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Cyber Security as a Millennial

What’s My Age Again?

Yup, I just finished my last first day of classes, EVER (unless I go to grad school… fingers crossed, but that’s another story). ANYWAYS, Where do I even start? I don’t really have the words right now for three and a half years of college, that’s probably because this whole thing hasn’t hit me yet. It probably won’t hit me until I put on my purple cap and gown on. This moment seemed so far away. It feels as if yesterday I said goodbye to my parents and Matthew and said hello to a tiny air-conditionless dorm room and communal bathrooms. But alas, that first day is long gone and as of 1:45 today I said good bye to the first day of the last semester of my college career. I must say, it’s been a good run. Sure, there were some low moments. I really wish I could recall them all… getting used to school was no easy feat. From high-level classes to less-than-manageable living spaces to the frigid cold town of Harrisonburg, I thought I would be 100 percent ready to say goodbye to “the best four years of my life.”  That all sounds good on the surface level, but who am I kidding. The real world is now staring at me and as I sit here after my first day of classes (which actually may be my hardest 9 credits)  I’m  not ready to meet adulthood. There won’t be another time in my life when all of my best friends are within a couple hundred yards of my front door. It’s pretty hard to not let that bring me down. It is reassuring to know that the people I love always will stay in my life, because I will  make the effort. Always have with my high-school friends and you bet I will do the same with my college friends.

Artist Management

When I hear the words “artist management” the main ideas that come to mind are: why do artists need managers, the qualifications of managers, the artist-manager relationship, and the importance of merchandising and touring. So, the million-dollar question, “Why do artist’s need a manager?” Artists need a manger to help them avoid the hazards of the lifestyle of the rich and famous. I personally haven’t been in that position but I see the lives of artists and bands in magazines or on E! News with an infamous light shined on them. If they had proper guidance from their managers, they may have avoided the media. A manager is there to handle the nitty gritty details; artists should focus on their craft not the business of it if they want to be successful. Another reason why an artist needs a manager is because you cannot make it on talent alone. We all know many artists and or bands that have the talent but lack in exposure. Managers are the gatekeepers! They are the clearing house for information. They have connections with record companies, public relations firms, record producers, etc. Today, connections are everything, if you have a referral that is huge. That’s not just the case in the music industry but any industry for that matter. Mangers may occasionally reach out to an artist, but nine times out of ten they base prospective artists off referrals through friends and colleagues in the industry. This reaffirms the importance of networking and persistence in the music industry, as we learned countless times in class this semester. The qualifications of a manger go hand in hand with why a manager is necessary for an artist. In class, some of the qualifications of a manager. A manager is a “mover” and a “shaker” they get stuff done no questions asked, “no way forward, make a way around.” Managers are creators not reactors. They are proactive about their work, they are realistic but visionary, and often they have dual professions like a lawyer. Lastly, they are a musician’s helper more so than a career architect. Again, they handle the small details, it’s up to the artist to craft the work. The artist—manager relationship varies artist to artist, manager to manager. Some managers prefer to keep things arm’s length; others consider their artist their best friend and vice versa. From my interview with an artist manager recently, Rishon Blumberg of Brick Wall and 10x Management, I learned that having a good balance of the business and friend aspect is key. I think that business comes first. When the friendship component becomes overpowering business, lines can get blurred and the result is conflict and that’s not healthy for the artist or manager. The next point I would like to talk about is the importance of merchandising and touring. There are two types of merch. There is retail merch, so like Hot Topic. Then there is live touring so concerts. The simple answer to merchandising is give the people what they want. I’ve been to so many concerts and love getting a shirt or hat from each. I just went to Maroon 5 in October and I didn’t get a shirt because their designs were so crazy. The goal is to present the product in a way that enhances the artist’s popularity rather than what diminishes it. My next and last point to talk about is touring. Touring is the most essential part of an artist’s career. But there are a few things to remember, an artist must be a working act, touring has gotten more expensive, and it can be draining for the whole team. On the other hand, it’s an irreplaceable event and the right performance will create fans for life. It has a direct impact on album sales, it may be expensive but you can make that money back in merch if not more. Touring also helps sustain an artist’s career, especially if they haven’t come out with a single in a while. As a manager, you need a few objectives for touring: promote album, work a certain market, follow up on successful single, reintroduce the band, and of course make money! I enjoy this aspect because it related first hand to my internships at WRNR 103.1 radio and Ram’s Head.

Cyber Security from a College Student’s Perspective

Biggest Weakness

I feel that being an (almost) recent college graduate is my biggest weakness. It’s early December of my senior year, final exams and projects are consuming me, but so is the job hunt. I know what I want in a job and the phrase that has lowered my confidence in the past is “Minimum of 1-4 years’ experience in the area of _____.” I experienced this first hand last summer. I was lucky enough to get to a third round interview for an iHeartMedia digital/marketing part-time position. I left school in the middle of the week to go home for an in person interview with the company. I traveled three hours for a 20 minute- long interview. At the end of the interview I was given the impression that everything went smoothly and I felt more than confident that I landed the job. A week later I received a rejection email. I was in awe, I replied back, “Thank you for your time, I really enjoyed coming up to meet you and your team, just curious as to what the other candidates may have had that I did not? What can I work on?” The manager that interviewed me, emailed me back very nicely, “We just thought you were too young for the position, we encourage you to apply again at a later time.” It really hurt me at the time and I was confused for a while, but I ended up getting another job that summer that had similar qualifications when it came to experience level. This taught me that it’s okay to set the bar really high, don’t settle for something if you think you’re capable of much more.

#ImWithYou

What is a leader?

So what is the definition of a leader? Most would associate traits like intelligence, resilience, endurance, and goal-oriented, the “book” definition of a leader. Such traits are important, but there is more to being a successful leader. Often overlooked is the list of humbler, personal qualities. Through a personal experience I learned that these kind of aspects are more essential. A person is not born a leader, but sure there are those who possess natural leadership qualities. Executive Vice President of the GPHA, Scott Brunner said it best. “Virtually no one come out of the womb equipped to be a good volunteer leader, but while few are ingrained with an innate ability to lead, the skills can be learned.” During my internship this summer I learned something along these lines. I worked with other interns my age and we collaborated with each other on almost every assignment. In any group situation, school or in the real world, there is always that one person who takes action and initiates the first conversation, in my eyes that’s a natural born leader. While working with one set of interns, there was a girl who did just that. Most of my group did not like the authoritarian approach that she took, too much control in one person’s hands, she rarely relied on support from the rest of the group. Overall I think this approach is one of the worst, because it just doesn’t create a healthy environment and there is no collaboration involved. On the other hand, I worked with another set of interns where there was not a set person as the “leader,” no one took more initiative than the other, so it was more of a democratic approach. Every day there was a new “leader” in that group, everyone was able to bounce their creative ideas off one another. Overall it was more functional than the other group I worked with, we produced better work and were better leaders.