The Intern-al Report: News from the Field

Wow. I cannot believe that I've been the communications intern at the ISO for three weeks now! It has been a great experience so far and I'm sure it will only continue to get better.

To commemorate my first three weeks at the ISO, I'm sharing "Three in Three," three things I've learned about the symphony in my first three weeks--and three things that you should know, too!

1. The ISO's music is truly phenomenal. I must ashamedly admit that I had never been to an ISO performance before starting my internship, although I had heard great things about them. This morning I had the pleasure of attending Ashley Brown's Broadway, a Pops Concert featuring Ashley Brown, who played the original title character in Broadway's Mary Poppins and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. As a huge Broadway fan, I was completely thrilled at the chance to attend! Ashley's voice was flawless and the orchestra's renditions of classic Broadway and Disney favorites were inspired and fun. Light choreography, complementary male vocalists and passionate Pops Conductor Jack Everly added to the excitement of the show. This performance left me wondering how I had missed out on this treasure of the Indianapolis music scene for so long! Looking at the rest of the season's shows, it's clear that the ISO brings in some of music's biggest names to play with its own incredibly talented performers.

2. The ISO is much more than entertainment. Last week I spoke with Laura and Meg, two amazing women who work in the ISO's Learning Community. Music is wonderful in itself, but the ISO goes so much further by contributing to the Indianapolis community and improving the lives of local children. Learning to play an instrument was mostly a chore to me as a kid. But to the children who play in our Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, it might be a life-saver. Inner-city school children are given private and ensemble music lessons at free or reduced prices. Not only can they learn to play an instrument and to appreciate classical music, they also form mentoring relationships with their music teachers, who help them get through the difficult times in life. Family members can even join students in taking lessons so that learning music becomes a way to bring families together. Students who play in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra have a 100 percent graduation rate in a part of the city where only 40 percent of kids graduate high school--a statistic that overwhelmed me. Eighteen Learning Community programs bring music and positivity to Indianapolis and I'm proud to be a part of that.

3. The ISO is a great place to be! I'm so happy to be here for the semester because in three short weeks I've learned what a great place this is to work. Employees are friendly and dedicated, musicians are passionate about their art and some of the nation's greatest performers are just a few steps away from my office! People are recognized for their contributions and everyone is excited to be working to bring Indianapolis live music. It's both fun and meaningful, which is more than I could have asked for in an internship.