Luz Garcia Learns Importance of Self-Discipline Interning at Sounds Music Group

From FSU Art BFA ’19 Luz Garcia:

“My internship with Sounds Music Group has been transformative to me in more ways than one. Working under a supervisor that is extremely busy leaves the accountability of whether the work is getting done or not done, simply on oneself. In this way, this internship has taught me the importance of self-discipline and answerability.

My day to day responsibilities were to call my supervisor once a day, every morning, to go over the work I had done the night before so that he would give me immediate feedback on whether the vision of each project was being executed as desired. My work load included covers for singles as well as a mural and most importantly (& most challenging) the company logo.

I have gained a lot from this experience but the most significant was that of time management. My supervisor spoke to me about the significance of working with a sense of urgency. Working with urgency promotes the flow of creativity in the mind with greater impact than without urgency. This is a vital quality to obtain simply because it is an essential part in the making of a consistent artist.

Along with all the great things that came with the internship, there were challenges that really tested my endurance and faith. While creating the logo for Sounds Music Group I made a plenty of versions from which Mr. Sobande was to pick from. What made this a challenge was that he always came back to the original sketch that I proposed and that was the hardest, reasons why I wanted to deflect him from choosing that one. The original sketch was tedious and time consuming. I had to really work hard and put the time in to bring the idea to life. I persevered through it but it taught me a lot about what it takes to come out on top of a situation that is out of my comfort zone and complex. For that, I am a better artist than I was at the beginning of this opportunity.

It’s not all work and no play though. On one of my trips to New York I was introduced to a gentleman by the name of Tim Blacksmith, a notable music industry publishing tycoon. The three of us had dinner at the Mercer hotel where he raved about all the art he has bought over the decades of his career. There I was watching him name drop almost all of the artists that I admire. He elaborated on the importance of a woman of color to envision herself in the art world and he encouraged me to be resilient in the face of adversity. It was truly an extraordinary moment for me. I will always remember it.

I would recommend this internship to anyone. I wish it were available to all aspiring student artists. I learned things I didn’t expect to learn that I will always come back and reflect on. I was challenged but I overcame my challenges and conquered. I networked with people and started relationships with them that will last me a lifetime if I stay consistent and continue the path that I’m on.”