Music has provided me with a community space that I have used to develop my confidence and leadership, as well as an appreciation for listening to my peers. It is my passion for music that led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in piano performance. Through my musical education at the UW-Madison Mead Witter School of Music, I have recognized the importance of collaboration. While performing as a collaborative pianist, I have learned how to effectively communicate and draft a plan to execute musical performances. My musical training allowed for a smooth transition into my administrative role as a coordinator for the “Concert Series” at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
As a Concert Series Coordinator, I was challenged to utilize my arts background as well as learn from my colleagues how to carry out the necessary tasks of a classical music concert season. While organizing the Concert Series season, I realized that a successful season requires coordination and expertise in other disciplines beyond the arts including marketing, accounting, and management. By pursuing a master’s in Arts-Business: Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership degree at the UW-Madison School of Business this year immediately following my graduation in May 2020, I have found that the courses challenge me in my critical thinking, equipping me to continue making impactful experiences for audiences and artists.
This educational pathway will allow me to combine my passion for the arts and interest in building community involvement. I am currently working at Dane Arts, an agency within Dane County Government whose programs aim to strengthen connections between residents and artists and demonstrate the community power of the arts in education, community engagement, and cultural inclusion. It has been wonderful to foster relationships with arts leaders and utilize this employment opportunity to gain a holistic perspective of community development and interdependency through the arts.
Michelle Obama’s perspective on self-development from her memoir, Becoming, resonates with my outlook on my career and education. “For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.”
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