For Yassmine Kamar ’21, interning as an assistant producer/engineer at Pagoda City Records, reinforced a true love. Pagoda City is Reading’s premier recording studio and record label, housed in the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts.
“I already knew I loved making music, but this internship reinforced that, especially being in a space where I felt encouraged and supported,” said Kamar. “This internship is the core of everything I love and what I’m studying. I’m a music industry studies major, more focused on the creative aspect because I love singing and making music, so this internship connects me with everything I’m interested in.”
Networking with Pagoda City’s owner and studio employees during an open house last year led to an album release party invite, which in turn helped Kamar to land the internship.
“We worked with many artists and bands, helping them make creative decisions, mixing their sessions, and setting up/cleaning up the equipment,” said Kamar. “I learned a lot about different mixing techniques, the best plugins to use for different things, and got to meet a bunch of cool artists.”
In order to put course work and creative experiences in Albright’s recording studio to the test, pre-professional internships are required for Albright students majoring or co-majoring in music industry studies. Though interning during a pandemic wasn’t initially on the “to-do” list, Kamar says that the experience was a great use of her time. “I would’ve been creating music anyway, so being able to connect with a studio and complete an internship at the same time was extremely useful,” she said.
“The overall experience was a 10/10, and I plan to keep working with the studio for a while,” said Kamar, who expects to continue singing and making music long after graduation. “Everyone at Pagoda City is extremely accommodating and willing to help me learn, and I never felt like I was wasting my time. I would be very content working there if I was lucky enough to be offered a job!”
