Year at Pepperdine: Senior
Major: Advertising & Marketing
Favorite food: Chocolate Chip Cookies
Favorite movie: 10 Things I Hate About You
Age: 21
HC: What are you most passionate about?
JR: Easy. I am seriously over passionate about music and I think that is something not a lot of people would guess if they were to first look at me. I think more specifically I am more passionate about live music and the way a beautiful performance can move thousands of people who are so different yet all coming together for the same reason. I love how there is always something new to fall in love with when it comes to music. Music has taken me on a wild path into the industry and now I am hoping to secure a job in the music industry as soon as I graduate (hopefully in concert booking or digital marketing). Oh also, I am super passionate about finding and drinking a good cup of coffee.
HC: What is your favorite memory at Pepperdine?
JR: There have been so many — but there was one day specifically when a couple of my friends and I left a basketball game early and ended up in a Dresher apartment. We randomly turned that hangout into a full on karaoke party, and I swear it was like a cheesy scene from a movie where all the girls are dancing and singing badly over an old Spice Girls song. It was amazing and not planned and something I don’t think I will ever forget.
HC: What is it like to pursue photography?
JR: Hmm it’s strange – I stumbled upon it around this time last year because I fell in love with concert photography. I was amazed how people were capturing the beauty of an artist at their most creative and vulnerable moments. Photographers like Ashley Osborn (ig: ashleyosborn) and Faith Silva (ig: faithsilva), Paige Sara (ig: paigesaraphoto), were sharing their work and it amazed me how they were right at the source of all these amazing events and they were the ones being able to capture the moments and share them. They, as well as every other female music photographer, really have paved the way for other girls to realize they could do the same in what seemed like such a male-dominated industry.
It’s really exciting to be able to share moments you are proud of whether it’s a full-on live show or an intimate photoshoot with a close friend. My favorite moments are right at the beginning of a set when the artists come out because they always look so focused and ready to ignite fires. Sometimes there is confetti and smoke blasting at the crowd, too, and there I am in the rig snapping as many photos as I can. It’s insane and I love it because it makes me feel like I am living a double life — especially when I get home and the house is so quiet. I won’t call myself a photographer because I still don’t think I am at that caliber yet, but photography is really something I love and respect dearly. It’s an art I am forever trying to master.
HC: How has it impacted your life?
JR: I have worked at a camera shop at Pepperdine since freshman year so one day I rented a DSLR (with no knowledge about how to use it) and snuck it into my first show. I was an intern at Epitaph Records at the time and my boss let me run around the venue and take pictures of the set. When I opened the photos on my computer, I was amazed with what I was able to capture and since then it has been an obsession. Now I try to pick up as many shows as I can at different LA venues and even reach out to music blogs for more opportunities to shoot and write about music. It’s crazy and means so much to me when friends notice my work and ask for photos. Photography has really given me the outlet I need to be creative and it lets me explore different mediums of expression. It is also my way of contributing to the music scene, which I think is really important. I am not sure where it will take me in the future but I am excited to keep learning and growing with it.
HC: What advice do you have for incoming students?
JR: For those of you interested in photography, don’t be discouraged when you are first starting out. It is not about the equipment you have but how you work the camera and post production. For everyone else, I guess I would advise baby freshmen not to worry about the future so much. From what I have learned, you change as a person in these four years. Freshman year, my life was so different than it is now. I thought I had to have everything planned out to the tee but really everything happens for a reason. I believe I am right where God, the Universe, destiny, whatever you want to call it, intended for me.
Always work hard and pursue the things you love, even if it means sliding into the DM’s once in a while and buying that vinyl record you know you can’t afford — but really want. Email that company where you want to intern at because you never know who is looking for a wide-eyed, hard-working helper. Be nice to people and share your notes from class because karma is real. Tell your friends and family you love them all the time. Never settle for bad coffee, especially in the CCB, and always listen to good music.
HC: What does your dream job look like?
JR: To be the head of marketing at a label or promotion company would be dope. To have my own office and get to work alongside others who are passionate and motivated would be amazing. Right now I would just love to be in a place where I can think and work creatively and be around others who feel the same. Ideally, I feel like that would be in the music industry but I am not entirely sure where exactly yet.