I love working with musicians, helping them book more performances and build the lives they desire—from launching new ensembles, to upgrading promotional materials, and landing college teaching jobs. I’m fascinated with problem solving: with helping individuals—as well as ensembles and institutions—find new ways to overcome obstacles. Together we clarify goals and develop action plans that put the desired future within reach.
The Need
Because I found a huge need for a musicians’ “road map” to demystify the business side of their careers, I wrote Beyond Talent: Creating a Successful Career in Music. I’ve also written articles for Inside Arts, The Strad, Classical Singer, and Chamber Music magazines, all aimed at giving musicians real world answers to their career-related questions.
Reach
Through both my consulting practice and my work at institutions I’ve helped thousands of musicians take their careers to the next level. My work life has included directing entrepreneurship and career offices at Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, and Indiana University, working with students and alumni, both emerging artists as well as accomplished professionals.
As a speaker, I’ve led workshops at the Eastman School of Music, and the Juilliard, Peabody, Colburn, and Oberlin Conservatories. And I’ve also presented at conferences for the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and the Association of Performing Arts Presenters.
Backstory
Although my background set me up well for this vocation, it wasn’t at all what I originally imagined for myself. I started out as a cellist, got a doctorate in performance from Stony Brook University, studied in Paris, and taught cello at the college level for a few years before realizing I had this ‘other calling.’
That’s one of the reasons I’m fascinated with how careers develop—because when artists align their actions with their core purpose, their careers take off. I know because I see it and I’ve lived it.
Perspective
People often ask me what it takes to succeed. Beyond talent, it takes the courage to dream, the power to plan, and the will to get things done. It’s about more than your job or your career, it’s about the kind of life you want to live, and the person you want to become.
For a sense of my why, try this:
