All-Access: Get to know ME!

Happy Monday everyone! I’m so happy to see you again.

Since I’ve started this blog, I’ve made so many new friends on here. So, I think it’s time that I formally introduce myself!

Hi, I’m Amanda! I’m a 21 year-old aspiring music industry professional from New Jersey. I’m a senior at Monmouth University majoring in Music with a concentration in Industry. There, I’m also VP of our student run record label, Blue Hawk Records.

I started concert photography by taking pictures for performances around campus. My first-ever performance shot was for a fundraiser for Villages in Partnership, hosted by one of the University’s classes. A few of my friends were performing & I stayed out in the garden watching & taking pictures that whole chilly April afternoon. It was so much fun & I had endless opportunity to play around with settings, lenses, and angles. I remember being so proud of myself for a few of the photos I took that day, having it been my first time doing something like that.

Soon, that developed into opportunities to take pictures of other campus performances from theater to a capella to open mics and recitals - HUGE thank you & shoutout to MUPlayers & Sea Sharps for those opportunities too! Some of my favorite pictures are from MUPlayers Spring 2023 Play “A Doll’s House.” The beautiful set included a lit Christmas tree for a good duration of the show, which resulted in a beautiful bokeh background for a few shots.

Over the past year, my photography skills have definitely grown significantly. Below is an example of my work from April 2022 and one from April 2023.

The lighting, angle, and overall editing of the photo from 2023 is a significant improvement from 2022! I am always learning and improving & I can’t wait to see the difference I’ll have made in another year.

Outside of photography, I love spending time with my little brother. He’s the funniest kid I’ve ever known & sometimes we find ourselves playing Minecraft over FaceTime for hours. We have a 7-year age difference, which means a lot of my favorite things have become his favorite things - including my hoodies which I never get back. But, I have to admit, it’s so much fun being able to see him enjoy my music and watching him develop his own taste in music, too.

Getting back to a little more about me, here’s some random fun-facts about me:

• My big three (zodiac sign placements) are aries sun, leo rising, and cancer moon

• Some of my favorite movies are Pitch Perfect (2012), Heathers (1989), and Scream (1996)

• My on-repeat artists right now are Noah Kahan, Movements, and boygenius

• My favorite song of all-time is Felicity by The Night Cafe!

• I love the 2004 ABC show Desperate Housewives (in case you missed the last blog article which you can check out here.)

• I went as Carrie for Halloween in 2022 (thank you Mia Heim for the photo!)

If you want to get to know me more, be sure to follow my Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter for more behind the scenes with me!

Until next time, friends! Have a great week.

See you soon!

-Amanda