Nicholas and Mark used the Departmental Matching Grant to host guest speaker Maria Newman. As a part of what is often referred to as the “Musical Newman Family Dynasty,” the daughter of 9-time Academy Award-winning composer, Alfred Newman, the sister of film composers and conductors Thomas Newman and David Newman, and the cousin of Randy Newman,American violinist, violist, and composer Maria Newman has had a unique journey through the musical landscape. Maria (who also happens to be an Eastman alumna) shared stories about the projects, initiatives, and ventures that she has launched, the successes and failures she’s gone through, and the lessons learned. She also discussed unexpected roadblocks and how they were dealt with, the skills and knowledge that she wished she had before starting, and the trajectory of her many projects.