Sean discusses a project with his supervisor at Atlantic Records

While attending NYU Los Angeles, students from across the University enroll in the Experiential Learning Seminar. Taught by entertainment and media industry professionals, the seminar focuses on key areas like production, business, and criticism. A requirement of the NYU Los Angeles program, the seminar pairs classroom learning with real-world experience to integrate professional development and relevant research and debate and expand students’ understanding of how these industries work.

Discovering New Aspirations

Sean Kelly, a Music Business major and recording artist, has always been interested in the arts. In his first year at NYU, he fell in love with the business side of the industry while learning about record contracts and royalties. He knew NYU Los Angeles was the right place to augment his academic work with professional experience. As soon as Sean was admitted to the program, he applied for internships at his dream companies, one of which was the Warner Music Group. Atlantic Records, a label under Warner Music Group, hired him, and he was thrilled to be a sales and streaming intern.

Sean Kelly

Sean worked with various departments to ensure projects were ready for release and tracked streaming performance across channels. “Sitting in meetings gave me the scoop on how different departments function,” he says. “Communication and flexibility are huge skills to have in the music industry, and they’re ones I developed on the job.”

The internship reinforced Sean’s love for the music industry, but it also taught him about new positions and departments he didn’t know existed. “I definitely have new aspirations because of my deeper understanding of how labels operate,” he says. “I left LA with new career prospects and goals as well as completely new passions and interests.”

Building a Network

Margo Resnik

Margo Resnik, Tisch School of the Arts Class of 2022, majored in Cinema Studies and knew she wanted to work in the film industry. But she also craved a role that would include analysis and history. After transferring from a community college in Santa Monica, CA, to NYU, she spent a year in New York City and then realized NYU Los Angeles would be a better fit for her goals: to be close to the film industry and graduate early.

Finding an internship in the competitive Los Angeles market wasn’t easy, but Margo credits NYU Los Angeles with making the process as smooth as possible. “They have a running list of new and upcoming postings that is updated daily, and they use every connection they have to help introduce you to different companies and people,” she says. Margo’s hard work and patience paid off when Artist Publishing Group hired her as a marketing intern last fall. During the internship, Margo learned many practical skills, but the relationships she formed were more important to her. “My boss was so incredibly helpful,” she says. “I’m still in contact with him, and he regularly reaches out to see how I am doing and provide me with leads for potential jobs. The entire experience has shown me there are people in this industry who truly want to help you.” 

Written by Kristin Maffei