Senior Alyssa Davis dominates her chords through a music internship

By Julia Oudiz

Online Features Editor

Senior Alyssa Davis doesn’t diminish her chords; she dominates them through a music internship to observe famous musicians in their natural habitat, the recording studio.

Davis is currently interning for the Harvey Mason Media Studio to experience the professional setting of a music studio. She spends about twenty hours every week watching celebrities record songs, printing lyrics, and helping with food and microphones.

Photos: Senior Alyssa Davis furthers her music career through an internship at the Harvey Mason Media Studio.

“It’s super inspiring being around the people that are doing the stuff that I want to do,” Davis said. “The environment is really cool because everyone is super creative, artistic, and motivating [with] music.”

Link: Several students at Mira Costa take a great interest in music.

Davis’s father has connections with people in the music industry, so she talked to Harvey Mason Jr.  about coming back to intern when she was older. About three months ago, Davis emailed him asking for the opportunity to come into the studio and observe the environment.

“I’m actually in the studio with them,” Davis said. “Right now, it’s just me hanging out learning things. I think it’s good to watch, be guided by other people, and be mentored.”

Link: Famous alumni, such as Cozz, have also learned from Mira Costa and advanced their music careers. 

Before landing her internship, Davis searched for an agency to work with to learn more about music and to get more experience from a music company. She interviewed for other companies, but ultimately decided to intern for Harvey Mason Media.

“It was exactly what I wanted to be involved in, being around the studio sessions and not just working a desk, but actually being right there where music is created,” Davis said.

Davis is interested in pop music and songwriting, and she also plays the guitar and piano. She says that artists such as Alicia Keys and Alessia Cara inspire her because they not only sing, but also do the work behind their career. Throughout the internship, she has also been able to meet several famous artists in the studio, such as John Legend.

“It’s really cool because it’s not like I don’t get to be a part of everything else that everyone else is doing, Davis said. “I meet everyone who goes in and out [of the studio] when I’m there.”

This internship has helped Davis gain experience and meet people in the music industry, Kassandra Sandoval, Davis’s cousin, says. Since being at the Harvey Mason Media Studio, Davis has had the opportunity to record an original song, “Rising From a Fall.” Sandoval also says that it has helped motivate Davis to keep persevering toward what she wants to do as a career.  

“As far as being a singer and wanting to go in that direction, it’s really hard and really competitive,” Sandoval said. “Seeing her push herself and seeing her have that drive to do what she wants and loves motivates me to do what I want to do. She is breaking boundaries for herself, and maybe one day she can be a model for other people as well, who want to do what she wants to do.”

Davis plans to continue her internship for as long as possible. She says that if she goes out of California for college, then she will probably end the internship at the end of this summer. However, if she stays local for school, she hopes to get a job from the Harvey Mason Media Studio. She does not yet know where she will go to college, but she is planning to study music.

“This internship was the perfect step to opening the doors to all the different pathways that I can take with music,” Davis said. “It has taught me to be more social and meet a lot of people.”