Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaylee Reyes.
Kaylee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, I had always loved music and began going to concerts at a young age. I vividly remember sitting by the radio with the house phone in my hand trying to win tickets from local radio stations. From there I would run the phone to my mom so she could answer as an adult so we would be able to win the tickets. At concerts, I was always amazed by the amount of crew and behind-the-scenes personnel needed to create a live show. I knew I had a passion for music, but to me, it had taken the role of a hobby, so I never pursued anything seriously.
In 2019, I started my education at UCLA, being admitted as pre-med with the major Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. As you can imagine, my academic course load was heavy and rigorous. I struggled to find balance both in classwork and adjusting to college and needed to find an avenue to help ground me. I began to look at the music department and became involved in the music industry program. I guess you can say the rest is history from there.
At the time, COVID was at its peak, so I had expanded access to panels, speaker events, and resources that were posted on now-transformed Instagram pages. I was a participant for the Warner Music Classroom series, where we got a crash course on different facets of the industry. As most people do, I began to feverishly search for any internship or opportunity to break into the industry. The amount of leg work I put in and nos I received was quite large, but I soon learned that your first yes is always the hardest because someone has to take a chance on you. My first internship was at Sumerian Records and Films. Being at an indie label was such an incredible experience because I was not used to coffee runs or stuck in one department. I truly value my experience here as I felt like a member of the team and got to work on so many projects from social media to merch to music videos. I started out working at indie labels and start-ups, eventually making my way back to the Warner internship program after I had gained sufficient experience. In fall of 2021, I interned with Warner with their content protection team. Here, our job was essentially to keep any and all music assets safe and official. After wrapping up my time there, I applied to my current role. I am the Warner Music U rep at UCLA, WMG’s college marketing program. My job is to help connect students on campus to artists and their music through various mediums such as social media, campus events, concerts, and pop-ups. Our team is heavily involved in content capturing and creation for the labels as well, whether that be for concerts, album release parties, or artist takeovers.
This past summer, as school was out of session, I was able to intern in person at the Warner office in downtown LA. This time, however, I would be working with the mechanical licensing and income tracking team at Warner Chappell, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group. Here, I got to immerse myself in the core of music, with all of the writers and producers behind all of your favorite songs, giving out licenses, and communicating with other labels to have correct writing credit splits.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Haha. If your dream doesn’t scare you, it isn’t big enough, and let me tell you, I was so scared all the time. I have explored numerous avenues and career paths to try to find what I want, from within the industry to outside the industry as well, from doctor to A&R to lawyer to artist manager to clinical researcher to PR. I was always so afraid that I would never find something that I did not like and be stuck with that career, but I never let that stop me from trying just about everything in between. If the future was a Baskin Robin’s I was taking a sample spoon of all 31 flavors. That all being said, it is ok to not know the next step or the next five steps of your life, but you must keep going forward.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the Warner Music U rep at UCLA, WMG’s college marketing program. My job is to help connect students on campus to artists and their music through various mediums such as social media, campus events, concerts, and pop-ups. Our team is heavily involved in content capturing and creation for the labels as well, whether that be for concerts, album release parties, or artist takeovers. I am extremely proud of being able to break into the industry as a woman who had no prior connections or ties in entertainment whatsoever. I have a deep passion for music that led me to where I am now, and looking back, all signs pointed this way. Looking back to who I was in middle school, begging my mom to take me to shows hours away such as Paramore and One Direction, and fast forwarding to the present, where I am now getting to be a part of the marketing and merch campaigns for these same exact artists is absolutely mind-blowing. In my current stage, which is still very early in my career, I have already had an immense amount of full-circle experiences and fulfilling exchanges that make me feel more whole as a person. At the root of who I strive to be, I hope to share my passions and knowledge with others.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
Social Media is a great place to get free information and find communities of like-minded people! Here are a few of many accounts I recommend giving a follow:
@warnermusicu (obviously + your local rep)
@warnermusicstudents
@thedigilogue
@grammyu
@musicindustryconnections
@musicforward
@womeninmusic
@amplifyhervoice
@girlsbtrs
@girlswholisten
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylee_rey/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kaylee_rey?lang=en
