Freedom to Forge a New Path to Nashville

Areas of Emphasis: Strategic Communication, Production & Entertainment

Kelly – a huge country music fan – was looking for any opportunity to move to Nashville and work in the entertainment business.

“I wanted to take advantage of what I think is the best part of Northeastern – the co-op program – and use this opportunity to spread my wings down south.”

After some online job hunting, she discovered an ad for a communications intern posted by the Country Music Association (CMA), an organization committed to promoting country music through its two biggest galas, the CMA Music Festival and the CMA Awards. Unlike other co-ops, this position had never before been filled by a Northeastern student; so, Kelly and her co-op advisor got to work establishing a relationship with her would-be supervisor, prepping for interviews, and organizing the logistics of a newly established position.

Their teamwork paid off and Kelly spent 7 months working in the heart of the country music industry. In office, she tracked clips and impressions using media monitoring software, as well as collected materials for publicity kits and the CMA press database. On the red carpet, Kelly served as a media escort for CMA’s two largest galas, guiding and assisting members of the press throughout the events. She also supported the Community Outreach manager with the CMA EDU program, a campus-based initiative providing college students interested in music an inside look into the industry.

Kelly’s time in Nashville left a lasting impression on her professionally and personally.

“I could not have picked a better company to co-op for. By working at a festival, an award show, and a TV taping, I was exposed to many different facets of the entertainment world, all of which I had never been exposed to before. I’m now looking for a full-time position in Nashville upon graduation. There’s no city like Nashville.”

Learn more about Kelly’s career on LinkedIn.