Week 1 Project: My Full Sail Story
Updated: Feb 9, 2021
Before I started Full Sail, I was a WPUNJ Media Production grad and was freelancing working with up-and-coming local musicians. I had always thought that I wanted to work within the music industry, and originally went to school for it. But then I realized that the Music Business program at the first college I attended was not at all what they made it out to be. At the first school I attended as a Music Business major they made it out to be as if we were going to learn about music business, but we were learning about business and taking music classes, we never got to see how they interacted together. Because of that I transferred to WPUNJ and enrolled at a print journalism major, but quickly realized that the want and need to be in the music industry was bigger than my interest of journalism. I switched my major a few times to figure out where I felt most comfortable and made new friends who were involved in the school’s radio station. Because of that I joined their award-winning student run college radio station, Brave New Radio, taking on roles of On-Air Talent and Local Music Director. At the time I was a broadcast journalism major but being part of the radio station reminded me the amount of love and appreciation for music that I have. After discussing with my radio friends about my major they told me that being a Media Production major at WPUNJ will teach me everything Broadcast Journalism will and more. Because of that I also switched my major to Media Production and started working very closely with NJ artists. While working at Brave New Radio, I became family not only with the rest of the staff but also with the bands I was working with, I got to help these bands get heard on the radio and I started selling their merch at shows. I got to know the local scene really well and made really genuine connections with them, the thought of touring with bands was on my mind the entire time and it was something I always wanted to do. Until finally, I graduated and worked the entirety of the 2018 Vans Warped Tour as a Tent and Merchandise manager for one of the smaller sponsors, along with also working one off gigs and small tours. While on tour, I never felt more at home, there is something so special about waking up in a different state every day and meeting new people who share the same love of music. On Warped Tour, I lived in a 15-passenger van with 9 other people, most of which were strangers that I never met before but that very quickly became family. And ever since I decided to pursue my passion for the live music industry and touring by enrolling at Full Sail University as a Music Business major and teaching myself how to take professional concert photos.
