Over spring break on the New York Field Experience trip through the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Arthur Jones,junior, was not only able to observe audio, video and music industries individually, but he was also able to see his interests work together in the media industry as a whole.
His interest in audio started his senior year of high school, when he took a class with someone who owned a local recording studio.
“I knew I liked to play music and thought the class looked neat at first, but I happened to really like the recording aspect of the class,” Jones said.
The one visit that Jones found particularly interesting during the New York City Field Experience was the group’s stop at MTV.
“We learned how important their social media teams are,” Jones said. “Because their demographic is early to late teens, they constantly have to stay up-to-date with new app trends. Whenever something new comes out, they have to learn how to best apply it to their audience.”
The biggest thing he learned from alumni on the trip was the fact that, in college, you never truly know what city you will end up in.
He also learned a lot about careers in the audio industry.
“I knew New York was a big media market, but I really learned so many valuable pieces of information related to all things audio,” said Jones. “Whether it’s in TV or radio, doing something in audio would be my dream job.”
The market in New York City made Jones aware of potential job opportunities.
“I definitely am more open now and saw the possibilities of different careers in the media industry,” Jones said. “The New York trip really broadened the potential I saw in the different jobs I could do.”
A change in tune
Jones first came to MSU as a student in the James Madison College. When he discovered that he wasn’t passionate about what he was studying, he left MSU to study at a community college in his hometown. He pursued a music degree and learned how to play an instrument – the double bass. When he returned to MSU, he decided to major in media and information with a minor in music.
“Even though there aren’t a ton of audio classes, MSU has so many students making student-films and other projects as well,” Jones said. “I was pulled into the fiction film class and
. I also work at Recording Services in the music building.”
In addition to all of those commitments to expanding his craft, Jones also plays in the concert orchestra at MSU.