Dedicated to Opening the Doors to Opportunity
At McNally Smith College of Music, we know a career in music is both deeply rewarding and demanding. We work with students to help them develop the tools and skills they need to create a successful and scalable life in the arts.
As we ask students to challenge themselves and step into what can be an ever-shifting landscape, we challenge ourselves to extend their educations by creating unique opportunities and real-life experiences to support their endeavors.
Preparation:
One of the first sure ways to have a fulfilling career is to be as informed as possible. We work with students through a robust series of field trips and seminars to help them better understand the career landscape. From advertising agencies to recording studios, we do our best to provide a varied presentation of what a creative career can look like. We work with students on setting up informational interviews in order to get a first hand account of their projected career paths and we work with industry sensitive job search resources to provide an up-to-date catalog of opportunities.
Presentation:
All creative industries tend to focus on talent as a benchmark for hirability, so it is imperative that McNally Smith College Of Music students are both comfortable and confident in discussing their experiences and contextualizing their body of work. The Career Center looks to establish a best practice for how Composition, Recording Technology, Music Business and Music students should present themselves; offering workshops on branding, web development, study skills, headshots, resume development, interview skills and cover letters. Along with the more large-scale presentations, our career advisor offers daily walk-in hours where he will work one-on-one to answer concerns and address specific questions.
Exposure:
We believe deeply in getting our students exposed to the industry early and often. We see any professional opportunity as both insightful prep work and meaningful resume building material. To that end we offer a vigorous internship program in partnership with the academic department, we look to broker volunteer opportunities and hold frequent auditions and networking events on campus.
Contact Us:
Sarah Williamson, Career Services Coordinator
Sarah attended McNally Smith College Of Music where she studied Music Business. Her focus on management and passion for artist advocacy led to writing copy, offering insight, and helping shape the careers of countless musicians. She spent time in the College’s Admissions Department before moving into the Career Center where she worked diligently alongside the Industry Relations director to build the Career Center into the force it is today.
In the last year, Sarah expanded the scope of the Career Center; creating a wider variety of options to meet ever-increasing student needs, developing a robust volunteer initiation program and solidifying McNally Smith’s College of Music’s Career Center reputation as the preeminent provider of a music career education.
David Lewis, Career Advisor
After graduating from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in Film & Video, David Lewis founded the PR company Riot Act Media. With his own company, David cut his teeth by focusing on public relations and media marketing campaigns for independent artists and musicians. Riot Act gave him the skills and abilities to work with clients of all shapes and sizes from Virgin, HBO, and Capitol Records to venerable Indies such as Dischord, Suicide Squeeze, and Jade Tree.
David's artist roster was equally diverse, from punk squawkers like The Bouncing Souls and Jawbreaker, indie-rock next big things like Minus The Bear and Dr. Dog to Patton Oswalt’s Comedians Of Comedy and Chicago small press Featherproof Books. After working with hundreds of artists David moved into higher education and has since been featured on All Things Considered, PBS, and New City discussing the virtues of arts and music careers.
David brings the same entrepreneurial spirit and passion to McNally Smith College of Music’s Career Center, providing workshops, guidance, advice, seminars, and encouragement to the school’s burgeoning talent.
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If your company or organization would like more information about our student internship programs, please email us. Employers who would like to post a job or post an internship in the Career Center can do so by simply submitting our online form.
Commonly Searched Phrases: Top Music Business College | Recording Arts College | Performing Arts School