The goal for my senior project was to essentially utilize everything I had disposable to me to arrive at a further point in the music industry. This involved two aspects mainly – writing for Sheesh Media and being the publicist for Illusion Hills. However, as my project began to play out, I became deeper and deeper ingrained in the music industry and landed at a point that I wouldn’t have been able to dream of 8 months ago, or could’ve expected going into the project. I think because I framed my goal this way, it allowed me to open a lot of doors that I wouldn’t have been able to have it been specifically targeted towards one aspect, whether that was writing or publicity. Because of this, I had to constantly change my expectations in the best way possible. With every new experience arises a new set of challenges, but therefore a new set of goals that can propel everything to a higher level. I moved into a management position with Illusion Hills rather than a publicist, taking on a much bigger role and requiring many more responsibilities, something I have loved doing every single day. My biggest challenge through this was just being in a position I had never been in before and having to learn on the go a lot. Learning the publicity aspect was something new at the beginning of April, and following that, my main focus was on the management aspect. Learning how to roll out a release, all the technicalities of putting out music, booking, and distribution, but most importantly, navigating all this with a group of 8 people and becoming so close with them. There are so many other aspects to management, big or small, that have made an impact, and lots of information that I have had to learn.

I feel as though I have grown a lot during my senior project. On a technical level, I have become incredibly more organized, having to really stay on top of everything I do for not just my own sake, but the importance of 8 other people. My time management has also become much better, having many more responsibilities than I ever had before. This has had a major influence on knowing what I want to do in the future, as no matter which course of study I take at college, I know I want to work in music. Currently, I am going to school for journalism, but that has already become such a big gateway into where I am now and is something I hope to continue no matter what. I feel that I also grew a lot in my writing ability, and now having written much more than before feel very comfortable with my pen. I have been able to discover so much music and so many artists that I may have not had the chance to if I wasn’t writing, so I am very grateful for that. Relatedly, the hardest part of my project was figuring out how to manage my time in the beginning. It was quite overwhelming during our first release on April 11, but I am now so much better prepared for everything to come. I will be well equipped for our next release on June 6, knowing how to navigate the press and manage the release process in that aspect. The management side of it won’t be too different, just takes some well prepared planning for the rollout.

There were a lot of surprises I encountered. I think the biggest one was how many people in the music journalism world have endeavored into other parts of the music industry – it feels as though they go hand in hand. For me, it felt like a very natural transition from journalism into other parts, so it’s easy to see how so many others went down the same path. This also provides a lot of people that I can talk to and learn from in all aspects, and I have been able to understand a lot just from networking with like-minded people in similar roles. I’m very proud of how well everything has gone and extremely proud of Illusion Hills and where they are heading.

I want the audience to understand the significance of what I am doing now and the implications it will be able to have on the future of not only my career but of what Illusion Hills will be able to accomplish. So many new paths are available to me now – kicked off with an internship with the publicity firm Biz 3 which began on Monday, May 16. I am really excited for what is to come and I hope to make my enthusiasm clear, and who knows, maybe even find a new fan of Illusion Hills.