Intern Spotlight: Justin Lamb

Published August 9, 2019 by Third Coast Percussion      |      Share this post!

It’s summer, and that means we’ve been joined by some wonderful interns! Today’s Intern Spotlight shines on Justin Lamb. We were lucky to snag Justin in between his two years at the Eastman School of Music, where he’s now wrapping up a Master’s degree in Percussion Performance. Thank you so much for all your hard work, Justin, and best wishes for finishing school!

Where are you from?

Greenville, SC

What is one thing about yourself that you’d want everyone to know?

I’m an avid fan of napping and waking up very confused, eating so much that it hurts, and Spikeball, but probably not in that order.

Give us a link to something about you.

Here’s a link to a performance video on my YouTube channel and here’s a link to an album full of percussion arrangements of John Psathas music that I took part in while at Furman University with my professor Dr. Omar Carmenates and some other cool cats. You can read more about what I’m up to at my website: jlambmusic.com

What are you up to these days?

Currently entering the second and final year of my MM degree in percussion at Eastman!

When did you intern with TCP?

May 28-June 14, 2019

How did you connect with TCP?

I heard about the internship through Andrew Bockman and Noel Holloway who were interns the previous year. The Arts Leadership Program at Eastman helped me connect with Sean.

Did you gain anything from the internship that you’d like to share?

While at TCP, I learned about many different things that are encompassed in the field of arts administration and it’s hard to describe this all in a concise manner here. But, the biggest takeaway was seeing how the group manages the artistic side of their work (rehearsing, performing, working with composers, etc.) with their administrative duties (development, budgeting, planning, booking, etc.). They were all very organized and efficient at what they do. Also, I learned some pretty cool extended techniques using electronic toothbrushes.

What else did you do while interning with TCP?

I went to Andy’s Jazz Club and Kingston Mines, went to a Cubs game at Wrigley, saw an outdoor concert downtown featuring the L&M Duo with live dance and painting (and incidentally met Marc Mellits there as well), went to a ~Nois concert at Constellation, and ate too much food. Also watched season 4 of Black Mirror on Netflix which really messed me up. Oh yeah and the L&M Duo concert was interrupted by ~500 naked bicyclists riding through downtown which was quite amusing.

Did you leave a legacy or mark on the organization that you’re particularly proud of?

I wouldn’t say I left a legacy or mark on the organization per se, but I did create a fairly fleshed out database of percussion quartets by underrepresented composers that will hopefully be helpful in the future for both TCP (and myself).

Favorite memory from the internship?

Colin (studio manager), Thomas (another TCP intern), and I were tasked to build a stand for a giant bell (~300lbs) from Burma. After we finished building the stand, we hung the bell and got to hit it. That moment was quite fulfilling to say the least.

If you were a cartoon character, who would you be?

Well I took a cartoon character personality test and got Fred Flintstone…? Yabba-Dabba-Do!

A funny or embarrassing story from the internship? 

Thomas and I were packing up instruments for a recording session the next day with Augusta Read Thomas & TCP at the Symphony Center. We saw a marimba in the middle of the room and just assumed that it needed to be packed up, without really thinking about it. We realized we had one too many marimbas on the truck the next day… whoops. But, everything was okay because TCP was leaving for Notre Dame the following day and would have needed the marimba packed any way. Crisis avoided.

A GIF or YouTube link that sums up your experience with TCP?

This is definitely one of my favorite videos ever. Not entirely related to my experience with TCP, but I did find myself sneezing an abnormal amount while in Chicago.


Our intern can experience every part of TCP’s organization, from visiting recording sessions to writing grants and everything in between. If you’re interesting in learning more about an internship with Third Coast, please contact Sean Connors at [email protected].