One of the most vivid memories I have of my childhood is the day my mom first asked me if I wanted to take piano lessons. At just seven years old, I had grown up listening to the music of my four older piano-playing sisters, and I was ecstatic that it was finally “my turn.” I had no idea just how life-changing that moment would be; not only did I fall in love with playing the piano on my own over the next several years, but I also quickly developed a keen interest in pursuing any other music or arts-related activity I had access to. As I entered high school and my musical talent continued to grow, I felt the anticipation of everyone around me waiting for an announcement about where I would attend college to study music – but that announcement never came.
Unaware of musical career paths outside of performance or teaching, I decided to enroll at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and pursue a degree in Marketing. At Eau Claire, I was able to stay engaged with my passion for music by working as a piano accompanist within the Music Department, but it was largely put on the back burner as I focused my efforts on school work and discovering what kind of career I wanted to have. Through internships, I diversified my professional experience as much as possible, engaging in a wide variety of projects relating to both the analytical and the creative/communications-based sides of marketing. While I appreciated these experiences, I was missing an excitement about the career path I saw unfolding in front of me, so I began to look for opportunities to reconnect with my musical roots.
Through a Google search, I found out about the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at UW-Madison. I was thrilled to discover that there was an opportunity right here in Wisconsin to combine business training with the arts sector, and almost right away, I knew I wanted to apply to the program. My hope was that pursuing a Master’s degree in Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership was a step in the right direction to finding meaningful work and making a difference in organizations and communities I care about.
Now in the second month of my graduate studies, this aspiration still rings true. I have the incredible opportunity to work with the Madison Symphony Orchestra in my Applied Learning Placement, leveraging my marketing analytics skills to support audience development initiatives. It is so exciting to make a return to the music community that I have always been so passionate about, bringing new value and talents from my business education at UW-Eau Claire and my current coursework in the Bolz Center. I feel confident that my year in Madison will amplify my skills and lifelong passions to make me a more valuable marketing professional, and I can’t wait to discover how I can further support music and arts-based organizations through this work that I am passionate about.
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