Class year and major: 2013, Strategic Communication (minor in Digital Media Productions)
Hometown: I’m a Midwestern nomad. I’ve lived in Angola, Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; and now in Valparaiso, Ind.
Why did you choose Butler? I visited many colleges in the same realm as Butler, but immediately, when I stepped out of my mom’s station wagon, I felt at home. It was clear on my tour that Butler focuses on building a tight-knit community in order to foster a support system for students during their time here. This message just didn’t shine through at any other college I looked into. Beyond academics, I was looking for a place where I would grow as a human being. Butler was/is this place.
Most memorable academic experience(s) at Butler: This summer, I interned with Mick Management in New York City, which manages musical artists like John Mayer and Ray LaMontagne. Mick Management is at the top of their game; they are as good as it gets. Before working in artist management, founder Michael McDonald kick-started ATO records with Dave Mathews.
I split the week with the other intern and came into the office Wednesday-Friday. Being the only intern there during those days allowed me to receive a lot of one-on-one time with people in the office. That made every day a job shadow. I observed what everyone was doing, down to how they spoke to people on the phone.
My two biggest projects were completing the Tastemakers direct mailouts and building a press site for the latest band on the artist roster, Walk the Moon. For the Tastemakers project, I received a list of all of the people in the industry who have supported our artists through the media or radio. I created a digital “thank you” card with a letter from the company and provided links to each artist’s one sheets to encourage further support. I also put together physical copies of this card and letter to mail out.
The press page for Walk the Moon included press quotes, a biography, videos and their contact information. This page is crucial; it is what promoters and booking agents would look at to book the band. Designing the site was fun because I had to convey the band’s brand image through fonts, colors and arrangement of the information.
This internship solidified my career aspirations in management because you have to be a bit of a renaissance person. A manager is held responsible for carrying out an artist’s vision by overseeing his or her booking agent, label executives, tour manager, publicist and many other divisions that go into making a band successful.
Another memorable experience was winning regionals at the National Student Advertising Competition with ADrenaline’s fully integrated marketing campaign for JCPenney. We then went on to win fourth place nationally. Not only did I walk away from this experience with a plethora of new knowledge in my field of study, but professional relationships with my peers, and a final product I can show to future employers.
Activities you’re involved with outside of the classroom: Coffeehouse co-chair for the Program Board. Marketing director for Alpha Phi. Vice president of the Butler Recording Industry Club, or BRIC. Publicity director for ADrenaline (Advertising Club).
The most important thing you’ve learned at Butler: Have no expectations because the best things happen in life when you’re not looking. Also, be open to the people around you (even if you have multiple differences) and allow them to teach you things you never knew you could understand.
