Presenter and Panelist for Designing Career-Centered Music Curriculum
As an emerging scholar-practitioner with experience as both a performer and educator, I am passionate about exploring how postsecondary music curricula can more effectively prepare students for the evolving demands of 21st-century careers—through innovation, inclusivity, and a broader understanding of what it means to be a “musician” in today’s world. Throughout my academic and professional journey, I have encountered the challenges and opportunities inherent in translating conservatory training into diverse, sustainable career pathways. These experiences have underscored the importance of curriculum models that move beyond traditional performance-centric frameworks to embrace entrepreneurial thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and digital fluency. In my own teaching philosophy, I aim to bridge the gap between artistic excellence and professional adaptability.
I am particularly interested in how creative curricular models can integrate core artistic competencies with flexible skillsets such as project-based learning, grant writing, arts administration, public scholarship, and socially engaged practice; in today's day and age, a blended career is a must. It is our job as visionaries and educators to ensure that we are providing meaningful insight and information to our students with regards to forging their own pathway. This think-tank presents an ideal forum for collaborative dialogue on strategies to embed these competencies meaningfully within undergraduate and graduate music programs.
In past roles, I have contributed to curriculum development projects and participated in strategic planning initiatives (nonprofit and youth symphony) related to student success and career readiness, and acted as a student representative/liaison to the board of trustees at the Cleveland Institute of Music. I bring a perspective informed by both institutional experience and a commitment to equity and access in music education. I believe that career-centered creativity must also be culturally responsive and student-centered—tailored to honor diverse identities, musical traditions, and definitions of success.
As such, I am eager to contribute to conversations about curricular structures that support multiple career trajectories, including performance, teaching, music technology, advocacy, scholarship, and hybrid professional lives. I am especially drawn to the roundtable format of this session, which promises a generative exchange of ideas among colleagues with varied expertise. I hope to contribute not only questions and ideas, but also a collaborative spirit and openness to inquiry. I am confident that this session will yield valuable insights for all participants, and I look forward to helping shape forward-thinking models that equip our students to thrive.