Intern Like A Rockstar: January 2012

January 31, 2012

Vote for the Next #MusicIntern Chat Topic!

January 30, 2012

Watch MIDEM Live

MIDEM is one of the biggest music industry events of the year and brings together thousands artists, business people, entrepreneurs, executives, and developers from all over the world in Cannes, France. It's a a hotspot for new ideas and industry trends from influencers in every international market. If, however, your income is too busy being rationed between textbooks, tuition, and Easy Mac to attend, you can still catch some of the action by watching MIDEM's live stream here. And while you do, let us know what concepts and ideas interest you and what you think of the presentations.

Watch live streaming video from midem at livestream.com

January 23, 2012

Confidentiality in the Workplace

You're sitting at your desk at your internship when you hear an interesting new song start playing. It's so catchy you're practically dancing in your seat and you know it's going to be a huge hit. Even better, it's by your favorite artist who hasn't released any new material in four years. You reach for your phone to text your friends immediately and tell them all about it...but wait. In a world where your instinct is to share almost everything via text or tweet, that instinct could cost you your job, reputation, and even legal charges and damages depending on the circumstance. So what exactly do you need to know to be sure you aren't hurting yourself or the company you're working at? Here's some basic information about workplace confidentiality to help you out when you're feeling unsure.

First, know that you may be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. This essentially means that you will be required to agree not to give out confidential information that you learn while working or interning at the company. It's a legally binding contract that won't be negotiable and will likely be standard for all interns or employees. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the legal language ask a legally-inclided professor or classmate to explain it to you so you understand your rights and obligations. Be reassured though, that the company isn't out to get you by making you sign these documents. They are just trying to protect themselves and their competitive advantages. Things that are particuarly important to protect should be marked such with words like "Top Secret" or "Confidential," so be sure to be especially careful if you are privy to this information. Also, keeping information confidential is particuarly imporant if you are working at a start-up where often times the ability to protect information about the business model can make or break the company's success.

Outside of the Office, Don't:

Internship Opportunity: Jr. Music Executive

Located in Philadelphia, PA, Jr. Music Executive works together with the music community to provide interns with a holistic view of the music business, assist them with determining their strengths, inform them of career opportunities, and prepare them with the skills and confidence to secure employment. Since our formation in 2004 we have provided many students with a competitive edge to acquire additional music industry experience and eventually employment.

Description
Jr. Music Executive is pleased to announce fifteen internship positions available for Spring 2012. The Jr. Music Executive Internship Program includes training sessions, intern meetings, hands-on work experience at partnering internship locations, and numerous networking opportunities. This competitive internship program seeks highly motivated high school students, college students, and recent graduates with an interest in one or more of the following entertainment industry related fields:

• Being an Artist / Musician

• Event Planning

• Marketing

• Journalism

• Music Education

• Audio Production

• Merchandising

• Television and Film

• Graphic Design

Our interns have access to some of the most prestigious entertainment locations in the region, including the Kimmel Center, Sigma Sound Studio, and the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy. Partnering internship locations include working with recording artists, managers, recording studios, non-profit organizations, performance venues, and online publications.

The Great Click Track Debate: Part Two

Last time, we looked at some of the arguments for and against click tracks. After all that waxing philosophical, it's time to get down to a real-life example of beating our drum tracks into submission.

The Patient

Our test case is a snippet from a metalcore band I've been working with. The band has good material, but was not comfortable tracking to a metronome. In order to get the super-precise timing expected for this genre, we'll need to do two things: First, create a tempo map that will allow us to do some grid editing; and second, use the magic of digital audio to correct as many timing errors as we can.

Musicians, Companies, & Their Stance on SOPA

Yesterday, Digital Music News posted information citing the music companies who have publicly stated support for or opposition to SOPA as well as a few companies who have opposed it, according to MapLight.org. It's well known as this point that many music, media, and entertainment companies support and, in some cases, even sponsor this bill. Still, in order to truly consider any issue, it is wise to seek a full understanding of both sides of the argument and who its proponents are. So, in order to paint a clearer picture of the entire spectrum of supporters, here is the same list, pulled from MapLight.org, as well as an expanded lists of musicians and music companies - based on new information or further research- that oppose the bill. Surely, many are missing on both sides of the argument, so please feel free to add them in the comments.

What do you think of SOPA and PIPA? What's wrong with or good about the bills? Is there a way to compromise?

Talking with your mouth full: The Lunch Interview

About a week ago, a friend of mine asked me for some advice about a job interview at 1pm at a local cafe.

"Oh, so a lunch interview?" I asked. But he wasn't sure and unfortunately he then became nervous about whether or not he should eat something before the interview. Well, if you're not sure, you can always double check with the interviewer but I venture to guess that if you're meeting at a food place around lunchtime, it's a lunch interview (it definitely turned out to be one in this case).

Personally, I feel fortunate to have never yet had an interview where not only are you judged by your character, skills, and portfolio (if applicable) but by your table manners as well! Although I have not experienced a lunch interview, I do have some advice given by experienced lunch interviewees that I would like to pass on to you.

Have a light snack beforehand - If you know you'll be ravenous by the time the interview starts, eat a little something prior to the interview. You won't be able to think as clearly on an empty stomach, and if you have a particularly vocal stomach, you don't want to set yourself up for embarrassment either. Definitely leave room for food to have during the interview, though. The whole point of eating a little something before the interview is just to pad your stomach a little to prevent yourself from being absolutely famished when you arrive.
Arrive on time (or early!) - Your interviewer is likely arriving with an appetite, and I don't know about you, but I can get a little irritable when I'm hungry. So be punctual! If anything, it's more important for this type of interview than for more traditional ones.
Wear what you would to a non-lunch interview - Do not dress down even if you know you're meeting at a casual place. This is still an interview and you still need to look professional.
Carefully consider your food order - Avoid messy foods and opt for meals that you eat with utensils. Also try not to get anything that has a particularly strong odor (I know some people who can't stand the smell of fish, for example).
Be extra polite to your server - If you're at all rude to your waiter, the interviewer will think any politeness shown to him is just for show. So be nice to everyone you come in contact with in his presence (and in general, really. I mean why should you ever stop being nice to people?)

For more tips, check out this post on 25 Tips for Acing the Lunch Interview.

By the way, some of these tips also translate well to first dates. Just sayin'.

Katie Hazard | Digital Artist, User Experience Designer
khazard@internlikearockstar.com | @katie_hazard

January 13, 2012

Artist Manager Crossword Puzzle

You probably know the name of the performer for every single song that comes on the radio, but if you want to work in the industry it can be just as important, if not more, to know the names behind your favorite stars. So, to help you learn or review in a fun way, here's a Friday crossword puzzle or music managers. Most of the answers relate to the current management team but there may be one or two that refer to managers in the past. Match the artist or manager in the clues with an artist they currently represent or are represented by. Good luck! Share your thoughts, struggles, or super crossword skills in the comments!

January 12, 2012

Intern Stories: A Summer at Cyber PR

Interning is more vital than ever in this tough job market and there's no way to better prepare yourself for a job after graduation. Have you ever wondered though what the experience is like or what exactly you can gain from an internship? Chrissy Mickler, recent summer intern at Cyber PR and soon-to-be grad at UNC Chapel Hill, was nice enough to share her experience with us recently. Read on to find out more and if you're interested in having a similar experience, you can apply now to intern at Cypber PR too!

"Interning at Cyber PR was a vital experience that prepared me for the professional workplace. I learned how to write pitches, communicate with media outlets and network in the music industry.

In today’s world, internships are necessary to succeed in the job market. We are in a time where we need more than a college education to stand out. Internships give you experience, teach you important skills and provide connections for networking opportunities. In other words, “intern or die” is a common phrases circling university’s career services, the Internet and the general media.

Should You Blog About Your Internship Experience?

Although blogging can be a great way to gain exposure and hone your writing skills, interns should take care when it comes to publicly sharing their thoughts and experiences on the job. You never know who will read what you put on the Internet, and once it's out there you can never take it back. Many companies have confidentiality and/or social media policies that you should familiarize yourself with before you mention your internship online. If a policy is not brought to your attention, check with the HR department or your supervisor before beginning to blog about your internship.

In 2006, an intern at Comedy Central (which did not have an explicit policy at the time) was asked to stop using the company's name and revealing company information on his personal blog. He was lucky enough to not be asked to leave, but I'm sure it probably created some tension on the job and articles on his situation will forever come up when a potential employer conducts web search for his name. So even if your company doesn't have an explicit policy, that does not guarantee you will not find yourself in an uncomfortable situation should you reveal too much. If you are not sure what is appropriate, either ask or refrain from mentioning your internship at all.

In addition, here are a few legal considerations for you to think about if you decide to write about your internship online:

Intern 2.0 - Learning web programming basics

Ok, so some of you may have read the title of this post and thought "Programming?! But I'm going into the music industry! When would I ever need to do code?". It's true, you may not need to learn programming and you may never be asked to do it but in this day and age, it's a good skill to know.

Why should I learn web code?
Blogs, Portfolio/Resume websites, MySpace band pages, any website really, they all are built using code. Yes, there are plenty of WYSIWYG* services that allow you to design and build a pretty neat-looking page without any HTML or CSS knowledge on your part but you're restricted to whatever templates they've created and it's pretty much a guarantee that there will be thousands of other sites that look exactly like it. If you want some flexibility in your design or just a nifty skill that will make you stick out from other intern candidates, it's good to know some basic web code. Here is a nice list of reasons for learning basic HTML.

I use simple HTML and CSS all the time when writing blog posts because it allows me to make my content look the way I want it to. Yes, the Blogger content editor makes it easy to HTML-lessly make text bold but it can't do other things like make text red or add links that jump to the top of the post. Also, I find coding can be pretty fun sometimes. Some of my co-workers whose jobs are more focused on marketing and content management are novice coders and are proud and thrilled when they have enough HTML knowledge to make changes without any assistance from developers (And I'm using this as proof that the fact that I think coding can be fun is not just because I'm weird).

But it'll take me FOREVER to learn!
Calm down. Breathe. It's ok. You don't need to become a programming wizard or anything. Just being able to look at pre-coded HTML and understand what it means is enough to be quite useful even if you can't code from scratch. Getting this basic understanding of web code really doesn't take that long at all! You just need a little patience and some nice, clear tutorials. I've listed a couple sites below for you to get started.

W3Schools - Tutorials, quizzes, and "Try it yourself" editors for just about any web programming language you could want to know
Code Academy - Interactive tutorials, achievements to unlock, and weekly lessons emailed to you if you sign up for Code Year

Katie Hazard | Digital Artist, User Experience Designer
khazard@internlikearockstar.com | @katie_hazard

* WYSIWYG - 'What you see is what you get'; a user interface that displays content while it's being edited that closely resembles the final product.

January 10, 2012

Shure Inc.'s Get the Gig Internship Competition

Shure Inc. is the leading manufacturer of microphones and audio electronics. They are seeking a superb Artist Relations Intern for the summer of 2012 with their new Get the Gig competition.

Description

Shure will choose one winner to have the opportunity to improve their skills and get an inside look at the design and engineering of Shure products as the Artist Relations Intern in the summer of 2012. The winner learn how provide the right gear to top talent to ensure they have great sound both in studio and live.

The Artist Relations Department at Shure manages relations between the company and bands. They provide support for gear, artist development assistance, and technical advice, among other things. The winning intern will be responsible for things like helping manage Shure artist endorsers, support for social media initiatives, working with the company to negotiate contracts, assisting with evaluation potential endorsers, and coordinating sponsored events like clinics and trade shows.

Starstruck: How to Talk to Celebrities You Meet at Work

As an intern or employee in the world of entertainment there will undoubtedly come a day when you find yourself standing next to a celebrity. You may want to scream, insult them, cry, text all of your friends, ask for an autograph, or maybe even run away but you probably shouldn't do any of those things. We've already been over why you should avoid talking to celebrities you encounter at work, but what if that isn't an option? How should you handle yourself and what exactly is and isn't okay?

Be Friendly, But Professional
What you say and do should ultimately be based on the culture of the place you work and signals from your boss and the celebrity. In some cases, it may not be okay to speak at all, but usually it is alright to at least say something friendly or offer up a simple compliment. Keeping this interaction friendly, succinct, and unassuming can actually help you seem professional and mature in some instances. In some cases, you may even be lucky enough to actually be invited to have a full conversation (and by invited I don't mean they say hi in the hallway, but that your boss actually says something like "Hey Dave, could you come in my office, I want you to meet Selena Gomez." Still, there's always a chance that those you work with would prefer you stick to that old adage about children and be seen but not heard.

If, after evaluating the situation, you do feel the moment is right then:

3 Unexpected Business Card Uses

Business cards are a key tool of networking that let you quickly and easily trade contact info with someone wherever you meet them. Frequently though, young people, musicians, students, artists, and artists aren't quite sure of what, if anything, they can accomplish with a business card. If you're feeling like a business card might be a waste of your time and money, here's a few creative ways to use them to your advantage.

January 03, 2012

Spring Semester Internship at Ariel Publicity

If you're interested in learning about music marketing and publicity then there's probably no better opportunity for you than an internship at Ariel Publicity. After all, Ariel Hyatt literally wrote the books on it. So, if you missed this opportunity last term, keep reading to learn how to apply!

Ariel Publicity is a digital music PR firm providing publicity & Internet promotion campaigns for artists, authors, and filmmakers. We understand what it takes for independent artist/entertainers (in any genre) to get the recognition, attention, and sales needed to succeed in today’s rapidly changing entertainment industry.

To succeed in any of these areas today, you have to show up where the action is: online — in the brave new world of social media. We place all of our clients on Internet radio stations, social networking sites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, audio blogs, online music magazines, video sites, regional sites, and any other appropriate outlets. We also target relevant niche markets, exposing our clients to entirely different groups of fans.

Forget Resolutions, Make SMARTER Goals

It's another new year and generally the time to set another resolution. How many times have you or someone you know set out to get in shape, quit smoking, be more organized, et cetera? And how often do those initial efforts fade over the course of January? In fact, according to Psychology Today, less than half of people who set a resolution for the new year continue to pursue them after 6 months.

So this year, let's forget about resolutions. After all, this word, defined as a firm decision to do or not do something, has an inherent all or nothing mentality that practically sets you up for failure. Instead of proclaiming your resolution for 2012, set some SMARTER goals this year.

SMARTER is an acronym often used in the business world to set goals for project, business, and personal development. It is a device that can serve as a guide to productive goal setting by helping you evaluate what you want, when and how you plan to attain it, and how realistic your plans are. Let's take for example a desire to get an internship at a major record label this year and go through each step.

S for Specific
A specific goal tells you exactly what has to happen for the goal to be accomplished. It addresses the who, what, where, when, and why and takes in to account your motivation, intention, and desires.
Using our example: Why do you want to intern at a major record label? Which one do you want to work at, or does it matter? Is there a suitable alternative? How do you plan to get this internship? What qualities and experience will you need to make that happen?

M for Measurable
A measurable goal includes benchmarks and ways to evaluate your progress. What steps must you accomplish on the way to your reaching your ultimate goal? How will you know you have been successful? So, if you're applying for an internship: When will you start your applications? When will you write and review your resume? Are there other skills you need to learn first? How often will you follow up?

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January 31, 2012

Vote for the Next #MusicIntern Chat Topic!

January 30, 2012

Watch MIDEM Live

January 23, 2012

Confidentiality in the Workplace

January 20, 2012

Internship Opportunity: Jr. Music Executive

January 19, 2012

The Great Click Track Debate: Part Two

January 18, 2012

Musicians, Companies, & Their Stance on SOPA

January 17, 2012