Internship Spotlight Sarah Weissberg Popular Music Major Live Music Marketing Intern • The Capitol Theatre • Port Chester, New York At The Capitol Theatre, Sarah is gaining hands-on experience in live music marketing through community outreach, venue promotion and social media content creation. Sarah’s Internship Experience What does a typical day look like? Some of the projects I have worked on include organizing the letters used on the marquee outside the theatre, conducting local and community outreach in person and by email to help promote shows and boost ticket sales, and replacing show posters throughout the venue each week. I have also created content and helped staff The Capitol Theatre’s table at local music festivals, as well as created and filmed videos for the venue’s Instagram and TikTok accounts. What has been the highlight of your internship so far? I love collaborating with my fellow interns and learning from my supervisors about music marketing while talking about all things music. One project I especially enjoyed was creating a Taylor Swift-themed TikTok with my fellow interns inspired by the “music venues are the new wedding venues” trend. We had a great time filming it and developing the concept. The video also received strong engagement on social media, which was a major plus. What is something you learned that surprised you? I was surprised by how much there is to learn about the artists who have performed at The Capitol Theatre and the venue’s audience. Many notable artists and bands have performed there over the years. The venue also has a loyal audience made up of people who return often and have a great time at the shows. It has been rewarding to see how appreciated and loved The Capitol Theatre is by so many people. How did William Paterson prepare you for this opportunity? The music business courses I have taken with Professor Philp helped prepare me for this opportunity. Professor Philp gave me my first internship working in social media for William Paterson’s music department when I was a first-year student, which taught me a great deal about the field. The Music in Social Media course, along with the music marketing experience I gained through previous internships, also prepared me for my current role. How did you find this internship? A few months ago, I applied to volunteer at the Hudson River Music Festival, which The Capitol Theatre sponsored. I was connected with my current supervisor, Stefanie May, and spoke with her about volunteering at the festival. I then asked about the possibility of an internship at the venue, and she stayed in contact with me about the opportunity. How will this experience help you achieve your career goals? This experience is expanding my knowledge of digital marketing and social media and giving me skills and examples of professional work that I can draw on as I apply for jobs after graduation.
