Hi, I’m Molly Lam, Music Forward’s new Digital Marketing Coordinator.
When I first started and someone would ask me what I do for a living, I would think of my job description and our mission statement. But after last week, I realized there’s so much more to that.
I think about the first Music Forward program I attended last week, a program in which our team worked with 40 young people from East LA Rising as part of an All Access workshop, which is designed to offer insight for youth on coveted gigs in the music industry. I think about how amazed I was to find the group fully engaged in our discussion. I could see the wheels turning behind wide eyes as we explored the huge music industry in a small classroom in East LA. When we called out for answers or for people to share, a sea of hands shot up in the air, eager to participate. Our workshop aimed to help the young people form their own personal “pitch”, for job interviews and meeting people in elevators, to help them identify what they were good at, or passionate about and how it connects to the music industry. I watched as they figured it out and, slowly but surely, became confident enough to share their hopes and dreams with us.
I think about the girl who responded to the mock interview question “Why do you want this job?” with “Well… my mom lost her job, and we’re about to lose our house, so I really want a job to help my mom.” This same girl came up to us later and asked for our autographs. I think about how humbling that was, to be someone that our students look up to.
These same students completed the All Access experience by taking a field trip to Live Nation Entertainment headquarters in Hollywood. They toured various floors of the expansive offices and connected with professionals across departments responsible for bringing live music experiences to millions of fans globally. Students heard about professional pathways and asked questions to get a deeper understanding of how to connect their passions to professions.
When someone asks me what I do for a living, my answer is easy: I get to be a part of something bigger than myself. I can say with pride that we are motivating the next generation to be fearless in their journey, regardless of the hurdles they face.
We are empowering young people across Southern California and across the country to move forward with confidence. That’s our mission at work, and I am so proud to be a part of it.