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Posted May 7th 2020

Our Interns: The Future of the Music Industry

Anna Moulson reflects on 20 years of nurturing new talent

In the 1990s, when I was starting out as a live music promoter there were few doors open to a fresh-faced northern lass in her early twenties. I had to fight my way into the industry. 

The world of music is a close-knit business and a lot of it is about who you know, which is why it’s so important for me to include students and emerging talent in my events company. I want to offer them the kind of guidance and solidarity that I found lacking in the early stages of my career.

Interns, many of whom come from BIMM, are an integral part of Melting Vinyl. 

We give them invaluable behind-the-scenes experience and the opportunity to help on the shop floor of running a gig.  

Our interns give us fresh eyes and ears on emerging new music and underground youth culture, keep us on our toes with the latest technology, and new ideas and they work incredibly hard for us.  Many of our talented interns are still part of the company or have gone on to carve jobs for themselves elsewhere in the arts industry.

Melting Vinyl takes great professional pleasure in preparing new starters for their entry into the music industry. Here are just some of the companies our interns have gone on to work for:

Agencies: Pitch and Smith, Freetrade 

Event organizer: English Heritage

Technicians:  Komedia, Brighton Dome and C2

Finances: Brighton Dome

Marketing: Glyndebourne

Ticketing: Sound Travel

Distribution: Believe (Independent artists and labels) 

For ways to help Melting Vinyl get through the summer and beyond, head to our Crowdfunder campaign below: https://bit.ly/longliveMV

#longlivemv #saveourvenues #loverecordstores

Here’s what our many talented interns past and present have to say about Melting Vinyl: 

Ellie Heinrich (Intern 2018): “I’m just about to start my first day at my first full-time music industry job outside of University, and I just wanted to say thank you so much for everything you taught me at Melting Vinyl. The internship with you can be solely credited for me having this job now (Operations Executive at a ticketing company called Sound Travel!) And there are really no words for how grateful I am for the vast amount of experience gained through my time with you at Melting Vinyl. Please never stop taking on interns! You’re really changing their lives and giving them skills they wouldn’t otherwise learn through the degree alone”

Paul McGivern: (Previous Intern/Staff: MV programmer now an agent at Pitch and Smith agency): “Melting Vinyl has been instrumental in building and supporting great live music in Brighton over the decades, bringing the likes of Beirut, Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, Spiritualized (and even Calvin Harris) to the South Coast during my time working with Anna and the team. It’s a very difficult time for everyone in the music industry right now, and if you can, please consider donating to keep Melting Vinyl bringing you the bands that soundtrack your lives.”

Jess Gilcrist

Jess Gilchrist: (Intern 2019/20: now Melting Vinyl’s Marketing and Production Assistant): “I began working at Melting Vinyl in 2018, during my first year of university, by helping out at shows, and then progressed onto a year-long internship placement learning the production and marketing of live music. I’ve learned so much from doing this, and now regularly rep shows with international touring artists. As a musician myself, this has completely changed my perspective on the way that gigs run and I have a real appreciation for the work that goes into delivering the live music that we cherish so much. Melting Vinyl has given me such time and patience in developing my professional skills as well as teaching me valuable industry standards and broadening my contacts. I want to continue working at Melting Vinyl after graduating my degree this summer and continue to live and breathe live music!”

Diana Holford: (Past Intern: now an Event Manager for English Heritage): “Melting Vinyl is so valuable to the people and culture of Brighton and beyond. Without which thousands upon thousands of live music experiences would not have been. Imagine no Bill Callahan, Joan as Policewoman or Gruff Rhys at St George’s Church. Or no Vive la France, Foxtrot at Stanmer House, or Animal Collective at Eastbourne Winter Gardens. Those are just some of my treasured experiences. From mainstay venues to unusual spaces, the gigs Melting Vinyl has made possible are unique, high quality, and vital. Starting as a council-funded intern before being lucky enough to land a job, Melting Vinyl gave me my start in professional life and without it I probably wouldn’t be doing what I do now. Vive la Melting Vinyl!”Seth Mayhew: (Current Intern): “I’ve been interning at Melting Vinyl for a few months and I feel lucky to be part of such a lovely team of people. Being interested in neo-folk and experimental music myself, having the opportunity to work alongside artists such as Anna Meredith, Grimm Grimm, and Benjamin Francis Leftwich is so helpful for my education as a Music Business student. The team here has such a caring way of running their business and the void they fill in the local Brighton community is one that would be missed! Thanks, Melting Vinyl!” 

Seth Mayhew: (Current Intern): “I’ve been interning at Melting Vinyl for a few months and I feel lucky to be part of such a lovely team of people. Being interested in neo-folk and experimental music myself, having the opportunity to work alongside artists such as Anna Meredith, Grimm Grimm, and Benjamin Francis Leftwich is so helpful for my education as a Music Business student. The team here has such a caring way of running their business and the void they fill in the local Brighton community is one that would be missed! Thanks, Melting Vinyl!” 

Dave Grinnell: (Past intern, now: Head of marketing for Believe)

“At age 26,I came late to the music industry. MV was my starting point. It was tough starting as an intern at that age, but Anna took me on and I’ve never looked back. With a real hands-on approach and small welcoming team, it gave me a broad understanding of the industry that has proved to be essential. Without that opportunity, I wouldn’t be lucky to be doing something I love for a living every day.”