Hastings College student Cam Penner had never heard of Hear Nebraska (HN) until Career Services Director Kim Graveitte sent him an email about an internship melding his two loves: the media and music.
“After I looked into what they were doing, I instantly felt a connection with its mission of promoting Nebraska music,” said the Broadcasting major who calls Lincoln, Neb., home.
Cam recorded and produced the video on this page for Hear Nebraska. It features The Bottle Tops, who performed “15 Years” live on 89.3 KZUM on May 30.
Cam’s work with HN was very similar to “Music to Reckon With,” his multi-platform junior production project for his Broadcasting major. In both environments, he covered the rock music community in Nebraska through video, still photography and blog and social media posts.
“Music To Reckon With helped me out a lot with getting the internship, and it made the transition to working with HN seamless,” said Cam.
Unlike his junior project where he could enlist production assistance from classmates, he frequently served as the sole HN representative at concerts. This allowed him to grow throughout the summer.
“Because a lot of my time was spent working on assignments by myself, I’m developing a do-it-yourself work ethic that will help me one day start my own business,” he said.
As a guitarist and sometime band member himself, Cam has enjoyed making new connections in the Nebraska music scene.
“It’s really cool to see how all of these Nebraska musicians are connected,” he said.
Cam’s also building his own connections for the future. “I’ve gotten a few freelance jobs because of the internship. That never hurts!” he said.
To see more of Cam’s work with HN, check out his intern portfolio on the HN website.
