When Jessica Laun graduated from Duke in 2005 with a major in music theory and composition, she found herself badgered by people asking "just what [she] was going to do with [her] degree."
After spending time at home in San Diego following graduation, Laun decided that to pursue her dream of working in the music business, she would bite the bullet and move to the Big Apple.
"Even though I didn't have a job lined up for me and things were definitely up in the air, I knew that if I really wanted to work in the music industry, I had to make the commitment," Laun said.
Thanks to the close relationships she forged with Associate Professor of Music Anthony Kelley, her pre-major adviser, and Professor of Music Stephen Jaffe, Laun was able to secure an internship at the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Foundation, which helped her get a foot in the door.
Currently, Laun is a music consultant at Boosey & Hawkes, a classical music publishing company that just celebrated its 80th anniversary. As part of the Synchronized Licensing Department, Laun is responsible for pitching and licensing music for film, TV and advertising, a job that requires her to be very familiar with thousands of songs.
"I definitely am very happy to find a way to take what I studied in school and mix it with what I like to do," Laun said. "What I do is creative and not as self-focused as some other jobs in the music industry."
In the last few years, Boosey & Hawkes has been growing, adding divisions that focus on signing indie bands and jazz artists. Recently, the company has developed a relationship with South by Southwest, a major source of up-and-coming indie bands, and signed a contract to license works by jazz icon Wynton Marsalis.
During her three-and-a-half years at Boosey & Hawkes, Laun has already worked on licensing deals for TV shows like The Simpsons, The Sopranos and Sex and the City along with major blockbuster films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The Truman Show and the Spiderman series.
Laun foresees the division becoming more diverse and challenging, and she is grateful for having taken the initial risk to realize her aspirations.
"If three to four years ago you asked me to sit down and write what I wanted my dream job to be, this would be it," Laun said. "You just can't be afraid to try and really go after what you want. If there's anytime to do it, to take a risk, it's as college graduate."
Boosey & Hawkes offers summer internships to students who are interested in music licensing. For more information on the program, contact jessica.laun@boosey.com.
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