The start of 2015 means its time for Hear Nebraska to bring in another round of interns.
We’re excited to announce (from left to right in the picture above) Marco Meyer, JP Davis and Kelly Langin as our Spring 2015 crop. We’ve no doubt these talented young writers, photographers and videographers will be a great boon to Hear Nebraska in covering our music scene, as well as artists touring through. Keep an eye out for their names on HearNebraska.org this year. Great things to come.
Get to know them all a little better below:
Kelly Langin
Age: 21
Hometown: Omaha
Current City: Omaha
Internship Focus: Editorial
What should Hear Nebraska’s audience expect from you during your internship?
Expect an honest account of the particular music or subject in focus. I don’t like to play around with making grandiose statements about things that aren’t actually there. On the other hand, I hope to create solid pieces of music journalism that are enjoyable for the audience as well as informative.
In what area of your work do you hope to improve the most between now and April?
I hope to be able to expand the current boundaries of my creative writing background through my writing. I especially would love to learn more about other genres in Nebraska music beyond the punk and indie scenes.
What’s the first and last show you attended in Nebraska?
Tell us about a time you realized that music and art mattered or had an impact within your local community?
Although I didn’t go, the Concert for Equality in 2010 and all the buzz surrounding it opened my eyes to the notion that music is a universal force that can bring the masses together for a cause. Similarly, we can point to the Willie Nelson and Neil Young concert last year protesting against the Keystone XL Pipeline as another huge peaceful protest fueled by music and art.
What’s one Nebraska artist or band you’d like to work with or cover during your internship?
Why would you make me only name one? Probably The Females.
What professional in your field do you most look up to and why?
I look up to Sasha Geffen because she’s a successful music writer in a mainly male-dominated field. She has written for Consequence of Sound, Noisey, Pitchfork and others. Beyond that, she’s a healthy balance of genuine and snarky on her Twitter.
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Marco Meyer
Age: 19
Hometown: Denver, CO
Current City: Omaha, NE
Internship Focus: Multimedia
What should Hear Nebraska’s audience expect from you during your internship?
Expect pictures and expect growth. I’m certain that the photos I end up shooting in a few months will be exponentially better than what I’m shooting now. I will do my best to transfer the feelings and emotions of the show into photos for everyone to see.
In what area of your work do you hope to improve the most between now and April?
Through this internship I want to learn and improve on ways to tell a story through my photographs. People say that a picture is worth a thousand words but I want to be able to tell the best story possible within that space.
What’s the first and last show you attended in Nebraska?
The first show I attended was American Authors and NONONO at the Slowdown and the last was this month’s HN Showcase at Urban Outfitters.
photo by Marco Meyer
Tell us about a time you realized that music and art mattered or had an impact within your local community?
Whether you go to concerts or art galleries there is always some statement made by the artist. It’s always amazing to see how that statement catches each and every person differently. Some may like it, others may not but there is no doubt that art and music has a huge impact on society.
What’s one Nebraska artist or band you’d like to work with or cover during your internship?
Pancho And The Contraband have an awesome sound and I would love to cover them.
What professional in your field do you most look up to and why?
Phillip Bloom, a British director and filmmaker, is probably one of the most inspiring professionals in the field. He works tremendously hard at capturing the best images possible and that goes to show in his truly impressive videos and photos.
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JP Davis
Age: 19
Hometown: Birmingham, Ala.
Current City: Lincoln
Internship Emphasis: Multimedia
What should Hear Nebraska’s audience expect from you during your internship?
Hear Nebraska’s audience should expect expressive and artistic content covering not only popular Nebraska artists, but subjects currently unknown and underground.
In what area of your work do you hope to improve the most between now and April?
Videography.
The first show I attended in Nebraska was either Koji and Have Mercy at Sweatshop, or Maha 2013. I had only been living in Nebraska for a month, and I had no friends. Maha was on my birthday, so I went and saw Matt and Kim and The Flaming Lips by myself.
Tell us about a time you realized that music and art mattered or had an impact within your local community?
I realized music had an impact on not only my local community, but also myself, when I saw The Chariot perform at a hole-in-the-wall DIY venue in my hometown. I was in high school, and in a band that actually got to open the show. After The Chariot played my friends and I were so exhausted, everyone just laid on the floor of the venue. That moment was awesome because I realized that everyone on the floor felt the same thing that I did. It was beautiful. I’ve only ever felt that way through music.
What’s one Nebraska artist or band you’d like to work with or cover during your internship?
Feel Tight. Kings of gear; kings of doom.
photo of Feel Tight at The Waiting Room by JP Davis
What professional in your field do you most look up to and why?
Pooneh Ghana is the best music photographer right now. She documents performances at an angle you might not have known existed. The textures and aesthetics she achieves in her images are great.