One of the hottest internships to snag in Knoxville is the coveted position at AC Entertainment: a forerunner in all things live music. They book, create, produce and market singers and concerts, one of their biggest claims to fame being Bonnaroo music festival. Dacey Orr, a senior in journalism and electronic media, has been interning for this musical powerhouse since she was a junior. Acting as the Social Media Marketing Intern, Dacey has some stories to tell and a genuine love for music.
Her Campus: Now you’re from Georgia, so how did you hear about AC Entertainment?
Dacey Orr: I had interned for the two summers beforehand at Paste Magazine in Atlanta, and worked with them at Bonnaroo in Manchester. Working on site at the festival was one of the most exciting parts of my internship, so after the second year I came home and looked into who was behind the festival. When I found out AC Entertainment was based in the town where I went to school, I was immediately dying to find a way to get involved.
HC: When you first applied and interviewed, were just interested in being able to work with music or did you want work in social media?
DO: I really just wanted to work with the company; my previous internship had involved shooting live music, so I knew I was interested in promoting or booking concerts, but I was definitely willing to learn about any department where they could put me. It worked out that they were just adding the social media/street team internship when I was applying, so I got to see that develop while I was there.
HC: Are Bonnaroo tickets a perk of the internship?? What have you learned through the last couple of years as AC Entertainment’s intern? I’m sure you’re music selection has grown expansively.
DO: I think generally interns do get to go to the festivals and such, which is really fun when you have spent months learning more about the artists. I’ve definitely learned a lot at AC, especially about working with promotions and building a rapport with the people who follow the company on Twitter and Facebook. Not to mention learning more about music. When there is a promotion for an artist, like trivia, or a blurb for a newsletter that needs to be written, it’s really interesting researching their backgrounds and listening to new music. I know I’ve gotten into a lot of new bands that way.
HC: You’re quite the journalist! I’ve read some stories you wrote for pastemagazine.com. You can tell you have a passion for all things music. Is music journalism the reason you were interested in journalism?
DO: Actually, journalism is probably what got me into music. I was a really big nerd about video editing in high school, which led me to Paste to work in their audio/video department after my freshman year. I was into music before then, but having artists come in and out of the office all week really got me interested in their back-story and their influences. Plus, there was always new music being sent to the office, so it was fun to listen to what was new in the mail. I definitely heard of a few of my now-favorite bands from the people I worked with there, and it sparked an interest in music I guess I’ve followed ever since.
HC: So what’s next for you after graduation?
DO: I’d love to stay within the music industry in some capacity, whether that’s in journalism, promotions, or anything else. I also really like to write, so any position that uses that would be really exciting.