Internship Leads to Full-Time Job for Music Double Major

Ally Hepp ’19 is graduating with two degrees and a full-time job waiting for her—all thanks to her experiences as president of Lebanon Valley College’s VALE Music Group student-run record label and two internships.

Hepp, a dual major in audio and music production and music business, will be the communications and social media coordinator for Association Matters, Inc., an association management company based in Hunt Valley, Md. She is completing an internship there during her final semester as a student.

“We run everything for our client organizations—finances, board management, event planning, communications, sponsorship, membership, social media,” said Hepp. “I’ve already grown to be an integral part of the team. We are a small company, so it’s very rewarding to know that the work you are doing is important and meaningful.” 

For her audio and music production major, Hepp completed another internship with New Era Technology, an audiovisual installation company in West Chester, Pa. She credits four years as a student worker in the College’s audiovisual department for giving her valuable skills. 

“I was very well prepared to jump right into this internship, and I had already worked with a lot of the equipment in the College’s AV office,” she said. “I was able to work on some large install jobs and build systems that served very distinct purposes, and being able to assist with putting those in place was an excellent experience.”

Hepp earned a grant from the Audiovisual Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) Foundation to help cover some of the costs related to her New Era internship. AVIXA also offered Hepp resources and preparatory classes that helped her pass the test for her Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) certification. 

At LVC, Hepp gained hands-on experience working for VALE Music Group. She served as the VALE Conference president in 2017 and as the VALE Music Group president in 2018.

“I cannot say enough to express how much working with VALE contributed to my own personal growth,” she said. “I experienced the ‘real world’ from a safe environment, but still felt the consequences if I messed up. I honed my leadership skills and worked on the delicate art of being a leader and friend of my fellow students. I have made some amazing connections with leaders in the music industry thanks to VALE.”

“Most importantly, I had professors and advisors every step of the way to turn to when I was encountering trouble or had questions. VALE has led to many of the opportunities I have had, and I will continue to support the program long after I leave LVC,” she said.

Hepp, who first arrived at The Valley as a high school student for summer music camp, has this advice for music students considering LVC:

“LVC’s Music Department is small, but large all at the same time,” she said. “You’ll probably know almost every other music major and all of the professors within a few months, but the opportunities to get involved and make your mark are endless.”