Meet AIU Students and Alumni
Meet Shandra Jones
B.F.A. in Media Production
Producing Success
When the record industry comes knocking, wanting to record and distribute your work, it’s not an easy opportunity to pass up. When Shandra Jones had just that chance, she took it. It was at the expense of her getting her Bachelor’s degree, though. She was two years into a degree in music education at a state university and had to leave school to give her music career her full attention.
Shandra made it as a solo artist for a while, but then decided she did want her degree after all. She wanted to be able to work—and work well—behind-the-scenes as much as she did in front of the mike. A cousin who was at AIU Buckhead studying Visual Communication told Shandra about AIU’s Media Production degree program. Covering both video and audio production, it seemed perfect for her.
“I learned so much in the video side of the program. I came in not knowing anything and now I feel I can do anything. On the audio side, I definitely learned a lot, too, but it was more on the side of enhancing what I already knew. I came into the program with a lot of audio experience.”
Having graduated from school in December, Shandra has more time to devote to the production company she runs with four others, 2Gran Production. The group currently has eight artists and has released three full-length, independent albums in the Atlanta area. 2Gran Production does everything from recording to producing, distributing, promoting (including graphic design for albums and concert posters: another AIU grad is the company’s graphic designer), writing, and booking.
Since most of the revenue 2Gran earns goes right back into the business, Shandra has to work another job. While she has yet to get the official phone call offering her a position, Shandra says her interview with one of Atlanta’s largest studios and production companies went great. Shandra landed this interview through AIU’s Career Services Department.
A single mother in addition to music-industry entrepreneur and performer, Shandra says she never considered giving up on getting her Bachelor’s degree, no matter how full her schedule was. “I never got discouraged. I could tell I was learning a lot, and I’m the type of person that has to have multiple things going on. The more I have going on, the more I’m able to concentrate. If I just had one or two things, it’d get monotonous. Diversification is the way I keep things interesting and keep myself motivated.”
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