I went to my first concert when I was 15. Against my better judgment, and to my mother’s anxiety, my dad dropped me off at the venue, alone, as I had told my parents that I would be meeting up with my friends. What they didn’t know is that I would be meeting up with my friends INSIDE the General Admission 5,500 capacity outdoor venue. Long story short, I found my friends, and in a roundabout way found my passion. I remember the feeling of first discovering the collective joy and community that a packed pit brings. I spent many nights after that attending any concerts that were in the drivable distance of my small city in the midwestern center of the United States.
It was memories of these live event nights that I hung on to and longed for deeply in the days of quarantine 2020. As I searched for my joy in times of reflection, in between tiger king episodes and whipped coffee, I always went back to videos and pictures of concerts of days past.
As I reflected on these images of joy, I also reflected on what I wanted my life to look like when we exited the world of lockdown. While my degree I’m working on is in international relations, I found myself increasingly drawn to the idea that I wanted my life to exist in the world of live events, more than the world of international politics. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy learning about international events, but I realized that my joy was in live events, and my future was creating this joy for others through working in the live music industry. However, as I realized this career path switch, I realized I had no idea how to find a place within my new desire. Just as I had marched into my first concert with no understanding of what I was doing besides a belief that I was going to enjoy the music, I realized I needed to march into the music industry with the understanding that I had the skills to navigate the industry and find my place and community. This meant I needed to be brave a simply jump into any opportunity I could that would help me find my place and my joy.
I started by looking into what I could do on my university campus that would give me experience in any aspect of the music industry. I searched lists of clubs at my University, looking for creative and musical outlets where I could join communities of music lovers and expand my understanding of the industry. I applied to write for the student radio station as a music blogger and reviewer. In this space, I found others who could introduce me to new ideas, and interests within the music industry. I found that when you follow your passions, you fall into new places with others from who you can learn and grow.
I also found that I did not have to try all new things. Because the music industry is so multi-disciplinary and vast, I could take current involvements and include my passion into them. In the semester before Spring 2020, I had been a writer for the education law column for my university’s pre-law journal. As much I loved education law, I knew that entertainment law was an area the journal could expand into, and I could learn and grow in. Starting in the Fall of 2021 the journal added an Entertainment law column that I lead as head editor. Not only did my push for this column helps me grow my understanding of music law, but also created a space where four other students on campus could grow in their passion for music through writing article for the column. This showed me that when we advocate for communities where we can foster our passions, we can help uplift others around us.
Even though I’ve been to more concerts than I can count, I still get giddy every time I walk through the doors of the show. The anticipation of the joy, community, and enjoyment of a concert will never get old. I know that as I continue to work towards my career desire to work these shows, my anticipation and excitement of walking through the doors will only grow. As I learn more and understand the skills behind live music production, my understanding of the hard work that goes into these communities will only deepen in respect and appreciation. It is that understanding that continues to drive me to jump into new spaces and involvements that will lead me to that understanding.