Intern Spotlight: Erin Lee, Joint B.Mus./B.Comm.

There's nothing like an internship to help tie together what you've learned in the classroom and provide valuable, real-world experience. That's why Business & Arts NL is pleased to have worked with several organizations over the past few years, including the Association for New Canadians and the Cultural Human Resources Council, to welcome interns - providing the opportunity to learn from new teammates and gain fresh perspectives, while helping expose new potential employees to the benefits of working in the nonprofit and/or arts sector.

Our latest intern, Erin Lee, is part of the first graduating class of Memorial University's joint Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) and Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm.) five-year degree program. The program, launched in 2019, is the first of its kind in the country and aims to equip budding musicians with the business skills they need to forge successful careers in the industry, incorporating lessons in performance, theory, composition, marketing, entrepreneurship, leadership and more.

Erin Lee films at Jordan Bennett’s mural at Rawlins Cross in St. John’s.

Erin (who majored in vocal performance) says the program has opened her eyes to new interests and possibilities, while the crossover courses in music and business helped make everything click.

"I realized, through my business courses, that everything I was learning was very applicable, not only to the world at large, but if I wanted to pursue music after, I was slowly gaining all these skills that I knew would be very pertinent to pursuing a career in any field in the music industry," she shares.

"Being a musician, especially if you're pursuing a solo career, is being an entrepreneur. And then if you decide to go into other fields, like working with an organization like (Business & Arts NL), or planning music festivals or opening up your own studio, those are all business processes intertwined with musical craft."

During her five-week internship (where she worked with Program Director Lynn Panting), Erin put her studies and skills to use developing video content to help promote several of Business & Arts NL's initiatives, including the #ComePlayWithMeNL public piano program, EDI (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) Moments, and Explore Art NL (stay tuned to our social media feeds to see her work). The internship was part of the course Music Business in Practice, which is taken by students in the final year of the program and allows them to develop and explore business pathways and opportunities in the music industry through project based, experiential learning.

Erin sits at the JAG Hotel public piano (painted by artist Cara Kansala) at St. John’s International Airport.

These days, the tasks of a musician can run the gamut, from branding and marketing to creating performances and other events. "Basically, everything surrounding arts initiatives do have some form of business elements to them," Erin says. These essential business skills, she adds, helps open more potential doors.

"Just for sustaining a career, and then for people who don't decide to pursue those solo careers, or who try to get in auditions, which is a lot of people, it just gives you more options to go into other fields and work with so many different avenues within the music industry," she says.

"I'm a huge believer that everyone should have a certain amount of business skills. It just brings a level of professionalism and makes some things more efficient, especially as musicians. And I feel like that culture is definitely shifting within our generation...and I think it's definitely for the better."

Alternatively, her internship also helped her understand why it's beneficial for those in the business community to embrace their creativity. 

"I just feel like artists have such a certain way about it, and when people engage with their own creativity, it just makes for a better world," she says. 

"I truly did learn so much from Lynn. There's nothing like getting hands-on experience with an organization," she adds.

"And I would just encourage anyone who's thinking of applying to music, or to business...even if you're just thinking about the joint program, definitely take a chance on it."