10 Questions With Intern Alex Brody

1. What is your major and where are you studying?

I am an Electronic Media & Broadcasting major with a concentration in production and a General Business Minor at Appalachian State University.

2. How did you get your internship?

I got the internship by simply reaching out to Jake after attending a virtual concert. I was looking for more opportunities to develop my skillset and resume, so I asked Jake if there was any room for me to help at How To Concerts. Jake, Jolene, and Luke welcomed me in and allowed me to create an internship position that worked around what I wanted to learn.

3. What career goals do you have?

I want to work in the music industry in some capacity. My ultimate goal is to work for a music venue or festival of some sort. At Appalachian State, we have an on-campus club called Legends that I had the opportunity to book for and run shows in. Spending all day in Legends on show days have been my favorite moments in college, so doing that full time for a music venue would be a dream come true.

4. What is your favorite thing about working with How To Concerts?

My favorite thing about working at How To Concerts is that Jake and Jolene allow me to help with and learn many aspects of their job. I get to do things ranging from live streaming to invoices to booking brainstorming. I appreciate the trust everyone has given me in order to learn and best help the organization.

5. What are your favorite virtual events?

I was able to attend Denzel Curry at App State and it was amazing. He had surprise guests and put on a great show. I also have enjoyed all of the drag bingos that I have been able to take part in. The interactions between the queens and students are always really fun. Even though I have never watched RuPaul’s Drag Race, I feel like I could now win drag queen trivia.

6. What is your favorite music you’ve been listening to over the last 6 months?

My favorite new albums in the past 6 months have been Fleet Foxes // Shore, Flaming Lips // American Head, Freddie Gibbs // Alfredo, Run The Jewels // RTJ4, and Idles // Ultra Mono.

I am always trying to find music that is new to me, but not necessarily new to the world so for older stuff I have been listening to MF Doom // MM Food, The Bar-Kays // ColdBlooded, Outkast // ATLiens, The Stooges // Funhouse, and Sonny Rollins // Saxophone Colossus.

7. Do you have any interesting hobbies?

I am a record collector. Wherever I visit a new city I seek out new record stores to go to and look through their inventory. I have been collecting on and off for about 6 years and have around 300 records.

My prized possessions are Saba // Care For Me, Noname // Telephone, and the Shrek soundtrack.

8. Best concert you’ve ever been to?

The best concert I have ever been to is The Flaming Lips in Raleigh, NC. The venue was not my favorite, but the show was absolutely amazing. They started off with confetti and balloons and the energy never let down. The Flaming Lips are a must-see for any concert fan.

9. Tell us about your involvement with the APPS programming board.

I was a chairperson for two different music councils in APPS. I ran over a dozen shows in Legends, a handful of shows in our performing arts center, and helped with three shows in our convocation center. Like most student programmers, I led everything from booking to promotions, and day of show with my council. My favorite shows that I helped lead are Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Doja Cat, Tramped By Turtles, Kesha, and Saba.

10 – What do you love about the entertainment industry?

My favorite thing about the entertainment industry is the joy people have at events. For two hours you get to be next to hundreds of strangers that are there to just have a good time with you. The most rewarding thing I have ever experienced is working hard to put on a show, and looking at a crowd of people having a great time at that event. Even with small local shows that only bring in 50 people, as long as those 50 people are having a good time it is rewarding to have helped make those people’s day. This applies to online events as well, seeing a dozen faces in a Zoom window during Drag Bingo can be just as rewarding as selling out a major concert.