The Radio Intern
How many people can say their job involves making friends, going to concerts, and meeting some of today’s greatest music artists? Well FM 102.1 intern Jennah Curtain is one of them.
Jennah, a 19 year old from Port Washington, Wis. discovered her passion for art and music at a young age and grew to love alternative music. This passion led her to an internship with Milwaukee’s alternative radio station FM 102.1 as one of their promotions interns. Jennah was drawn to this opportunity not only to meet artists, but because of her love for the alternative genre and its listeners.
I met Jennah in my Principles of Design class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. At first Jennah and I sat on different sides of the room and didn’t talk much because we were from different schools. One day, I noticed the stickers on her laptop were of my favorite band Bastille and we struck up a conversation. We bonded over our love of the band and learned we were both very similar people. She and I both wanted to be designers, we loved alternative music, and most importantly loved Bastille. We even discovered we had gone to many of the same concerts as each other. When our class ended, Jennah and I kept in touch and would bump into each other at concerts. I was sad to learn Jennah was transferring from MIAD to UW Whitewater and I wouldn’t be able to have class with her anymore. Fortunately, Jennah was hired as an intern at FM 102.1 and gets to work at many of the alternative shows in Milwaukee, so I get to see her at many of the concerts I attend. At the past concert Jennah was working at, I had the opportunity to talk to her about her internship and how it has helped her become an even greater alternative fan.
Prior to her internship, Jennah was already an avid concert goer and knows the alternative concert experience well. She said, “Being a fan takes a lot of patience and planning. You have to be open to change, but in the end, it’s a lot of fun and worth all the trouble and energy.” Her internship has given her a whole new perspective on the concert experience. Much like attending a concert, her job takes a lot of patience and planning. As a promotions intern, she is in charge of all of the promotions and marketing for the station. Her role also requires her to help with concert set up, give aways, and events.
Like Jennah said, all the work is worth it in the end, especially when that means meeting new people and some of her favorite artists. Jennah said one of the greatest things about her internship are the amazing friendships she has built. Throughout her internship, she has become a part of the “102.1 Family” and has created friendships that will last a lifetime.
Besides friendships, she gets to meet some of the greatest alternative artists. FM 102.1 hosts and sponsors many alternative concerts around the Milwaukee area, which gives her the opportunity to meet numerous bands. Jennah said this is one of the best parts of her internship because she actually gets to see what the artists are like in real life. She said, “You often don’t think about what artists are interested in beyond music. After meeting them, you find they are well rounded, kind hearted people who really want the best for their fans.”
Jennah has meet many artists, but she has always been a big fan of the band Bastille in particular. Drawn to their beautifully articulated lyrics and quirky band members, Jennah has loved the British alternative band from the start. Since their debut in 2010, Jennah has attended over five of their concerts, created a plethora of Bastille fan art, gotten a tattoo with their lyrics, and traveled across the US to see them. Surprisingly after all that time, she never had the opportunity to meet them, not until last week when FM 102.1 was holding their Big Snow Show concert series featuring Bastille. Through her internship, she got the opportunity to meet the band and talk to them after all of her years of waiting. I spoke with Jennah moments after meeting the band and she told me that was the best part of her internship by far.
Jennah’s patience and planning paid off. Her love for alternative music led her to a job that has given her some of the greatest opportunities an avid concert goer could dream of. Jennah’s internship allowed us to grow our friendship and bond over the music we love even more.
