"For me, The Program was so special because it was more than just an internship, it became an experience. Even now, I don't look at my fellow interns as co-workers, I look at them like family. The contacts that I made during my time in the internship proved very valuable, as I still keep in contact with those that I worked with. And as a musician, The Program gave me an opportunity to discover other aspects to the industry aside from performing--such as marketing, promotion, and networking.

I am also incredibly grateful that I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to go to the Grammy Awards (as well as work for the organization) as a result of relationships that I made from working with Hidden Beach. I also loved working with The Program because it gave me a chance to promote artists that I believe make really good music. So I'm glad that I was able to work with such a cool group of people. Currently, I'm a student in the Recording Arts program at Full Sail University (in Orlando, Florida). I'm in my 9th month in the 12-month program, and I'm hoping that upon completion of this degree that I'll be able to get a job working on music in LA.

Brian Vickers,Singer/Songwriter, Producer, Coolguy

Kym and Tricia pushing HB artists in Manhattan

The HBR experience has been an informative and resourceful information network among friends and what I now call family. It gives each individual an opportunity to interact with people of like minds that aren't in your geographical location. We can share and exchange relative information as it relates to the Music Business industry in any City, State, Country etc. I live in a small city that lacks information and resources and by no means is it a tourist attraction.The Program has alleviated that problem. I can access my network just by turning on my computer.

On the college level The Program offers endless opportunities. There is no other program that provides the Music Business information of this magnitude. You have a network of several hundred college students, maybe even thousands that share and exchange information about this business of music. I have learned that success comes with having the right formula. The wrong formula gives you the wrong answer on the other side of the equal sign. In this business of music you have to have a network in order to learn this trade. The Hidden Beach program has provided that formula and it is the right answer for any college student. Enter the program to learn and depart to serve. I highly recommend this Intern Program.

Sincerely,
Darryl D. Ray
Promoter/Voice Over Talent/Musician/Former Intern

Justin's listening party 2003

My intern experience began like most others. I was eager to be in the industry, and furthermore eager to really be hands-on and a part of the creation of MUSIC.

In seeking out industry internships, I was hired by another record company and Hidden Beach in the same week. The other company hired me first, and in asking about my schedule, I told them that I was completely flexible, so they asked me to commit Monday through Wednesday to them. I happily accepted. The problem was, when I got a call from Hidden Beach offering an internship position, I only had Thursday and Friday available, and my services weren't really needed on Fridays, so I just came in once a week on Thursdays.

It didn't take me more than 2 weeks to recognize that one day at Hidden Beach was a more valuable learning experience than three days at the other label. That's not to say the other label's program wasn't sufficient, but it was harder to really grasp the ins-and-outs of the music business there. At Hidden Beach, I found myself really getting involved and working closely with everybody in the company, including execs, to achieve company goals. Personally, I feel there are few things in this world that are more fulfilling than working as a team to accomplish a common goal. So it became clear to me that I needed to commit my time Hidden Beach.

I rode out the program at the other label for a few months until it concluded, because I felt like working hard and maintaining ties would bode well for me in the long run, and I had no intention of quitting. When I wrapped it up though, I was inspired like Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happiness to really prove myself at Hidden Beach. I figured, if nothing else, this is going to be an incredible learning experience, because that is essentially what internships are for. So I was literally doing the ”first one into work, last one to leave“ thing for a few months, and started to really get recognized by some company execs. As good timing would have it, a position was opening up around the same time as I was proving my being an asset to the company, and today I find myself as The Marketing Coordinator at Hidden Beach Recordings!

So with a great deal of hard work, and even more so, in lucky timing, I've now achieved my early career goal, and I'm actually a part of the music-making process in a company that produces incredible music –insane!

Ila Parvaz

Interns presenting a marketing plan to Lina

The HB national internship program was literally a key that opened doors and continues to open doors of accessibility that could not otherwise have been opened in a more easier way. Immediately the program gave me access to industry veterans and a group of interns who would become life long friends and the future of the entertainment industry. The program allowed me to meet and travel the world with my mentor Vivian Scott-Chew. To also be mentored and guided by various staff members at Hidden Beach.

The program allowed me to develop and manage local marketing campaigns that showcased my ability to lead and impact my market. The program also gave me a greater insight on the way a independent record label operates. I have been privileged to partner with a fellow former HB intern Joey Langford to form J.Langford & Bates (JLB) a Marketing and Management firm. Relationships formed not only with industry veterans have proven beneficial. Even more the relationships built with fellow interns have developed into life-long friendships.

Juan D. Bates

Intern Vanessa promotes Kindred at Abbott Park in Chicago 2003

I think it's great you're getting The Program back up and running. As you know I enjoyed my time and the experience I gained when I was in it. I have some photos to post that I just found from one of the listening parties I held in college. I believe I'm already added as a friend on The Program's myspace page. I'll be sure to post my statement of experience later tonight.

Currently I'm working full-time in New York City at Fox News and freelancing at CNN as a chyron operator. (That's the person who puts up the words about the story on the bottom of the screen if you didn't know)

Oh yeah, I would love to be a mentor for The Program!! Just let me know.Talk to you soon.

Peace,
Justin Mashia

Promoting Kindred

Hidden Beach Recordings was my first and definitely most prosperous internship! During my time as an intern, I worked on projects such as Jill Scott, Lina, Mike Phillips, Kindred the Family Soul, Keite Young, and Bebe Winans just to name a few.My experience at Hidden Beach served as the platform that launched my career in the marketing and promotions side of the entertainment industry.

HB helped me master skills such as event planning, strategic marketing, networking, online marketing, product placement and product management, retail visits, creating marketing plans, implementing marketing campaigns, and more.The experience I gained from my time at Hidden Beach helped me become an asset within my current career.

Presently, I coordinate Sony BMG Music Entertainment's Urban College Marketing program in New York. With 25 college marketing representatives across the country, we serve as the liaison between the urban college market and the various labels that we house. I am involved in the development and implementation of national collegiate marketing campaigns for our artists, as well as third party collegiate marketing campaigns.

Successfully, we have contributed to the growth of companies such as Sony Ericsson, Ruckus, Touch Tunes, and more. I attribute a large amount of my success to the wealth of knowledge and host of expertise which was provided from my Hidden Beach Family!


Jackie Powers
Urban College Marketing
Sony BMG Music Entertainment

Tim in Chicago,passes out Mike Philly postcards

I was an intern from April 2002 to February 2006. My team was “Team Detroit Energy” (DTE) out of Detroit, Michigan. Being an intern for Hidden Beach Recordings was such a rewarding experience. Not only was I able to narrow my career choices, I also discovered new talents within that I didn't know existed.

I learned how to market just about anything because of Hidden Beach. Hidden Beach was something that I believed in. I have an impressive resume because of this internship. Not only was it a learning experience, it was an exciting one. Oh,did I mention that the music was the best on the planet?

Because Hidden Beach Recordings is an international intern program, the most rewarding experience is the relationships that you establish. I met so many talented and energetic young people. I have many best friends because of this program. We got a chance to meet once a year in different cities for the Hidden Beach Intern Conference to discuss new artists marketing, listen to new music and learn about careers from various music industry executives. This gave us a good reason to travel to states that we probably would have never visited.

As interns, we were able to compete with each other for prizes, based on our market's performance in record sales. This was exciting because each state got a chance to show others just how they “got down”. Some of the prizes were paid trips to the corporate office, achievement plaques, Brand Jordan merchandise and a plethora of other priceless gifts, not to name the many Hidden Beach artist concerts that we were able to attend. The staff was awesome and they were proactive in helping each intern build their career in entertainment.

Hidden Beach Recordings also helped me develop my networking and event planning skills. I had the opportunity to interview MoodStar artist Lina, I worked with managers for Anthony Hamilton and N'dambi, I coordinated Hidden Beach's listening parties in and around the metro Detroit area, and in 2006 I planned the first intern retreat in Detroit, MI.

Currently, I live in Pontiac, MI and I am working towards my Bachelor of Arts in Communication, with a minor in Public Relations, a degree that I didn't know I wanted until I worked as an intern. I am also in the process of establishing my event planning company, Idaris Entertainment.

Meika Cole

At Floetry concert in New York City promoting Jeff Bradshaw

Joining the program was one of the first things I did as a college freshman. Hidden Beach allowed an 18-year-old kid to run around its offices, try my hand at public relations, marketing, and A&R. Months prior to starting, I had no idea any of these jobs existed and here I was joining conference calls with high-powered industry executives.

I learned lessons of perseverance, strategy, and hard work. I messed up sometimes, but program administrators and HBR executives were responsive and were always willing to help me learn from my messes. Their continued support is why I visit the office and keep in touch almost seven years later.

Melvin L. Felton II

Matthew in Baltimore promoting Jill Scott

My Hidden Beach Recordings internship with The Program was unique and interesting becasue the internship program is that in itself. I experienced plenty of networking, activism, notarity among industry constituancies and most importantly professional development. Through The Program, I met many of the labels artists (Jill Scott, Kindred the Family Soul, Jeff Bradshaw, Mike Phillips) and today still in touch with most of them on a more personal level.

Keep in mind, I am from Baltimore, Maryland and did my internship here. At the time, Baltimore was becoming an up and coming city for the independent artist scene. The networking was great within The Program. Using the HB brand, I started to grow in my local community and really get my foot in the door with local artists and workers who are deep in the industry. I worked for and created tight relationships with Fertile Ground, Raheem DeVaughn and others in the Baltimore/ DC market.

The most important ingredient to making waves in the music business is experience and the opportunity to grow. The many things I've experienced in the internship that contributed to my growth were:

- Album listening parties for HB artists and other artists abroad
- Working with internal staff learning what they do on their job(s)
- Assisting as a PA (personal assistant) for many of the artists doing certain tasks in the city (this included waitng on their side hand in hand, setting up in store appearances, promoting at their shows)
- The Program retreat that happened almost every year where we have industry insiders speak to us about their experiences in the business. We get exposed to other artist other than the label through this retreat. I was the co-host of the last retreat done in Washington, D.C.
- Had the opportunity to contribute work to an artist album
- Met other interns, who are now good friends, through The Program that area now becoming music entreprenuers themselves

With all that I obtained during my five year tenure in The Program, I became a partner with Fertile Ground's Organic Soul Tuesdays, currently a major contributor to Jazzy Summer Nights and African American Hertiage Festival here in Baltimore and started my online radio station, The Loft Sessions via RetroSource.net

Each internship is what you make it and I can honestly say I made the most with mine.

- Matthew Lyles, HB Baltimore

The Hidden Beach Internship Program provided me with the understanding that dreams are directly attainable through the effort put forth of attaining them. Being the dynamic media and entertainment company that it is, Hidden Beach's Internship program connected me with hundreds of other like-minded visionaries, fostering life-long relationships based on the universal truth of music in its purest form. Through the internship program, and the opportunities given to me by being a participant in it.

I was able to build relationships not only with my peers, but also build relationships with legendary figures in the business that I would never have had the opportunity to mingle with in any other situation. Not only was I able to be around legendary figures, I was able to "sit at their side" and attain a first hand account of the origin of the music business and its progression to its current position. Every intern's experience will not be the same, however the Hidden Beach Internship Program allowed for me to create my own future in the industry based on how much I put into it.

Taurean Joiner

As a former intern who is now a Wireless Entertainment Executive and Producer, I can attribute my success, in part, back to the Hidden Beach Internship Program. Looking back, the internship program provided me with some of the core values & intangible marketing and promotion skills that have opened numerous doors in my professional career since leaving the program.

Through initiative, diligence, a strong work ethic, and mentoring from Monica Young, Thornell Jones, & Charles Whitfield, I was able to improve my management skills leading interns in the Atlanta area . I was also able to serve as a road manager for Mike Phillips and promoted Kindred the Family Soul on promotional runs. It is my belief that it was my work ethic that afforded me the opportunity to sit and work the desk of music industry great Steve McKeever. Working for Steve opened doors and gave me access to an industry network that has produced lifelong friendships and professional relationships. Working on Jill Scott's Grammy nominated album Beautifully Human; Words & Sounds, Vol 2 was one of the numerous highlights of my experience at Hidden Beach.

Since leaving Hidden Beach, I've launched some of the most successful mobile marketing & promotions campaigns in Europe and have participated in industry panel discussions about the convergence of marketing and technology. I have also been appointed to the Advisory Board of Directors of the Urban Assembly School of the Performing Arts in Harlem, NY; all of which I know has happened because of the relationships formed and skills acquired as a Hidden Beach intern.

Terance Thatch