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Four Auburn students accept competitive music internships in Nashville

This summer, four Auburn University students will live and learn in Nashville while they complete internships at a record label, booking agency, major tour and music marketing firm.

Cat Hall, who is pursuing a double major in commercial music and exercise science, interns with Creative Artists Agency, or CAA. At the Nashville office, Hall said she’s fulfilling a dream to work for a renowned booking agency and paving the way to work at a label or agency upon graduation.

“I have always been drawn to music creatively, and as my experience grew, I realized how I could play a vital role to the business side of the industry,” Hall said. “I am excited to learn about the role that music agents play in the industry, as well as making connections with likeminded, creative individuals while in Nashville.”

Oakley Holmes, rising senior in public relations, serves as a promotions intern for Universal Music Group, a premier music corporation comprised of music’s most influential labels that span the globe.

“I wanted this internship because it has been my dream to work at this company since I figured out my passion for music and concerts could be a career,” Holmes said. “Through this internship, I hope to learn about the different roles in record labels and their duties. I also hope to gain connections in the industry and further knowledge to be successful in music business.”

Livvie Moral, rising senior in public relations, will spend the summer touring across North America with Grammy Award-winning artist James Taylor. She connected with Chip Johnson, Taylor’s tour manager, after he spoke to one of Moral’s music business classes and she inquired about being a production assistant for Tisbury Tours.

“Every tour is different, but the bones are the same industry wide. Being familiar with how things are done and getting more and more comfortable working with people will help me further down the road in my career,” Moral said. “Since being on the road, I’ve gotten to see a little bit of what that looks like and how that is different from production, where I’ve been working. Both are interesting and exciting. I’d love to continue on the road after graduation and see where that eventually leads.”

And David Putman, rising junior in finance, is interning with 615 Leverage + Strategy. In this role, Putman assists the marketing firm with strategic partnerships for events and artists.

“This job was particularly attractive to me because they have clients from multiple different areas from the music industry: labels, artists, streaming/radio, festivals, etc.,” Putman said. “This gives me a great opportunity to get a lot of hands-on experience, get involved in some cool projects and have a big impact on the day-to-day. I'm open to any path that can set me up for success and contribute positively to the development of art and music everywhere.”

Department of Music Chair Rick Good credits these competitive internship placements to Auburn’s commercial music curriculum, which focuses on several aspects of the global, multibillion-dollar music industry. The program prepares students for the music industry by facilitating hands-on work, hosting special music business guest speakers and offering courses focused on the work of record labels and touring.

The commercial music program is made up of renowned faculty with expertise in studio, recorded and live music, and business. The program also offers a focus on composing for video games and songwriting. This fall, it will unveil a state-of-the-art recording studio on campus.

“We recognized the need for a degree focused on the music business several years ago,” Good said. “We heard from students that this type of study focus that could lead to a sustainable career in an industry they were passionate about was something Auburn was missing, and we listened. Our intention is to continue to grow this curriculum and create a music business program that is second to none and all located here at Auburn University.”

For more information about the Department of Music at Auburn University, visit here.

Tags: Music Communication and Journalism