UCLA Graduate Albini Chosen for Yamaha Internship Program

Yamaha Corporation of America has named Amanda Albini to its renowned percussion instruments internship program.

Albini, who graduated last year from The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 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 December and takes place at the company’s headquarters in Buena Park, California.

Albini graduated from Novato High School in Novato, California in 2014. During high school, she participated in the Marin School of the Arts, a specialized performing, visual arts and design program within her school. The program granted her the opportunity to receive college-level arts training and partake in numerous ensembles. She also took several advanced band classes, including Jazz Band 1 and Jazz Band 2, as well as Jazz Combo, a course that explores the rich tradition of small-group jazz.

In December 2018, Albini earned her bachelor’s degree in Ethnomusicology and Statistics at UCLA. During her time there, she played the drums in several ensembles, including Jazz Orchestra, Latin Jazz Band, Ellingtonia Band and Jazz Combos. She also played cymbals in the UCLA marching band. During her last two years of college, Albini served on the board of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary band fraternity and service organization that aims to help bands within and outside of UCLA. Currently, Albini resides in Cypress, California so that she can be closer to the internship program.

“Amanda’s passion for percussion and deep involvement with student ensembles made her stand out as the clear choice for this program, and she has been a wonderful addition to our team,” says Troy C. Wollwage, marketing manager, Drum & Percussion, Yamaha Corporation of America. “We are thrilled to allow Amanda the opportunity to apply her percussion expertise and learn from our dedicated staff. We can’t wait for her to take hold of all the amazing opportunities that this internship has to offer.”

The Yamaha Drum & Percussion department is responsible for marketing, sales and research, and development for drums and marching percussion, in addition to education initiatives throughout the United States.