Hey everyone,
Alot has been going on for me since my last post. I will first start off by saying I love Los Angeles. I recently got a job at the House of Blues on Sunset. I am on the production staff where I do multiple things. I work with the audio crew and help set up and load in the equipment for the stage. All the employees at the house of blues are very nice and hard working people. I feel that the opportunity I have been given will help take me to the next plateau in my experience in this industry.
I am also still interning at Studio Atlantis where things are going according to schedule. Working in a commercial studio like Atlantis really tests a persons patience. The process of moving up the ladder in a commercial recording studio can be very slow and aggonizing at times. I feel I have the skills that are required but getting the chance to prove those skills can take time. I am doing my daily routine there and working hard on making a great impression so that when the time comes I can prove my asset to them.
I have met alot of cool people so far since I have been out in Los Angeles. I am trying to get out and experience as much of the city that I can while I am out here while also working hard to make a name for myself in this industry.
Cole Hendricks
Audio Engineer
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
ZIMBABWE TO LA, AN INTERNATIONAL INTERN STORY SO FAR
Hi everyone!!!!! I guess its about time i did one of these, well where to begin???? First thing is first, i have to apologize for being really slow about bogging and getting it started but i have finally done it. To tell the truth i had totally forgotten about it and other things got into the way, but now i have made it my priority and your going to be hearing allot of wild and crazy stories about my adventures.
Before i go on i would like to take this moment and introduce myself to those who may not know me. I'm Munyaradzi Tirivepi but imp well known as Munya, I’m from Zimbabwe and for those who don't know where that is, GOOGLE it. My current major is Vocal Performance and the reason why imp doing this internship is to gain some more knowledge of the music business world that i once had done some years ago in the urban world. I'm the first International Student form McNally Smith doing an internship which imp proud of and hope that other international students can one day take this opportunity i have. I'm currently interning at THE URBAN NETWORK MAGAZINE that deals allot with media, music, entertainment and marketing industries. I hope that’s allot said.
Well enough said back to the real deal, so far the summer has been great and the internship even better, but things did start of rough for i only got into LA the day before i started in which i was really upset because i was meant to come on the Friday before the weekend but i had a little flight issues, but what matters was i made it. I couldn't believe that i was in LA until i step outside LAX and all i could say was WOW. My first day was great for i spent most of the day adventuring the city of LA and seeing the glamorous places i thought i would never see and just saying the word WOW. It was great to be here.
My first day at THE URBAN NETWORK was really orientated based for i only got introduced to the company by Warren Griffin and an alumni of McNally Smith College Of Music and who now currently works there and met the important people who work for the company. I finally got the opportunity to meet the CEO and founder of the Urban Network and great man to the company Mr. Miller London. It was such an Honor to meet him but we didn't get to talk as much but a little welcome conversation in hand was enough.
That week we got down to business and worked allot on media relations (social net working) such as IMEEM, MY SPACE, BE-BO e.g. just getting to know how some of this stuff is done. We also had to allot of desk work and updating on radio contacts in which me and mo (another intern from McNally) got really confused in doing but eventually we were able to work it out. For the most part the first week went pretty smoothly.
My second week started off easy and we basically carried on doing our media relations updates and improving on that, and towards the end of the week, 2 new interns form MI school joined us. So Warren split us four into 2 teams a BRANDING TEAM an MARKETING TEAM and each team had its own responsibilities for the next couple of weeks until we change. For example the Branding team in which mo and i are charge of making sure we brand the companies name and what it stands for and getting people to join our social net works., the Marketing team is all about getting the companies name heard and promoting and networking with others. These are 2 very important teams and have allot to offer for the company.
So far so good and everything keeps getting better the weekends have been great to our adventurous night out at Crash Mansion in which Larry took us to have fun, thanks Larry for that one. Oh and not to forget to mention that my boy DANAMI (MO) who terrifically performed yesterday and rock the house down. BIG UP to my boy you did GREAT. I was also able to meet up with an old junior school friend from the 5th grade, Marika May who i got to meet after 9 years of not seeing each other since i left Japan, was a great seeing her and catching up and having a good night out at Santa Monica Beach.
Well there it is focus the brake down of the last 2 weeks and allot that i know that’s going to happen this summer. So 3rd week here we go.
Before i go on i would like to take this moment and introduce myself to those who may not know me. I'm Munyaradzi Tirivepi but imp well known as Munya, I’m from Zimbabwe and for those who don't know where that is, GOOGLE it. My current major is Vocal Performance and the reason why imp doing this internship is to gain some more knowledge of the music business world that i once had done some years ago in the urban world. I'm the first International Student form McNally Smith doing an internship which imp proud of and hope that other international students can one day take this opportunity i have. I'm currently interning at THE URBAN NETWORK MAGAZINE that deals allot with media, music, entertainment and marketing industries. I hope that’s allot said.
Well enough said back to the real deal, so far the summer has been great and the internship even better, but things did start of rough for i only got into LA the day before i started in which i was really upset because i was meant to come on the Friday before the weekend but i had a little flight issues, but what matters was i made it. I couldn't believe that i was in LA until i step outside LAX and all i could say was WOW. My first day was great for i spent most of the day adventuring the city of LA and seeing the glamorous places i thought i would never see and just saying the word WOW. It was great to be here.
My first day at THE URBAN NETWORK was really orientated based for i only got introduced to the company by Warren Griffin and an alumni of McNally Smith College Of Music and who now currently works there and met the important people who work for the company. I finally got the opportunity to meet the CEO and founder of the Urban Network and great man to the company Mr. Miller London. It was such an Honor to meet him but we didn't get to talk as much but a little welcome conversation in hand was enough.
That week we got down to business and worked allot on media relations (social net working) such as IMEEM, MY SPACE, BE-BO e.g. just getting to know how some of this stuff is done. We also had to allot of desk work and updating on radio contacts in which me and mo (another intern from McNally) got really confused in doing but eventually we were able to work it out. For the most part the first week went pretty smoothly.
My second week started off easy and we basically carried on doing our media relations updates and improving on that, and towards the end of the week, 2 new interns form MI school joined us. So Warren split us four into 2 teams a BRANDING TEAM an MARKETING TEAM and each team had its own responsibilities for the next couple of weeks until we change. For example the Branding team in which mo and i are charge of making sure we brand the companies name and what it stands for and getting people to join our social net works., the Marketing team is all about getting the companies name heard and promoting and networking with others. These are 2 very important teams and have allot to offer for the company.
So far so good and everything keeps getting better the weekends have been great to our adventurous night out at Crash Mansion in which Larry took us to have fun, thanks Larry for that one. Oh and not to forget to mention that my boy DANAMI (MO) who terrifically performed yesterday and rock the house down. BIG UP to my boy you did GREAT. I was also able to meet up with an old junior school friend from the 5th grade, Marika May who i got to meet after 9 years of not seeing each other since i left Japan, was a great seeing her and catching up and having a good night out at Santa Monica Beach.
Well there it is focus the brake down of the last 2 weeks and allot that i know that’s going to happen this summer. So 3rd week here we go.
Traci @ Key Club, LA-- Music Business: Oh 13....
The wonderful and yet terrible thing about blogs is EVERYone has access... that is all I will say on that topic, but it was something I needed to say. Think on that.
And now for the real deal:
So, this past week at Key Club was a crazy, but fun one. Aside from my usual work with press clippings and the Jumbotron, we had a Bar Mitzvah to plan! It was a whirlwind of frenzied excitement as we set up the most extravagant event I have ever seen. Aside from the 12 performance acts that were hired to entertain in 15-30 minute sets, there were a variety of activities for the kids to engage in from an Etch-a-Sketch artist, to a table where girls could get fake eyelashes and "bling" their phones, to casino tables with Roulette and Craps, to a stilt walker, living statues, a mime, aerialists, dipping dots, models to greet and interview guests on the red carpet before they entered donning their "VIP backstage passes," 3 Lakers girls, and that is not to mention the personalized jewelry and other goodies passed out inside, most of which lit up in an array of blinking, multicolored lights. And that is just the beginning. One of the many highlights was a magician that made Rami, the birthday boy, appear from a cloud of smoke to the delight of his friends. It was a night I'm sure he will not soon forget, I know I won't and the party wasn't even for me! There was definitely a lot of hard work that went into the planning and execution of that night. Happy Birthday, Rami!
I also worked the Box Office a couple nights, which is much more complicated than one might think, but I think I almost have it down enough that I could muddle through a slower night. Sunday, The Cool Kids played with close to sold out numbers already at the beginning of the night, so there was a lot of chaos, but overall I think the night went smoothly. Since a lot of the tickets were will-call, I was quickly assigned the job of selling the soda tickets to under-agers in the line that for most of the evening stretched from the entrance up around the corner of the street with one of the security personnel close behind. It was slightly stressful at times but a little exciting seeing that big of a response to a show that I was behind the scenes a little on (or maybe it was just one of my nerdy moments).
Thursday (I know, I am bouncing around), I had a break between internship and box office, so the lovely Charley Brooks (who is quickly becoming one of my favorite people in the world), took me sight-seeing again for a little bit. This time we went down Sunset a ways to get to two of three rock & roll art galleries owned by Sam (whose last name I have forgotten as of this post and will update later along with the names of the galleries), as well as the Rock Walk in front of the Guitar Center on the next block. The galleries were amazing! The first was all artwork used in posters and album covers of legendary rockers, as well as paintings and prints inspired by the same. The second gallery we went to was mostly photography, from concert shots to candid photos of the greats. When we went to the Rock Walk, we had fun comparing our hands to those we admire (mine are a perfect match with Steven Tyler!!! I also got a close match on Eric Clapton and nowhere near close to Debbie Herring ... her hands are so small there are almost child-like). And of course, Charley pointed out some of the hip restaurants for me to try to check out, I already can't wait to hit up Toi ("Rock & Roll Thai") and Cheebo. And then, in true Charley style, stopped at Cafe Med (yummy, yummy Italian... and I don't just mean the food ;) ) for a late lunch and some "chill-ax" time.
Man... last week was busy... getting tired of typing... and you are probably tired of reading. So now, just the highlights:
Friday: Bar Mitzvah (above) and then... SEX IN THE CITY!!!! SO good! (It was really hard to get tickets though, we had to wait until the 12:50 am showing... which is probably why it grossed over $55 million dollars just in the U.S. making it number one at the box office this weekend... yeah, I read the paper)
Saturday: Bob Dylan exhibit at Skirball Museum! Very cool. Memorabilia + interactive music stations where you can sing, edit, remix, or play to the tunes= fun. Joel and Nick have already posted details on this.
Sunday: Cool Kids... already told you that. But afterward I did meet a guy from a label and we have started communication. I am hesitant to share more for fear of Jinxing myself.
And then Monday started a new week that you will have to wait to hear about later! HA!
... and.... I'm out.
~Traci
Monday, June 2, 2008
Do you need a bowl for that soup?
Christina here,
First blog on here, so I'll just give you all a little insight into my internship and all the stuff that I do. Well I'm a 3rd semester student at McNally Smith, I came here in the fall of 2007 from the good old state of Iowa. I'm currently interning at Soup Bowl Records, the independent record label that is own and run by McNally students.
I do a ton of things at my internship. Just last week I had to send out blog emails to a huge list of blogs so they could know about the tours that the artists are going on. I had to look for locals to play on the shows that are already confirmed. It's a bit time consuming but it's still fun.
I've had to make posters, well I had to write on them which was a bit of fun. I really loved doing that maybe just because I didn't have to stare at a computer screen for hours on end; who knows. I've had to put labels on envelopes and look up the address of promoters in towns the tours are hitting. I've also had to email venues about shows for upcoming months.
All in all so far I've enjoyed everything I have done. My boss is amazing, he is just a nice guy, so much fun to work with. I know that many more exciting things are in store for me and I can't wait to find out what they are. I'll end the blog for now and catch back up with you all later.
Christina
First blog on here, so I'll just give you all a little insight into my internship and all the stuff that I do. Well I'm a 3rd semester student at McNally Smith, I came here in the fall of 2007 from the good old state of Iowa. I'm currently interning at Soup Bowl Records, the independent record label that is own and run by McNally students.
I do a ton of things at my internship. Just last week I had to send out blog emails to a huge list of blogs so they could know about the tours that the artists are going on. I had to look for locals to play on the shows that are already confirmed. It's a bit time consuming but it's still fun.
I've had to make posters, well I had to write on them which was a bit of fun. I really loved doing that maybe just because I didn't have to stare at a computer screen for hours on end; who knows. I've had to put labels on envelopes and look up the address of promoters in towns the tours are hitting. I've also had to email venues about shows for upcoming months.
All in all so far I've enjoyed everything I have done. My boss is amazing, he is just a nice guy, so much fun to work with. I know that many more exciting things are in store for me and I can't wait to find out what they are. I'll end the blog for now and catch back up with you all later.
Christina
Fill up my Soup Bowl
My internship at Soup Bowl records has been the greatest thing for me to date. I have made so many contacts at venues across the country and have gotten huge lists of media contacts and random other things that might be needed to book a tour.
Last week I spent some time routing a tour that goes from Minnesota out to Portland, down to LA, and then back to Minnesota for the band Dingus (www.myspace.com/dinguspunk). I assume I will start booking the tour this week or next week.
I also spent some time filling out posters with dates and venues and other information about Dingus' shows in various states to send out to record shops and other places in order to promote.
On top of all this, there are various shows that I have been trying to find some local support for across the country. It has introduced me to a bunch of new bands and has gotten me a lot of contacts for any shows that I put on in the future.
For some reason I really enjoy making the posters and what not. Maybe it's just because it's so much easier than trying to book shows. Booking is a lot of fun it's just so frustrating it's pretty much a waiting game because you send all these e-mails out and then just wait to hear back from a venue about the show you want.
I think this week will be full of booking and promoting but it sounds good to me!
~Langen
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Maurice Champion - Urban Network (Los Angeles) - Music Business - 1ST PERFORMANCE IN LA AND MORE...
After being in LA for three (3) weeks, I've seen and done more things than people who've been here for months. By no means I am trying to downplay anyone by my last sentence, I'm just making a point that "I'm Blessed". Last Sunday (5/25/08) I did my first show in LA at the Desert Rose in North Hollywood and it was amazing. For one it was amazing because it was my first show in LA and I did my thang as the performer. Second, it was amazing because the audience responded to my performance with homage. My homie Flawless gave me a chance by suggesting I take his place on the bill (performance). To show appreciation to Flaw and the people at the venue for giving me the opportunity I made sure that I rocked the show. After my performance I was embraced by tons of handshakes and expressions of "Great Job" which inspired me to continue to make great music.
Last week the Nappy Roots (do your research on them) came through the office to play their new music from their up and coming album. I was kicking it with them and doing my networking thing. It's crazy because you forget the people you see on TV are actually real people. The next day I went to Can Am Studio's with Flaw. Brief history, Can Am Studio's was formerly the legendary Death Row Studio. Currently, it's the home of Dr. Dre and his staff producers and recording artists. While there I was introduced to Focus, one of Dr. Dre staff producers, and others. It was an erie feeling being there because 2Pac recorded in the same place that I just chilled in. It was a great experience being there.
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER
Manifest GREATNESS and GREATNESS will happen.
Til next time. Realize and Take It There
~ Champion, Maurice
Being Lost, Royalties, and Bob Dylan
To start things off, I feel like I have been driving around lost since I reached L.A. I have learned that driving to work and back I am completely comfortable, it's when I venture out to different places where most of my gas is used in trying to find a place that was closer than I thought. I should stop getting bad directions.
It seems I am finally settling into my apartment and new surroundings. My internet has been down for over week now and it is great to finally have it back.
Work at Alan Ett is still great. Lately I have been working on their Opus 1 library. They just signed 2 publishing deals and part of my job is to go through their catalog and make sure things are good to be registered with ASCAP and BMI. Most of my work has been with licensing and registering music, which has taught me lots about that process.
Also, they have introduced me to computer programs that I am becoming familiar with, such as Music Maestro. This program is very common with companies that deal with cue sheets.
The weeks are really busy with work, but I have been learning something everyday about how things run. But with the weeks being busy, it allows me to see things on weekends. Yesterday I went to a Bob Dylan exhibit with a few of the other interns. I can't even begin to say how incredible that was. We were able to see old guitars and harmonicas of his, handwritten lyrics, letters from him and Joan Baez, and we even played drums on some of his songs. The whole exhibit was something I'm glad we were able to see.
That's all for now. Take care.
-Nick Garrison
It seems I am finally settling into my apartment and new surroundings. My internet has been down for over week now and it is great to finally have it back.
Work at Alan Ett is still great. Lately I have been working on their Opus 1 library. They just signed 2 publishing deals and part of my job is to go through their catalog and make sure things are good to be registered with ASCAP and BMI. Most of my work has been with licensing and registering music, which has taught me lots about that process.
Also, they have introduced me to computer programs that I am becoming familiar with, such as Music Maestro. This program is very common with companies that deal with cue sheets.
The weeks are really busy with work, but I have been learning something everyday about how things run. But with the weeks being busy, it allows me to see things on weekends. Yesterday I went to a Bob Dylan exhibit with a few of the other interns. I can't even begin to say how incredible that was. We were able to see old guitars and harmonicas of his, handwritten lyrics, letters from him and Joan Baez, and we even played drums on some of his songs. The whole exhibit was something I'm glad we were able to see.
That's all for now. Take care.
-Nick Garrison
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