How I got my internship: Summer 2012

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: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBJNWGBH0YU&ob=av2e

(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.

See you in May, Nashville :)

Why Fall Semester is draining

The desk is my life.  I’m having the best weekend though.  I made a good life choice and gave up my night shift on friday night so I could take a night off from my life at school and visit some of my good friends in Kalamazoo.  I met my friend’s new boyfriend, who is really nice, and we all watched a really cheesy Halloween movie that was made in 1987.  It was so nice not to care for one night and just relax with good friends.  I don’t ever go to parties at school, and me and my friends don’t drink.  I like being focused on my future at school, and aside from that, when you have to work at 2:30am every night on the weekends, it’s really stupid to drink.  

Being focused all the time gets tiring, though, and I really needed that one night to not focus on school.  I didn’t even bring my laptop to kzoo.  Now, I am drastically behind.  I have a test on Monday and another on Tuesday.  When I’m not in class this week, you can find me doing promo for Autumn Alive (which is on Thursday).  After Thursday, my motivation (which is already running low) will plummet.  Once you work a cool show like that, you don’t want to go to class anymore, you just want to graduate so you can do that every day (and get paid for it).

So, I’ve had my night off, and I came back to school just in time to work a couple hours this afternoon.  I then proceeded to sleep from 4pm-7:45pm.  I now have to be at the desk until 7:30am, so I guess that kinda worked out?  Welcome to my sleep-deprived life.  One can only hope that I can be somewhat productive tonight.  It's already been 4 hours and all I’ve done is watch the new Big Bang Theory episode.  

My motivation levels require a fall break (like that’ll ever happen).  Regardless of my hatred of Fall semester and its lack of breaks, I’m still having a good weekend.   :)

The End or the Beginning?

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.

-AK

Most Bizarre Day EVER.

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: 

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/11/off-camera-my-moms-fight-with-cancer/

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.

Nashville

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.  

-AK

Summer, The End of School, and the Beginning of Other Adventures

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!  

BUT I have to do my internship first!

Peace Out!  Updates from Nashville to come!

-AK

Spring Break & Internships!

Ah!  I haven't updated in awhile!  So much has happened over break!  I stayed home for a few days (Friday through Tuesday) which was really great to relax and hang out with my great friends from high school.  I feel so lucky to have such great friends in my life, and I know that there's a lot of people who weren't so lucky to have so many wonderful people as friends from high school.  We had a lot of fun, and I spent way too much money in just 4 days.

Then on Tuesday afternoon I hopped on a plane and got to Tucson, Arizona where my dad lives around 10pm (12am EST).  I was so exhausted I went straight to bed, which was about 11:30pm by the time we got home.  I slept until 10:30 the next morning.  It was awesome.  Wednesday was great.  I got to just hang out with my sister Britni and my cousins Gemma and Hannah.  We played mini golf, and went to dinner with my dad and stepmom, and the best part was that it was about 75 degrees outside!  I even wore flip-flops!

Then on Thursday, I got to hang out with my sister all morning, which was nice, but perhaps a bit too short seeing as I woke up at 10am again.  People in Arizona like to get up early and go to bed early, but people in Michigan like to stay up late and sleep late.  See they need to utilize that time in the morning before the sun rises, especially in the summer where it's too hot to go outside by 9am.  That doesn't work for me.

Then at 1pm, my cousin Gemma picked me up so I could get to my interview at the Fox Theatre downtown.  While I was in the car, I had a phone interview with the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville!  Sharon, the lady I talked to was so nice, and the internship sounded so great to me.  I really hope that I get that one.  I think I can learn a lot from them and help them out a lot as well.

The Fox Theatre was also really great.  The theatre has a great historical aspect to it, which I love.  It is also a great option, seeing as I can live at home and probably get a part-time job!  The people that I talked to there were so nice, and I would love to spend the summer in Tucson as well, with my family that I don't get to see very often.

Also, the high on Thursday was somewhere around 88 degrees.  Just wanted to rub that in.

Friday morning, my dad, stepmom and I woke up super early and got in the car to head to San Diego for the weekend.  I don't know what it is about San Diego, but I am always instantly relaxed when I breath in that ocean-fresh air.  It's also so refreshing to see a city where every morning is cloudy and foggy, but by 10am the skies are blue and the sun is shining.  Something that certainly never happens in Michigan.  If it's cloudy in the morning in Big Rapids, you can bet that it'll be cloudy all day.

On Friday afternoon, I had an interview at this little venue just outside the Gaslamp Quarter called 4th and B.  Where exactly is that?  Well, it's at the intersection on 4th street and B street.  Real tough to find, let me tell you.  The lady I spoke with there (her name is Natalie) was super awesome, and it sounded like another great internship!  She didn't have a lot of time, but it was so nice to talk to her!  There was just one problem.  The venue is 21+, and I am only 20.  My birthday is in January.  Turns out it isn't legal for me to work there.  Maybe next summer on that one, I guess.  Still great interview practice.

Then Friday night we were on a hunt.  Of the NCAA playoffs type.  To find the USC vs Arizona game. So we went to the Hyatt right down the street from the marina where my dad's boat is at.  Well, it turns out they don't get that channel (it was on FoxSportsNet), so we finished our drinks and appetizer and left.  We knew that the Hilton had a Fox Sports bar, and they would definitely have the channel, so we walked about 10 minutes over there.  Well, it turns out, there was a private party going on at that time.  Thwarted again.  At this time, we debated yelling to the people on the giant yacht if we could watch it with them since we could see the game through the window, but we decided not to.  We finally got to watch the second half of the game, and Arizona won (woot!).

I crashed hard again that night.  At about 9:30pm.  I was so tired.  and I sleep like a baby in that cabin on the boat for some reason.  It was awesome.  The next day, we took the boat out in the morning.  Man, that tsunami made the ocean swells crazy!  I had never seen the waters so rough before!  It was awesome out there.  Then we watched Arizona lose to Washington (bummer), even though they could've won the game.  It went into overtime, and was tied up at about 7ish seconds left in OT, and Washington had the ball.  So they bought a few seconds and made the winning shot.  Also, something was wrong with those announcers.  I think they would go gay for Isaiah Thomas.  That's all they talked about.  Derrick Williams is pretty awesome too, no?  We ended the day at Pizza Nova, ate way too much buttery garlic bread, and crashed again.

Then I got up early Sunday morning and flew back here.  And now Monday is over, and I wish I could go back on break.

Oh well.

I hope I get some phone calls or emails this week about internships.  I am anxious.

-AK