Please share a little about yourself and your relationship with ETM-LA.

My name is Phoenix Martin, and I am a recently graduated high school senior who has had the pleasure of working with ETM-LA as the Communications Intern for about two years now. In all of my free time, I practice nearly every art form I can, which at this moment includes playing guitar, singing, creative writing, and drawing.

Out of all of these disciplines, music has been the most consistently present throughout my life, being an art form that I have the luxury of sharing with others. My father was lead guitarist, singer/songwriter, and frontman of his rock band throughout the 1990s and 2000s and has worked for Schecter Guitars for over a decade. My mother has always exposed me to new music and shared her own joyful experiences with it, and both my brother and sister play guitar and piano respectively. So I grew up around a lot of music!

I have always been passionate about not only pursuing the arts and music, but encouraging others to see just how vital the arts are to our quality of life. I whole-heartedly believe art and music are crucial components to the human experience, and in such an uncertain and divided time, we need them now more than ever.

ETM-LA has personally touched my life starting all the way back in elementary school, when I attended Theodore Roosevelt Elementary and received ETM-LA’s music program. Upon learning more about them, I found out that they were the reason I had the privilege of learning violin, ukulele, and had access to band programs through school. Without those classes, I don’t think I ever would have obtained the courage and means to pursue music like I do today. Now that I’ve been able to somewhat repay this grand favor through giving back to ETM-LA, I can fully understand and appreciate the hard work and compassion that goes into providing kids, like me, with such vital and quality music education.

 

How has music education impacted you?

There is so much I could say about the way music education has benefited me, but my earliest and most fundamental music education began in elementary school. I was exposed to instruments such as the ukulele at around fourth grade, which after being handed, I very quickly ran home to beg my parents for one of my own to practice with. I was really developing my musical taste at this time, and even got to attend my first concert.

Being given access to an instrument which could be used to play the very same songs that meant so much to me was the most empowering thing I could be gifted. I was learning a handful of songs on the daily, refining my ukulele skills and even being inspired to pick up some self-taught piano from it. I vividly remember the pure joy and excitement I had of knowing I had music class that day, and the equally great excitement of knowing I could learn and create once I got home. Suddenly, I had all this self-confidence to share, and while I wasn’t particularly shy as a child, this was a new level of courage I had been given.

I found myself eagerly searching for any opportunities to perform and share my newfound skills, involving myself in school performances, band programs, playing for family, or even just recording myself at home and sending videos of playing ukulele and piano to my friends and family. I also picked up songwriting at this time, which I still practice and which eventually led into my love of poetry that I have today.

Some of my fondest memories come from performing in front of my music class in elementary school. We had “share-days” where we were allowed to play anything we wanted for the class, and I ecstatically always chose to perform original songs or tracks from my favorite bands, often requesting to perform multiple times in one day! Those experiences gave me so much confidence in who I was, while also being a perfect gateway into greater means of self-expression.

I learned how to be comfortable with myself and with authenticity in front of others, and that skill is essential for any developing child. As kids, we’re all just trying to find ourselves, and playing and engaging with music is one of the greatest opportunities we have for discovering who we are. We connect with lyrics, notes, artists… we can recognize our own great strengths and emotions through music, and there is no better introduction to introspection that the catharsis and empowerment music brings us.

 

Why did you choose ETM-LA for your internship?

When I first heard about ETM-LA’s mission of providing quality music education in schools all over Los Angeles, I knew right away it was an organization I wanted to be a part of. I was 16 and I had never worked a formal job before, but I knew it was important to me that I chose a worksite where the time I put in was meaningful and fed a larger picture that I believed in.

Learning that ETM-LA is all about encouraging music and the arts, and that they had personally reached my life without me even knowing, it was obvious that they were the right choice. I knew my efforts would go somewhere with real impact, and that I wasn’t just going to be clocking into a mindless 9-5; this was an organization with heart. The position available was a communications internship, which sounded perfect for my skill set of articulation and emotional intelligence, and I felt like I could really use my strengths to benefit the mission I already cared so deeply for.

My first internship period lasted about a school semester, but I immediately knew I wanted to continue my experience with ETM-LA, and I’ve been happily working with them ever since. I cannot stress enough how compassionate, kind, generous, and hard-working this team is. The dedication I see day-to-day not only extends to the mission of providing music education, but in everyone’s personal mission to be a quality human being. They have been the most welcoming organization I could ever have the pleasure of working under, and it’s brought me so much joy and fulfillment to pour my time and heart into our shared goal of quality music education for all.

 

What have you been able to gain from your experience with ETM-LA?

With ETM-LA being my first official job, they’ve equipped me with countless essential skills that I carry both personally and professionally. Of course, I have been thoroughly trained on the technical aspects of social media management, media organization, data analysis, etc… but I have also gained so much practice with personal responsibility, accountability, and communication.

Throughout my adolescence, I often struggled to take initiative, usually trying to work and move as quietly as possible, but my experience with ETM-LA helped me develop the crucial skill of advocating for oneself. I was always given opportunities to speak up and share my thoughts, concerns, and questions with the team, which allowed me to build more self-confidence while also becoming a better communicator.

As I’m growing into a young adult, this is a time where more than ever the ability to speak up for yourself is absolutely vital. I’ll soon have to make all my own decisions, and it will be up to me to find and act on opportunities, so I’m really grateful to ETM-LA for empowering me when it comes to using my voice. I can safely say I have grown exponentially when it comes to productivity, efficiency, confidence, and capability while working for ETM-LA. I find myself going into tasks, whether professional or personal, and thinking “I can do this”- no matter the challenge it may bring. Wherever I end up in the future, I know I will carry these fundamental abilities of self-advocacy, confidence, responsibility, and dedication everywhere I go.

 

What has been the most challenging part of your intern experience so far?

The most challenging aspect of my intern experience has been becoming accustomed to being in charge of myself. I had mentioned my hesitance when it came to taking initiative, so it was challenging at first to both realize and implement the skill of being personally responsible for my productivity levels and work. Especially with my only “work” experience being in school where everything is in the form of instruction, it was a bit foreign to me that I was allowed to suggest tasks, take charge, or ask for more work. However, in deep gratitude to ETM-LA’s patience and compassion in helping me grow as an intern, I began to really practice the art of initiative. I soon was able to speak comfortably on new ideas I had, communicate efficiently what I had completed and what I needed, and get familiar with understanding that I have the responsibility and strength to accomplish my highest quality work. Refining this skill has aided me in so many areas of my personal life, and I now feel ready to take on so much more of the world with this newfound confidence and accountability.

 

Why do you believe in ETM-LA’s mission?

ETM-LA’s mission of providing quality music education for children truly reaches my heart on such a fundamental level. From feeling the benefits of learning and being exposed to music as a young child, to seeing what it has done for so many others through psychological research and my own anecdotal evidence, my passion for promoting music everywhere has only grown stronger as I’ve grown older and been able to involve myself with ETM-LA.

The arts are something I believe to be absolutely essential in order to live the highest quality life. I’m pursuing a career in entertainment through being a screenwriter for this very reason, and you bet I’m going to involve music in every possible way! Music truly has such a way of moving us. There’s a reason certain notes and songs can bring us to tears or make us ache from smiling, and I believe everybody deserves to experience those sensations.

Especially for young minds, being exposed to music develops all facets of your character. Music education is proven to accelerate the brain in countless areas; it improves our reading comprehension, communication, hand-eye coordination, technical skills, improvisation, cooperation, and so much more. But of course, it also heals the soul. Music has consistently been a way to release and fully feel our emotions, and I can confidently declare that it has been my greatest emotional outlet.

I’ve grown so close to my dearest friends and family through music, whether it be playing instruments with my best friends, going to concerts together, bonding over the beautiful feelings music and art lets us feel – music has always been there for me. I have found so much solace all my life through engaging with music. I play guitar when I’m feeling strongly, and it helps me work through whatever I’m experiencing. It’s time to think and reflect, but it’s also a time to feel, and I’m so grateful to have a tool where I can build that emotional environment for myself. There’s so much more I could say, but music has simply touched my spirit in so many endlessly meaningful ways, that I feel incredibly passionate about supporting ETM-LA’s mission to give every child access to this essential, poetic, and human experience.