Hey there, everyone! We are always on the hunt for new ways to present the modern music industry, and in recent months we have received a number of requests to focus more of our efforts on the world of internships. So, in an attempt to appease both ourselves and our readers, we’ve decided to speak with interns from around the world about their roles in the modern music business. If you want to be featured in this series, or if you know someone we should highlight, please email james@Haulix.com and share your thoughts.
This site exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found onTwitter and Facebook.
As much as we love to encourage aspiring professionals to build a presence and do their best to establish influence online, those who really want to learn about the day-to-day grind of professional musicians would be wise to intern at their local music venue. There is nothing wrong with interning at labels, PR Groups, or even blogs, but more often than not being present in a venue on a regular basis will provide more insight on the industry than in any other role. Not only do you work with artists first hand, but you work with a variety of talent from across the industry. As a result, you also work with all types of music fans, from punk to country and back again. You see how different groups consume live music, as well as the types of merch they prefer, the way the interact with music (dancing vs moshing vs standing still), and random tidbits like who drinks the most alcohol (spoiler: country music fans usually win this title).
Working in a music venue, especially one with the ability to host bands who draw anywhere from 100-2000 people a night, provides a rare front row seat to the daily lives of music professionals. Emillie Marvel, intern at The Intersection in Grand Rapids (MI), knows this all too well. She joined the venue’s promotional team not long after recognizing her passion for the music business, and through her time there she has learned a wealth of knowledge about the modern entertainment business. She may be barely out of high school, but Emillie already has good ear for talent and a firm understanding of live music as as an industry. In time, she will no doubt be one of the most influential young people in music, but right now she’s still cutting her teeth. Today, for the first time ever, she shares her story.
H: Hey there, Emillie. How is West Michigan treating you today?
E: Aside from a mild case of frostbite, pretty well!
H: Are you a Michigan native? I guess asking where you’re from is as good a place as any to start this feature.
E: I am. I was born, and have lived most of my life, right here in the Big Rapids area.
H: I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me. We have wanted to feature more interns on the blog, and you are someone who came highly recommended. How long have you been a part of The Intersection?
E: First off, thanks for thinking of me for the feature! I’ve been with The Intersection, in some form, since October of 2013. My internship started in April of 2014.
H: When did you initially decide to apply at The Intersection, and what was it that lead you to feel it was the place for you?
E: When I applied originally, it was for a spot on the street team. At the time, I was searching for a chance to work more with both the live show, as that’s where my passion lies, as well as the Grand Rapids music scene. I sent in my information to The Intersection. I’d heard great things about the venue’s reputation and professionalism, and within a couple weeks I was hanging flyers and passing out handouts everywhere I went. I have a bit of an “overachiever” gene, and before I knew it I was doing ten times the amount of required work each week for the venue. It didn’t go unnoticed, as I found out when I saw the internship opportunity on my now boss’s Facebook page. After commenting that I was interested, I received a message saying he’d had me in mind for the job. It was the coolest thing, to know the time and effort I was putting in was being recognized.
H: Now, we should probably cover you age, as you are still fairly young. How old were you when you first applied?
E: Barely seventeen.
H: Had you done any work in music promotion prior? Anything counts, including helping local bands or musicians you may know as friends.
E: Absolutely! I’ve been in the music industry since I was fifteen years old. In that time, I’ve been a bit of a “jack-of-all-trades”. Aside from promoting for bands through my website, I had also helped with numerous bands across the world, whether as a friend or acting manager. I still do, to this day. I love spreading the word about music I really believe in, and I’m lucky enough to have many friends who create just that!
H: What does you internship with The Intersection entail? Can you walk us through a typical week of work?
E: For The Intersection, I run The Stache’s (the four hundred capacity front room venue in the Intersection) social media accounts. This means I’m the person who puts information about the venue’s consistently growing calendar in your Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feeds. A typical day, for me, will include a quick study of the current schedule to stay on top of who’s coming to both venues, then planning a variety of posts about the upcoming shows and double—then triple—checking I have all my information down correctly. I also create graphics, follow people in the area on Twitter, watch Grand Rapids related hashtags and do quite a bit of research on ways to maximize the effectiveness of the accounts.
H: Like any smart aspiring professional, you have more than one role in the music industry. You also run a blog, Punk Nation, which I believe you also founded. Can you please tell us a little about the site’s history?
E: In April of 2012, I attended the Michigan date of the ‘Blackout Forever’ tour, and from that day I knew all I wanted was to help make live shows happen. So I came home, grabbed a notebook, and with a little push from my mom, put down a gameplan. That gameplan eventually turned into Punk Nation. Being a fearless fifteen year old who didn’t fully understand the wonderful monster that is the music industry, I started emailing anyone and everyone I could about getting interviews. Some people were less than kind, but there were far more that went above and beyond to help make my goals achievable. Before I knew it, I was heading out to shows and chatting with musicians I’d never even imagined interviewing — including one of the headliners of the show that started it all.
Punk Nation was a way for me to dive in to the music scene, and learn how things worked while making valuable connections. The website still runs today, and is in the process of a rebuild as we speak. While it’s no longer my lone focus, I do look forward to seeing where it goes from here. It’s grown more than I could have asked for in the past three years.
H: What separates your site from the numerous competitors existing in the music scene today?
E: I think the fact that I’ve never profited from it at all, yet at the same time have put more work into it than I’ve ever put into anything else. This isn’t my day job, but it’s also not simply a hobby. By balancing somewhere in between those lines, I feel like it’s free. There’s this honesty there that comes with no pressure. If I, or a member of the staff, believe in a band, we’re going to interview them, feature them on the home page, review their album and push them on our social media like you would not believe—whether they have twenty-five Facebook likes, or one million. If you come to Punk Nation, you’re going to see an act you’re familiar with. You’re also going to see an act you’ve never heard of before in your life. And both of these acts are going to put out killer tracks that you make you feel something.
H: I read somewhere that you’re also involved, or have been involved with, Idobi. What can you tell us about those efforts?
E: At idobi, I fill the roles of radio programming assistant and writer. I started with the station as an intern in December of 2013, and have since been hired on as a staff member, fulfilling my dream of my first paid job being in the music industry. I’ve learned a lot in my time at idobi, have had the chance to work on really fun projects, and have made great connections and friendships.
H: If you had to take your current roles (Intersection, Punk Nation, Idobi) and pick one to make a full time career, which would you choose and why?
E: The Intersection, without a doubt. My interest always has, and always will be, in live shows. That is what gets my heart racing and makes every ounce of work worth it. It’s the thing that makes me feel truly, 100% alive. My greatest goal is to work very closely with putting on concerts. This isn’t to mention that in my time at The Intersection, what I’ve learned is that they conduct themselves with an incredible amount of respect, keep the venue in upstanding condition and have a stellar staff that makes you feel right at home any time you walk in the doors.
H: Have you considered pursuing college or any other kind of secondary education to help boost your chances of making in the music business? Why or why not.
E: I’m currently considering it, actually. I didn’t go right out of high school, with the position my career was in it didn’t seem to make much sense at the time. Now, however, I’ve been looking into attending a business course. I feel like in order to really push my career to the next level, I’ll require a better understanding of the corporate world.
H: To date, what do you consider your biggest accomplishment as far as chasing your dream career is concerned?
E: I’d have to say interviewing Kevin Lyman, and then being approved for press credentials at Warped Tour, two accomplishments that go hand in hand. Lyman has been my greatest role model in the industry from the time I started. I admire everything he has created, and the fact that he’s kept his morals throughout it all. Speaking to him about his accomplishments and career was truly an honor – and getting a book suggestion during it was just icing on the cake! A few months later, I found myself in the press room of the Palace Of Auburn Hills, watching the production of the Vans Warped Tour tour going on all around me. I truly felt like a part of something big that day.
H: What advice would you offer other aspiring music professionals about getting their foot in the door of this wild industry?
E: Don’t stop. I live by the quote, “Great people do things before they’re ready.” When I started, people didn’t take me seriously. I had many interview pitches that were turned down, or went unanswered all together. So I’d email again a month later. There are press agencies I work with now that absolutely refused to acknowledge my existence two years ago. Persistence, professionalism, fearlessness and dedication don’t go unrecognized, and these four qualities will take you far.
H: Do you have any goals for the months ahead? If so, can you share them with us?
E: I always have a goal or two set, I’m incapable of sitting still! My next couple months will be spent diving further into the world of management, and hopefully breaking into a dream career of mine, booking.
H: Where do you see yourself in five years time?
E: Booking and helping with every step of putting on live shows. Running a management company on the side. And, perhaps, having a good running start on a record label.
H: I think that is all the time we have for now. Before I let you go, are there any final comments or observations that you would like to share with our readers?
E: Thanks for having me! This is the first time I’ve been on this side of the interview questions, and let me tell you, it was a cool (and strange) experience! Also, to anyone reading this right now, do it. Whatever you want to do, whatever goal you’re waiting to accomplish, start it. Work hard. Conquer it.
