“I’ve been wanting to work in the music industry for a while, so going into college, I knew that's what I wanted to do,” says Krista Barry, who has long held a passion for music.
It’s a passion that led her to take on internships at local management groups in Colorado, such as 11e1even and 7S, to become a college representative for Warner Music and to found CU Boulder’s student-run “Crave the Sound” music blog. Now, in the summer before her senior year, Barry took on dual internships at one of the world’s largest record companies hoping it would put her even closer to a career in the music industry.
Instead of just one summer job at Warner Music Group in Los Angeles, Barry opted for two at separate labels under the Warner brand. At Warner Bros. Records, Barry worked in the artist and repertoire department where she was responsible for talent scouting, artist development, new artist research, creating playlists and pitching new artists to her bosses. At Atlantic Records, she worked in publicity, combing the internet to find which news outlets were reporting on Atlantic’s press releases. She also researched music blogs across the country and reached out to them to see if they could publish the label’s news. “It’s been a crazy summer,” she said.
A Colorado native, Barry was thrilled to work in LA, the music and entertainment capital of the world, where she got to attend countless concerts, including informal performances by Warner artists in the company’s backyard.
As a student majoring in public relations at CU Boulder, she was excited to work for a large music label and gain experience from the seasoned industry professionals. “I feel like it’s been a really good experience actually being able to pitch artists and getting honest feedback from my boss and that’s so helpful.”
After all the hard work and fun in LA, she returned to Boulder for her senior year, better-prepared to take on the challenges of working in the music industry. Barry’s advice for students looking for internships: seize your chances while you can still “take advantage of being a student. Take advantage of this opportunity to intern at your dream place.”