Blog Question #1- What did you learn from your first week at your internship? Did anything surprise you or make you excited? Were there any challenges? Did you make any connections with co-workers? Did you engage in any code switching?
In one week at my internship, I learned a lot about humanitarianism and love. On the first day, I walked in skeptical considering the outside view. An older-looking house that’s wood was split and paint was rusted. The first day was also my interview-ish day. I met the owner, Aaron and a former intern, Leslie. Right away, I noticed their energies. They gave off welcoming and humble impressions which made me feel a lot better about the process. Aaron gave me a grand tour of the venue and was surprised by the artistic efforts that were put into decorating the space. We then began to talk about the internship itself and I learned that Seventh Circle is non-profit and gives a majority of their proceedings to the artist themselves.
With this, I was definitely surprised that all of their shows are technically free. They do, however, ask and advise for donations at the door so that the money keeps the artists on the road. I had never heard of that concept before and definitely, wouldn’t expect it from a music business. Also, right after my interview, Aaron mentioned that he needed a volunteer for the next night and I quickly offered to cover the position.
The first challenge was the day after my interview, which was the night that I agreed to volunteer. The concert was a punk band and I had to be there at 5:45. I was, as expected, a little nervous because I had no idea what I was doing. Another volunteer met me at the door and introduced me to the way they open the venue and how the monetary system works. The challenge was self-afflicted. I had to leave for California the next morning at 6 and I had no idea how late the concerts went until. I sat there with the other volunteer for 6 hours, talking, rambling and watching. The challenge, in particular, was sitting for such a long time and my own state of being tired.
I did make a good connection with the other volunteer I was working with. He was a lot younger than me which came to a huge surprise because he acted and looked much much older. We spent 6 hours together talking about life, the future, music, and other things. Also, with Leslie, we got along right away because we noticed how similar our personalities and future goals were to each other. I asked for her help on a college application that she was very willing to help with. So far, it has all been positive energy.
The code switching for Seventh Circle was not me going in a professional manner. It was actually me going into a more laid-back manner than I normally am. For the shows, you have to be friendly and laid-back. It would also help to code-switch to the audience of the bands playing that night so that you seem more relatable. However, when it is just me and Aaron working in the afternoons, there is a lot of attentiveness and communication needed to get through the work-day.
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Blog 2: Networking
Begin by interviewing 2-3 of your coworkers with the following 3 questions (about 10 minutes of their time). Time allowing: feel free to ask them more questions to get to know them better. Following the interviews answer the questions below for Blog 2.
Interview questions:
Did you study art after high school? Art or traditional college? Internship or apprenticeship? – Yes, I went to college at CU Denver, studying film production and music industry studies. I graduated with a BFA in filmmaking, and took what basically amounted to a minor in music industry studies with an emphasis on technology and business.
How did you get your first job in the creative industries? – My first job in the industry was working for a local film production company in Denver, and I got the job because the owner of the company had also been one of my professors at CU Denver in the film program. However, in the current field in which I’m working (the music industry), I got involved with running 7th Circle by having been a volunteer in the collective group of people who ran the venue before it changed hands and was turned over to me.
If you were in an intern in this field, where would you focus your learning during your internship? What is the most important learning one can do when beginning a career in this profession? – I would say to focus one’s learning on whichever aspect of the profession is most interesting to the intern, however it’s also very beneficial to learn as much as one can about the other aspects of the industry as well, because you might just find that another aspect is just as interesting to you as the one you initially had interest in (if not more-so). For example, I started out in the music industry very interested in live sound engineering, and learned everything I could about mixing live sound at concerts, however along the way, I realized I was also just as interested in booking bands and lineups for shows, so now I do both of those things equally in running 7th Circle.
(Time allowing) Is there anything interesting about you that is non-work related that you would like to tell me about? Hobbies or interests? – Likes to shoot video at any show he attends, for the sake of documentation, loves avocado toast with apples for breakfast.
Blog Question # 2: What co-workers did you interview? Did your co-workers study art after high school either through higher education or internships/apprenticeships? What recommendations did they have for what you should try to learn as an intern in this field? Did they have any advice on how to begin your creative career? Did you learn anything interesting about your co-workers that was non-work related?
I interviewed the owner of Seventh Circle and also the one whom I primarily work with. His name is Aaron Saye.
After high school, Aaron furthered his knowledge for the entertainment/art industry when studied the filmmaking and music industry at CU Denver, where he met a professor that was later introduced him to his first creative job. Aaron wanted to be in the video aspect of art at first. His first creative job was at a local film production company. Although he was initially interested in videography, he enjoyed going to concerts at the venue in which he now owns.
Seventh Circle used to have a different name, however, the purpose and contribution to society all remained the same. He was handed down the job as the former owner decided to step down. As a fan and supporter of the venue, Aaron knew that the venue had to be kept alive. He also knew that he would be the perfect candidate for the job. His organized mind, his professional manner, and his abundance of higher education for the music industry, all contributed to his success that he now is well respected and known for.
The useful advice Aaron gave me as an intern is to try new things and know every part of the industry that I can. For example, if I want to produce concerts, I better know how to work the sound, etc… He said that is always better to know than to not when trying to run an industry.
Aside from the internship and music industry, I learned that Aaron maintains a healthy diet and lifestyle. Which I found very interesting because the usual stereotype of someone who works in a venue or around production of any sort is usually unhealthy, on drugs, and/or an alcoholic. His health is very important to him. He is also vegetarian! Yay.
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Blog Question #3 How do your actions affect your workplace? Are you able to be mindful and bring a good attitude when you come to your internship? Do you contribute positively?
Do you feel like you have a good work ethic so far? How do your co-workers actions affect your internship? Are you beginning to develop any work place friendships?
My actions have a big impact on the workplace because I am directly talking to and handling potential clients. The clients are artists looking to book a show or be added on to a show at the music venue. So, this requires my full attention and focus to make sure that I get the dates right and pair them with another band(s) that make musically sense in order to have a good show. So, it is apart of my responsibility to make sure that people are getting booked and their chance to perform at Seventh Circle.
I am definitely mindful and able to bring a positive attitude when I go to the venue because it is truly a relaxing space. If I am having a bad day or something is bothering me, being there at the venue with Aaron and occasionally others, allows me to forget about the negative of that day and enjoy the company and work I am doing there. Aaron is super laid-back and our personalities match really well together.
I believe as if I do contribute positively, just because I don’t necessarily contribute negatively. Aaron is such a busy guy who is dealing with 40 different things at once that all relate to the venue, so, being able to relieve some stress and weight off of him is definitely a positive impact on both of us.
I feel as if my work-ethic is okay so far. I usually have a very strict work-ethic at a regular paid-job, but I slipped into thinking that since this is only an internship and Aaron being such a laid-back guy, gives an excuse for me to slack off, check my phone more than usual, etc… However, I’ve noticed this and plan to change this habit. I want to make a long-lasting impression on Aaron.
Typically, it is just me and Aaron when I’m doing my internship. However, a former intern, Leslie, joined back and is going to start helping with booking shows on Wednesdays. It’s always good to have an extra helping hand; but, sometimes it leaves me with nothing to do. I learn a lot from them both being there, so in the end, I appreciate it more than not.
Workplace friends are considered as Aaron, Leslie, and any other volunteers that I interact/work with. The energy is always positive between them and I feel comfortable and safe to go to them for any questions or problems.
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Blog Question #4: Freestyle blog week. Write your own blog prompt about your internship, then answer it in 200-250 words
Prompt: What has this internship brought you so far?
I have been more than thankful for this internship and the opportunities that it has already presented me. In the short period of time of doing this, I would have never thought that I would be offered opportunities as the ones that I have. I told Aaron my interests and what I would like to explore more and without hesitation, he introduced me and got me connected with a production manager for AEG – a huge event and entertainment company. The production manager gave me a list of shows that I could shadow them at. Including the most popular venues in the Denver area. I was so excited about this that it gave me a burst of excitement for the future working in this industry. I shadowed them for a show that I was really interested in already and they gave me the run down about what they do, how they started in the industry, etc… From this, I met people that are going to get me started. I joined the Denver AEG street team. The street team is the real-life marketing for venues and shows. I am more than excited to get this journey started and none of this would have happened without the help of this internship program and specifically Aaron.
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Blog Question #5 How do you feel like your internship is going so far? What are the highlights? What are the challenges? Do you feel like you are making connections with your co-workers? Are you using your internship inspired project as a creative connection between you and your supervisor? What can you do to improve your experience?
So far, my internship at Seventh Circle is going steady and what Aaron and I do is pretty routine now. Which is, read emails and book shows.
The highlights are the amount of knowledge and experience that I have been able to gain from doing this. As stated before, Aaron is really well-connected and has presented me to people that have already been able to get my foot in the door which is more than I could have ever asked for or thought was going to happen.
The only challenge has been my change of schedule. I recently started a second job and with me still being in school, I am always super busy and flustered. So, sometimes it is hard to schedule a time with Aaron but he’s very flexible and willing to work with me.
My only co-workers are technically Aaron and Leslie. When we are all together, we are constantly laughing, sharing stories, etc… If we know that one of us is having a rough time or just a bad day, we pick up on it and are able to talk about it and ease the mood somewhat. I am super thankful that the co-workers I have are such light-hearted and relatable.
So far, Aaron and I have only set a date for my project so we have not really talked in depth about what it’s going to look like or who I’m booking. It is a little stressful to pick out artists that I know and lock in a date because people are always changing schedules.
To make my experience better, I have found that writing everything that I want to go over or accomplish down on a piece of paper before I go in for my internship is going to get a lot done and make my time with Aaron more sufficient.
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Blog Question #6 End of the quarter check- in. OK to do 150 words this week. Please do an inventory of your hours completed up until now and make sure your electronic time card is updated coming into the end of the quarter. How are you doing so far on completing your hours? Do you have the amount of hours complete that you should have at this point in the internship? If you are behind on your hours, what is your plan to make up the hours you are missing? How are you doing with the challenge of maintaining your intern work schedule? Are you using your google calendar to keep track of your intern schedule and homework assignments? Is there any other challenge you feel the Internship Program Director should be aware of at the end of the first half of your internship?
It has been relatively smooth and easy for gaining the hours that I need. I know that I am well-over what I need which is nice because if I need a week off, I am able to do that.
The challenge of maintaining my schedule is continuous and a hassle but I get everything that needs to be done when it needs to be. Aaron is super flexible with the way he and I can work which is a huge advantage of working with him. We typically meet Wednesday and Thursday from 1:30 to 4:30 which fluctuates depending on our schedules.
On the topic of using the google calendar, I have a hard time maintaining it because I always forget to. I like writing everything done so all of my scheduled things in my daily life are written down on my personal calendar and not my google calendar. I know that it would not hurt at all to update the calendar, so something I will work on is putting it in to use.
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Blog Question #7: What is your favorite part of working on personal art projects? What challenges do you face on personal art projects? What have you learned about working in a creative business? What is your favorite part of working in a creative business? What is the difference between working on personal art and working in a creative business? *(Please read below now in preparation for Blog 8)
No Blog Next Week- you will need to use the week to work on your Internship Inspired Project in preparation for blog 8. You cannot write blog 8 if you have not talked to your supervisor about your internship project. Make talking to your supervisor about the project #1 priority if that hasn’t happened.
My favorite part about working on personal art projects is to see myself so in tune with my brain and myself in general. I love seeing the work I am capable of and putting my own brand on to things; it is truly powerful to see yourself in this light. A challenge that I often face with my personal art projects is the fact that I want everything to be perfect. Obviously, not everything can be perfect but I become very frustrated when things do not go the way that I want them to, from there I end up wanting to give up, which is bad.
I have a learned a lot about working in a creative business. Some of the things include the amount of problem solving skills needed in order to truly solve a problem in the work space, how to interact with other young creatives and the patience that it takes to work together and most of all, how successful your business will be is determined not only on your creativity but the way you can adapt to everything and everyone. My favorite part about working in a creative business is the people that I get to be around. They all share the same interest and vision as me which is extremely important to me.
The differences between working on personal art and working in a creative business are very slim. When you work in a creative business, all projects become personal art. Yes, when you do personal art you are making up entirely what you produce as you go along, while in a creative business there is a collective art project that everyone must work on together, however, you must put your own touch in it in order to produce the best work.
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Blog Question #8 :
How is your internship project going? Describe the progress of your project. How did the conversation about your project go with your sponsor? (If you haven’t discussed the project with your sponsor yet, how do you plan to do so?) Did they have good insights into how to improve or expand the project? How does your project bridge what you do at your internship and what you like to create for yourself? Has your relationship with your sponsor evolved as you have engaged in a creative dialogue about your project? Are there any challenges you are experiencing planning or doing your project?
As of now, my internship project is on the right track. Aaron and I have a date set up for June 10th and I have about 8-10 different local artists that are interested in performing. Aaron is actually the one who mentioned and recommended me to host and book my own show. So, the conversation about getting it together went very well. From what I have learned thus far, hip-hop shows require the less amount of work and time so Aaron mentioned to include a variety of artists as they usually have shorter sets. My project directly bridges what I do at my internship to my personal interests. I have worked at booking shows and overlooking concert productions for the past four months and have fell in love with the way it works. So, hosting and booking my own show is going to be insane and I am very excited to carry it out. My relationship with Aaron grows everytime that I discuss my goals related to my art because he gives me so much valuable insight and resources to make them possible. He has truly shown me how to ask for help and appreciate it. The only challenges that I expect to arise are confirming shows with artists and not having anybody bail. However, with the number of artists interested, I’m sure everything will run smoothly. I am looking forward to getting the community together for a night to celebrate music and have a good time.
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Blog Question #9 What have you seen or experienced in your internship that has inspired you the most on your own artistic journey? Has this experience changed your artistic ambitions? How? Have you used this experience to diversify your skill set? What skills have you added?
There have been so many overwhelming experiences that I have had the opportunity to witness. For now, it is safe to say that I probably wouldn’t have been accepted into my dream college if it weren’t for joining this internship and all of the opportunities that it has offered me. After being surrounded by production managers for big entertainment companies, house managers for the Denver’s most popular venues, all of the technical engineers, the crowd, the touring bands and many more, I have become inspired to keep pushing for this career at a higher level and follow what I love doing. I have learned so much throughout this journey with things such as communication, language, positions, and how it all comes together in the end. I have also taken notes on how many personal skills that I already possess show success in this industry such as my communication, optimism, and empathy. I truly feel like I am finally doing something that I am supposed to.
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Blog Question #10 : Has this experience been a rewarding one for you? Why or Why not (keep it positive, if you had negative experiences, focus on what you learned- make yourself look good!)? How has the reality of your internship matched or contrasted with your expectations? What is the most important learning you did during your internship?
This experience has been more than rewarding for me. I truly would have never thought that I would get as much as I would out of this. First, I gained insight into a potential career choice, I found a newfound passion, I networked with very influential people, I gained experience credit, I am in the process of establishing myself, and most of all have had a lot of fun. My expectations of this internship, in the beginning, was not big. Since I was interning with a smaller capacity DIY venue, I was afraid that I wasn’t going to get a good idea of what I should be doing. However, Aaron connected me to a new world of possibility that I would have never expected to happen. I know that my expectations started out extremely low and hopeless and turned into one of the greatest decisions of my life thus far. The most important thing that I learned was definitely to not be afraid of asking for help. I have always been timid and overall scared to ask anyone for anything and especially working in an industry that is presumed to be cutthroat. I thought that I had to do everything for myself with no help. What I learned was that although personal success is rooted from how hard that you personally work, people are willing to help along the way and their help may be the one thing that you need to get that extra push.
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Spring 18 Updated Syllabus:
Bringing Back the Arts Student Syllabus spring 18