“Since beginning the internship in August, my whole life has changed. In a span of almost two months, I have begun an incredible and priceless education in the concert industry, being able to take the first steps towards professionally developing my career. Before starting the program, I had been independently organizing shows, with limited resources to understand how to properly and efficiently pull my events together.

Since then I’ve had hands-on experience through shadow shifts, workshops and industry tours that have equipped me with the knowledge of industry professionals and personal experience in the live music industry. The program has also given me a trajectory to concentrate on talent buying, which I’ve been able to identify through learning about the different positions within The Theatre.

In addition to the resources that Theatre is able to provide, I’ve also found that there is a vast network within my own cohort! Being able to work with my peers outside of the structured environment has only furthered and improved my personal musical endeavors, and has brought me closer to some really amazing people.”

Stella grew up in the Bay Area all her life, specifically Oakland. Since being a young child, she had fond memories of spending time at the local Lake Merritt and enjoying the diversity within the beautiful city. She’s currently an upcoming senior in high school, excited about what’s ahead and eager to keep learning and growing.

The reason why she is interested in working in the concert industry is because she is drawn to elements of the industry such as entertainment, passion, and creativity. By joining the CCP program, her aspirations are to grow as a person alongside others who share similar interests and explore what it takes to be in the entertainment world. She has a deep love for music and is interested to be more involved in what happens behind the scenes at concerts.

"My experience in the Concert Career Pathways program so far has really helped me fine tune what I’d like my role(s) to be in the music industry. Shadow shifts like community engagement, talent buying, FOH manager, and community development have given me insights on what a regular day looks like for folks in these positions, which makes it feel more achievable and gratifying.

The other people in the program have also been amazing to build connections with, and learn more about how they already connect to the music industry and where they’d like to go. I’m excited to see how we all utilize this program to support diverse communities' upward mobility in the music industry."

“Not that I had any doubt in my mind, but the CCP has proved to be a worthwhile experience for me, a 23-year-old college graduate who seems to be at the older end of this cohort. So far, I have met so many amazing people from a variety of different backgrounds, gained insight from people who work in my field of interest (Marketing), but also gained new perspectives pertaining to other fields I had never considered (FOH Admin) because everyone at the UC Theatre, whether associated with the CCP or not, possesses something unique and engaging to bring to the table.

I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to work so closely with a non-profit music venue that offers CCPs industry tours of other venues, informational shadow shifts where we can learn more about specific roles during operation, and hands-on experience which is beneficial to working in the industry. Not only have I embarked on a journey of self-growth from my own personal standpoint, but we can also watch those in our fellow cohort hone their skills and learn from their examples and grow together.

Although we still have a ways to go in the program, I intend to keep giving it my all and really work toward achieving the goals I set for myself and ultimately continue to develop myself as a professional in this industry.”