The Catherine Filene Shouse Arts Leadership Certificate of Achievement is an experiential program designed to complement a student’s primary area of study and provide professional development training to support student’s career goals. Those in the program gain knowledge of the music industry and the skills to become a leader in the field. This semester, we have students completing internships all across Rochester and beyond, supporting local and national arts organizations and learning more about the industry.
As a Certificate candidate, Lucy Chugh (BM Applied Music, percussion) is interning with Girls Rock!, an organization that seeks to teach gender minorities rock band instruments and give them the community to pursue their interests in a safe space. As a percussionist herself, Chugh says “Girl Rock is one of the reasons I applied for the ALP Certificate.” She’s a Girls Rock! Pittsburgh alumna and felt that the organization invested in her and others as young female musicians, and knew she wanted to get involved with the Rochester chapter. In addition to learning about the behind-the-scenes operations of this organization, Chugh is also getting to use her musical training and gain valuable teaching experience by giving drum lessons to both children and adult students. “I really love the spirit of the organization, and I always get to do something interesting. I have great conversations with my supervisor, Amanda Ashley Rodriguez, about my journey as a student and person.”
When asked what her biggest takeaway has been so far, she says “Be you, as Amanda says. It’s simple but powerful. I’ve learned the importance of advocating for myself and the communication involved in that.” This internship is just one of many opportunities Chugh is utilizing to further her career. “The Arts Leadership Certificate gets you to do all things you should be doing as a young professional musician, and gives you a nice break from the practice room. It gives you a new community in the other fellow members too. Internships are a really great part of this experience, especially working with organizations that really support you as a person and a student, and those connections are going to last a lifetime.”
Joe Himmelberg (MM Saxophone Performance and Literature) is getting the opportunity to dive deeper into the financial operations of an arts organization with the Development department at the Hochstein School of Music and Dance. Himmelberg applied for the internship specifically to gain more experience with finance, fundraising, grant writing, and interacting with donors, particularly in a musical education setting. “It’s been fascinating and so helpful to be working in person with so many young arts professionals in a non-profit music administration office and see how they all organize their lives and work. I’m not expected to know everything yet, and they’ve all been so helpful with teaching me to develop skills like automating budgeting spreadsheets and learning how to strike the balance between personal and approachable yet professional communication with donors.” In the first half of the internship, Himmelberg wrote a grant application for the organization and helped develop a fall appeal to individual donors. “The Arts Leadership Certificate has filled in a lot of gaps and the resources they have to move into the professional world. It’s been able to help me take my skills and knowledge from school and start strategizing about how I can mobilize them into a career, which is the hardest part.”
Zachary Costello (MM Saxophone Performance and Literature) is working with Concert Artists Guild (CAG), an artist management company based in New York City that empowers musicians as they launch their careers. They find and sign up-and-coming talent and help them develop their presence and booking materials, with the goal of having them signed to a larger agency within a few years. Costello was interested in learning more about artist management, booking, and developing his skills in workplace technology and software, all of which he’s worked on with CAG. “As a classical saxophonist, we don’t have as many performing job opportunities as a pianist or violinist, so being able to approach my career with multiple skillsets is very important to me. CAG really cares about the artists they represent, which is meaningful to me,” Costello says. “In September, CAG had their annual gala in NYC which I helped put together and stage manage, as well as interact with the donors and artists on their roster. This internship has been a great way to explore networking and connect many people together, which I’ve really enjoyed.” Costello plans to stay onboard in a part-time position at the conclusion of his internship while he finishes his degree. “This certificate has made my whole degree – without it, I’d just be sitting in a practice room, which is very easy to do at a place like Eastman. It has pushed me to think about my career as a whole rather than just being the best instrumentalist. It’s been reassuring to find ways I can contribute to society through my career through more than just playing.”
