MacEwan Media Production - Music Composition

MacEwan Media Production is a part of the Department of Communication at MacEwan University. The TV Studio and podcasting space offer state-of-the-art broadcast facilities for internal and external clients. 

Through the Level UP remote internship program, the Head of Media Production for MacEwan Media Production and a tenure-track assistant professor in the MacEwan University Department of Communication, Sheena Rossiter, partnered with Kailey Lambert to compose music for internal and external clients.

As a fourth-year composition student at MacEwan, Kailey was excited to use what she learned in school for this project. For one documentary, Kailey created short clips of electronic-based music. For the second documentary, she made three songs, each a few minutes long. “I feel like I learned a lot from this experience.”  

The most challenging part for Kailey was communication. “This experience has been really valuable in building my communication skills, especially with people who don’t write music for a living. It can be challenging to communicate between a musician and a non-musician about music and what you want. But this experience taught me how non-musicians communicate and how to translate that into musical dialogue that makes sense to me.” 

But Sheena made things easier along the way despite any challenges Kailey encountered. “Sheena was very helpful and provided me with a lot of guidance when I had questions. She quickly booked meetings if I needed to talk about anything and was always very good at giving feedback and communicating.” 

Contributions from Kailey and other Level UP students had a significant impact on MacEwan Media Production. From the development and branding of the production studio's website and YouTube channel to the original music composed for podcast shows and documentaries, there wasn’t an aspect of the MacEwan Media Production's current projects that Level UP students did not touch. “So I think the proof is really in the pudding because there are strong results that were delivered through this internship in the TV studio, wayfinding, website, design, music, and all the videos are there,” Sheena shared. 

Because of this valuable hands-on experience, Kailey feels ready to pursue a career in music composition. “I feel better prepared to get into the field that I’d like to get into after I’ve graduated because now I’ve built some of the skills that I will need to apply to my career.”  

Sheena would love to see the Level UP program continue.  “I just hope that the government uses funds for the Riipen Level UP programs again because it's a fantastic opportunity for people still in school and looking to get into their fields of interest and careers. It's a great first step in anyone's career.  I think it's an excellent way to add flexibility and hone people’s skills during that time. And it's a win-win for everyone. It's beneficial for the employers, and it's beneficial for the students as well.”

Kailey also sees the Level UP program's value for other students. “I would recommend this way of learning to other students because it is a great way to apply what you’ve already learned in school and learn new things.” 

Thank you to Kailey Lambert for sharing her experience on Riipen. To learn more about how you can get started with the Level UP remote internship program as a student or employer, visit the website here. ‍Stay updated with the latest in higher education, experiential learning, and the future of work, and subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, The Riipen Report.

Riipen Level UP program is funded by the Government of Canada's Innovative Work-Integrated Learning (I-WIL) Initiatives program. The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.

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