Students learn about music career opportunities at ‘All Access Fest’ – Daily News

A career in the music industry can be difficult if you don’t know where to start.

But Angelique Ceron, a sophomore at Lawndale High School, had a head start on Wednesday, April 26 when she attended Music Forward Foundationat the free job fair at The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.

“All Access Festival” round tables, hands-on technical learning stations and access to industry professionals from various major entertainment companies, including Meta, Interscope Records, Dolby, Disney and the Recording Academy.

“I mainly came for the networking and to see the types of programs open to students my age,” Ceron said. “You can see all the different branches you can work in, whether it’s upstream or behind the scenes.”

The event, which has been sidelined by the pandemic for three years, targets students aged 16-24 in underserved communities looking to network and navigate their way into the music industry. . And there are many opportunities that some students are probably unaware of.

Nurit Smith, executive director of Music Forward, said the industry panels offer students insight into the “spectrum” of live music and entertainment.

“We get people to understand that theater careers are a path, for example,” she said. “There are opportunities with music labels, publishing, artist management, touring, brand marketing and audio engineering.”

Students and teachers came from various high schools, community colleges, and universities across Southern California, including Lawndale High School, Long Beach City College, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, and UCLA, among others.

They were able to rub shoulders with various industry professionals, including Rickey Minor, former musical director of the Oscars, Grammys and Kennedy Center Honors as well as the Tonight Show.

Smith said the music industry, like many others, is struggling to fill vacancies.

“Between the impacts of COVID-19 and an aging demographic within the industry, there is a shortage of manpower,” she said. “Our efforts are driven by fairness and exclusivity. Many companies understand that to stay strong you need to have a more inclusive workforce. »

Marc Nieves, a senior from Lawndale High, said he wanted to explore the technology side of the business, including sound mixing and stage setup. But her real passion is singing.

“We have a stage band program at school where we form our own bands, and we just did a show for the town,” he said. “I just remember being up there on that stage and showing everyone who I was and saying my name…it just makes me feel like I belong there- down.”

The Music Forward Foundation, part of the House of Blues family and Live Nation Entertainment, is working with the California Department of Education to expand the music curriculum in schools beyond band and orchestra to include courses that prepare students for careers in the arts, entertainment, and music. the fields.

“We would like to see sequential courses that start as early as middle school and really ramp up in high school,” she said. “We want to be more attentive to young people who identify with this path.”

Manuel Moran, vice president of Latin programming at Live Nation, said there are definite career opportunities, including opportunities in marketing, touring and event production.

“A lot of students have an idea of ​​what they want to do, but they need guidance on who to call, what the expectations are, and if it’s an environment they’ll feel comfortable in,” said- he declared.

Moran said the music industry requires a different kind of commitment.

“You have to be passionate about music and know that your life has a different dynamic than any other job,” he said. “I remember when I first wanted to be part of the industry. There weren’t a lot of people to talk to back then.

Ceron, who is interested in the music or film industries, has that kind of passion.

“I’ve always had music in my life,” said the 15-year-old Lawndale resident. “My mother used to say that I sang before I could speak. I always wanted to be on stage to entertain and bring joy to people.