.
Create a social media marketing plan for the NMA.
Update our Wikipedia listing, Facebook page, MySpace page and Twitter account.
Create an online press-kit.
Develop a plan to market the NMA to event promoters.
Explore the possibility of developing and maintaining a blog about the NMA.
Explore the possibility of creating a new marketing video to post to YouTube and our Facebook page.
This list was taken from my internship description. :)
Needless to say, I am so excited to move! I cannot wait!
I would also like to add that social media is a big part of how I got this internship. My entire interview comprised of questions about whether or not I have an active account on any number of websites, from Blogspot, to YouTube, to Twitter. Also, another part of how I got this internship is that my social media sites are CLEAN. They did check my sites, and I gave her the link to every single one of my pages.
Moving On...
The End of School
This is my last week of classes for my second year of college. It's extremely bizarre to think that I'm already half done. It seems so daunting to have 4 or 3 years ahead of you still. Then it hits you--you're already halfway done. But it went by so fast...how did that happen?! I feel like I've learned so much in some respects and learned nothing at all in others. This week has proven to me though that my life next year will be extremely busy. I always wonder with each passing semester how much could possibly be added to my plate, and it just continues to grow. This week has tested to see whether or not I could take on so much. I passed. :) I complained a little, but I think that's more Spring Fever than anything else. I'm just ready to be done.
Watching all the seniors in MIMA sign the drum head as they stood in front of the organization today at their last ever MIMA meeting was surreal to me. Last year, I didn't know any of the seniors really at all. This year, I can't say the same, and I know I will miss them all! It's weird to think that in two short years, I will be doing the same. It's also weird to think that only two years ago, I was a senior in High School. Most of the time, it seems longer than two years ago, but sometimes it doesn't seem so far away. The high school me was a lot different.
I think my brain chemistry (note my lack of science knowledge nowadays) has altered quite a bit just in the last year. For one thing, I now SUCK at test-taking. I don't know what happened! In High School, I would've begged for a test over a project. Now, I would MUCH rather have a final project than a final exam. I've been brainwashed by the College of Business. Well, not BRAINWASHED, per say, just taught more applicable skills like presentations as opposed to test-taking. I'm glad that I'm learning such great applicable skills and excelling in my program, but I feel really stupid when I study for several hours and get a B- on a test (it's happened more than once this semester). That would've NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER happened in High School. I got As. and a couple Bs. B-? Oh no.
And Lastly....
Beginning of Other Adventures
So here's my exciting plateful of stuff for next year!
Firstly, I am the new Secretary for MIMA for 2011-2012. I had my first meeting as an Eboard member today! So much fun getting to be more involved!
I also get the privilege of serving as Co-Head of On Campus Promotions for Turn Up the Good 2012 with one of my best friends, Robin.
Add classes and work on top of that, and it'll be a great year. I honestly can't wait to get started on everything!
