At Music Matters, we love the opportunity to pass along our knowledge and skillsets on to the next generation of industry professionals. We find that it’s the only way to truly become acquainted with the industry and acquire the skills necessary to move forward with any position in production. Because of this ‘hands-on’ approach, we’ve found that internships are a great way for people to start learning the ropes and discovering if a career in production is a viable path forward. 

Music Matters has worked with several schools and organizations to find interns who are a great fit, including Well Dunn.

The mission of the Well Dunn Foundation is to provide internships to students with volunteer experience who exhibit talent and drive coupled with an aspiration to become tomorrow’s leaders in the entertainment industry.  Music Matters has had several interns come to us from Well Dunn, including two of our current team members, Savannah Gaskin and Taryn Antrobus. Both started at Music Matters as interns through the Well Dunn organization and have worked their way up to full-time status.

Want to know what it’s really like to take on an internship at MMP? We took some time to sit down with the ladies and chat about their experiences.

MMP: When did you first intern with Music Matters?

Taryn Antrobus (TA): I started in the summer of 2017.

Savannah Gaskin (SG): I began my internship in 2017 as well.

MMP: What was your intern experience like? 

TA: When I came into the office I knew nothing about live music production. I hadn’t even thought of working in live events until having the internship with Music Matters. I fell in love with every piece of the puzzle, from the physical aspect of building the stage to the creative impact of a good color scheme. Day-to-day looked different as my skill set grew but most days I would work with Aaron 1 on 1 going over how the business was growing and taking on assistant responsibilities. There was always room for expansion. If I knew how to operate a lighting board, I could jump into learning the LED systems we have etc. The learning environment that MMP provided is something I cherish to this day. They were always open and willing to help me learn the tools I needed to become proficient in the production world.

SG: I didn’t exactly know what I wanted to do in the industry until my mentor at the time, Amanda, pulled me into the video and LED world. My day-to-day was different almost every day and that’s what I loved about it. I could go from repairing cables and pixels to building a massive video wall at a music festival. I realized that the position wasn’t a 9-5 desk job- it was unique. Sometimes that meant working 20 hours straight till the job was done but I realized that this is what I wanted to do with my career. I worked extremely hard to learn as much as I possibly could from Amanda for 3 years and then eventually worked my way up into a video lead position.

MMP: Tell us a little bit about your position with Music Matters today.

TA: I am currently working in the office on the business development and bookkeeping side of the company. I now work on the financial end of things and get to retain much more knowledge about the project management side of the company. I still go to as many shows as I can and put myself in the live music environment as frequently as possible!

SG: I am now freelancing with several different companies including Music Matters and I’m currently on tour with Lil Baby as his LED lead.  For a quick day-to-day in my current position, I am living on a tour bus and start loading in at 7 AM, sound check at 2 PM, show at 7 PM, Load out till 3 AM, get on the tour bus and go to the next city, repeat. It’s a hectic schedule and I barely sleep…but it’s worth it!

MMP: How do you think the intern experience helped you get where you are today?

TA: There were a lot of life skills I learned through my internship at MMP. Because of the fast-paced environment that is the production industry, I learned the importance of time management, staying on top of a team, communication skills, being detail-oriented and so much more. I’m so happy that I stumbled across Well Dunn when I did. They, along with MMP gave me a chance, a beginning in this industry and for that I will be forever grateful to them and their service to the music community. 

SG: If it weren’t for Well Dunn and Music Matters I probably wouldn’t even know what a cat5 cable is. Music Matters helped me grow as an employee and I truly learned from the best. I would not be where I am today if I never thought to veer away from what I originally thought I wanted to do. I wanted to be passionate about what I was doing and can’t thank Well Dunn and Music Matters enough.

For more information about internships through Well Dunn, check out their website, welldunn.org