Hello! My name is Derby Belser, and I am a rising junior, pursuing a dual degree in Music Composition and English. When I’m not composing or writing poetry, I’m usually teaching yoga, directing my a cappella group (THEM a cappella), or representing Greek life, either as USG’s Greek Liaison, Panhellenic Executive Council’s new Campus Involvement Chair, or as a member of my sorority, Chi Omega. Even when I’m especially busy, I always try to keep my life saturated with music, which is why I am so excited for my internship this summer.
This summer, I will be interning with JoAnn Kane Music Service (JKMS), which is a music preparation company, featuring a range of clients from top film composers to famous singers to film production companies. JKMS prepares clients’ music, whether that be copying/scanning/transcribing scores, creating MIDIs, or proofreading, so that the pieces are rehearsal/performance ready. JKMS also boasts a huge music library, for which I’m the most thrilled–I get to spend the summer analyzing any famous film score I like, which can only assist me in my learning objectives for this opportunity.
With this internship, I’m endeavoring to improve my compositional skills, work on coordination between producers, understand what exactly goes into music preparation, learn the behind-the-scenes phases of film scoring, and design a role for myself that makes others’ jobs easier. Half of becoming a decent composer consists of forming a mental archive of successful compositions, which is why this internship can only be beneficial. I would love to compose for films, work in songwriting, or be a music supervisor, so regardless of which path I choose, this opportunity allows me to see the ins and outs of all of the aforementioned careers.
For my final presentation in my 20th Century Theory class, I presented on the lack of female composers; in the entire semester, we mentioned maybe one female composer, and she quit composition to teach her male counterparts. To be entering an arena with few predecessors is not only a bit terrifying, but makes my work, whatever it may be, that much more important. That is why having this opportunity through NCI and through my professor, Dr. Barbara Jazwinski (THE best role model in the field), means the world.
Until the internship, which begins in July, I will be working on publishing poetry, arranging music for a cappella, and composing, so that I arrive in LA ready to make waves. Maybe one day, with the jump-start of this summer, I’ll be in that presentation of female composers–wish me luck!!