Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral division, has named Minuteman Band drumline alumna Casey Choi ’17, as its 2019 selection for the winter term of its renowned percussion instruments internship program.
The Manhattan Beach, California-native was selected from a national pool of talented and accomplished applicants and has been providing Yamaha with marketing and sales support for its world-class percussion products. The six-month internship program will run through July and takes place at the company’s headquarters in Buena Park, California.
Choi graduated from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach in 2013. She earned her bachelor’s degree this past May in Music Performance – Percussion, and Arts and Entertainment Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass). During her time there, she participated in the UMass Wind Ensemble as well as the UMass Marching Band as an ensemble member playing the snare drum. As a member of the marching band and the wind ensemble, Choi was granted unmatched opportunities such as playing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, attending the Collegiate Marching Band Festival in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and touring Ireland.
Of all her experiences thus far, Choi attributes her personal and musical growth to her time in the drum corps. During the summer months of 2015 and 2016, Choi was in the front ensemble for The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps traveling across the country. In 2017, she toured with the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps as a tour operations intern on the administration staff. After graduating college, Choi moved back to her home state to be closer to Disneyland, where she participated in the Disney College Program until January.
“We are thrilled to have Choi on our team. Her passion for percussion and deep involvement with student ensembles and drum corps really stood out to us, and make her an excellent addition,” says Troy C. Wollwage, percussion marketing manager, Band & Orchestral division, Yamaha Corporation of America. “Working with the world’s largest music product manufacturer is an opportunity for Choi to apply her expertise and learn from our well-versed team. We are excited for her to experience all that this internship has to offer.”
The Yamaha Band & Orchestral division is responsible for marketing, sales and research, and development for strings, wind instruments, concert and marching percussion, in addition to education initiatives for school music programs throughout the United States.
For over 30 years, Yamaha has remained committed to training and supporting people interested in building music-related careers. Many former Yamaha interns now hold fruitful positions throughout the music products industry, including at instrument manufacturers, dealers, drum corps, media and other music education outlets.