Week One at Epic

The first week of my internship has come to a close and tomorrow morning I will begin week two. It has been exciting so far and there seems to be a lot to get done!  I'm lucky to be working on marketing and development for a band that has some good music.  If you haven't done it already, check them out:  www.thewhitetieaffair.com  Give me feedback and let me know what you think about them.  Any great or crazy marketing ideas are welcome as well! :)  Really! Throw some at me!

Anyway... as there are many aspects to a grassroots marketing campaign, we have a few different departments within the internship.  The five areas are:  1) Online Publicity/Blog Promotion; 2) Lifestyle Online Publicity/College Marketing/Online Radio; 3) Viral Marketing/Social Networks/Online Street Team; 4) Video/Content Promotion/Distribution; 5)Strategic Partnerships.  As of now, I will be working on two main things as the summer progresses: helping develop a national "street team" and coordinating contests with college radio stations in tour cities.  I'm excited to be working with Josh Madden on the street teams as he has a great amount of experience and knowledge when it comes to the music business.  I believe I'll be learning a lot from him; so that's definitely cool.

Overall, the internship seems like a great tool for knowledge, experience and networking.  I'm stoked to be a part of it and am excited to see what the summer will bring!  More updates soon! :)  

The Arrival: NYC

I realize it has been awhile since I've blogged, for that, I'm sorry.  I'm bad at keeping things up-dated.  So, a quick review:

My first year of grad school has wrapped up.  It seemed to fly by and I'm looking forward to starting (and finishing) my final year.  In the meantime, I'm in New York City for the summer working with Epic Records.  My hope is to keep an updated blog throughout my internship that will keep everyone up-to-date on what's going on.  I'll post as often as possible and will include as much as I'm able to.

So, today was the first day of the internship with the Epic E-Pod.  The team will be developing a grassroots marketing campaign for a new artist: The White Tie Affair.  Check em out at www.thewhitetieaffair.com  Most of today was spent researching sites and meeting with a few jr. execs  concerning contesting and street teams.  I think I'll learn a lot, develop some great relationships and get my hands a little dirty.  Very exciting! :) 

I'm staying with an old friend and roommate in upper manhattan in the Washington Heights area.  The train ride into the Sony building is a little long, but not too bad.  It was a good opportunity to people-watch, reflect, and listen to some tunes on the iPod.  The commute home was a little longer (at the height of rush hour) but still not terrible overall.

What to look forward to tomorrow: more work on "street teams" and radio promos.  I built a decent foundation today and will build upon that when I arrive in the morning. 

More later. :)

Matthew Eleven

yep, I'm falling a little behind... :( Sorry!  Hope to add more soon!

Matthew Ten

Verse: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."  - Matthew 10:34

Observation: This passage comes directly from Jesus as he is sending his disciples out to minister throughout Israel. He is preparing them for what is to come, how they will be treated, and how people will react to their message. When you think about it, they were spreading a radical message in that time... they were telling Jews that their Messiah had come at a time when many did not believe it. In verse 16 Jesus tells them that he is "sending them out like sheep among wolves."  This doesn't necessarily paint a pretty picture.  It shows us that the road will not be easy; it will be anything but easy. As a Christian and relatively peaceful person, I at times forget that Jesus didn't come to make everything better... to make us all get along.  He came because people were lost.  People were hurting.  He came to shake things up. He rattled people to their very cores and caused a TON of controversy. And for those that think being a Christian is easy and makes everything hunky dory... they are incorrect.  As Jesus plainly tells us here, the road will be long and hard. After all, he didn't come just to bring peace... he came to shake the world.

Application: While it might seem odd, it's kind of comforting to read this chapter of Matthew. It spells out danger as well as a tough road for being a Christian.  How is that comforting?  Maybe in a way it makes me feel that I'm doing something right.  If the road isn't always easy, and at times is downright rocky, then maybe it's okay.  In a distorted way it makes me feel like I'm on the right track at times.  Maybe there's something to that... maybe there's not. The chapter also makes me feel that I'm a little 'lax in my faith.  I mean, I'm not facing death, torture and prison because of my religion... not here in the US anyway.  So, maybe I could be a little more forward with my faith.  I don't wanna be up in peoples faces, because they won't listen... but I'm sure there are ways in which I can be more... dang, the word is flashing in front of my face but I can't grasp it... DELIBERATE (yay, I found it) about my faith. :)

Prayer: Father God, first I want to thank you that I live in a land where I'm not persecuted for my faith or beliefs.  I ask that you protect people all around the world who are.  Those that are beaten, imprisoned, hunted or even killed because of what they believe... I ask that you show them comfort when they most need it.  As for me, help me to be more deliberate with my faith. 

Matthew Nine

Verse: "She said to herself, 'If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.'"                                           - Matthew 9:21

Observation: This woman had so much faith in Jesus that all she felt she needed to do was touch his cloak and she would be healed.  She trusted so much in his power that all she wanted to do was touch a piece of his garments.  That's some pretty hefty and amazing trust and faith.  It's also an amazing testament to Jesus' power.  Luke's account tells us that Jesus felt the power go out of him and that when she touched his garments she was instantly healed.  The faith and power wrapped up in this small section of the Bible are amazing to me.  Because of her faith, she is healed.

Application: Sometimes I wish I had the faith that this woman had.  I confess it's hard at times to have that much faith and trust in something that I can't see; but I know it's there.  More often than not I trust that He's there... listening and directing, but at times it can be tough.  I wonder if this lady thought that too.  Either way, she didn't give up hope or faith... I need to be more like her and continue to hold the faith.

Prayer:  Much like the lady in this story, help my faith to heal me and nurture growth throughout my life.  Thank you for who you are and all you do.

Matthew Eight

Verse: "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.'  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.  'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!'  Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy."  - Matthew 8:2-3

Observation: A man had great faith that he could be healed by Jesus... if Jesus was willing.  Jesus reaches out, healing the man instantly.  I think a few things can be gleaned from this verse. First, Jesus does not have to do anything.  He is God in human form and is therefore perfect.  We are sinners and don't deserve anything, really... which leads me to the next point.  Jesus is willing and graciously heals the man.  So even though Jesus does not have to do anything, he does because he loves us, he is gracious, and he is merciful.  We truly serve a loving God... and all that he asks is that we accept him and have faith in him.

Application:  I think the take home on this one is just as I described above... to remember that Jesus is gracious and loving.  All we have to do is ask for forgiveness (to be cleaned) and he will grant our request.  The verse says that immediately the man was cleansed.  He can do the same for us if we just have faith, give it over to him, and ask.

Prayer:  Allow me to let go of the things I shouldn't hold on to so that I can be cleansed of my "leprosy."  Thank you for your grace and for loving me despite all of my flaws and weaknesses.

Matthew Seven

Verse: "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."  - Matthew 7:2

Observation: Be careful not to judge others, because we will be judged through similar lenses.  It is very easy in today's culture to look at someone and make a snap judgment based on their clothing, the way they talk, how they look, what kind of car they drive, etc.  In reality, we know nothing about these people.  Who are we to judge?  We aren't... only one person has the power to do that, and it surely isn't anyone on Earth.  

Application: I admit that I can be quick, at times, to make judgments about people in my head.  This is something I work on daily and continue to grow in... I am thankful, however, that I normally do not let preconceived judgments cloud my head when actually meeting someone.  I enjoy getting to know people and have often been humbled when my initial "judgments" have been far from the truth.  I will continue to work on being non-judgmental.

Prayer: Help me to see through the outer layers and into the inner core of people without making judgments about them; continuously striving to look at people through your eyes and not my own.