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I graduated from Taylor University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. I would not say I have had a very direct career path, but I have had an interesting one. I would not say I have "arrived" at any sought after goal, but I have had a happy and fulfilling time pursuing my artistic work.
Upon graduation from Taylor, I took a year-long fellowship in Indianapolis where I studied some more and worked as an assistant to the music teacher at The Oak Academy. After gaining many beneficial experiences and skills from that year, I decided I wanted to venture into the entertainment world and work on a cruise ship. In January of 2009, I boarded Carnival Cruise Lines as a member of the Entertainment Staff. This job was not directly related to music, but I befriended other musicians on board and became friends with the Music Director. He brought me on to sing during every cruise for the Captains Cocktail Reception, Jazz Night on the promenade and Show Band Jam in the lounge. This was my first experience really working as a professional musician and was an essential step for building my confidence.
After finishing my six month contract with Carnival, I decided that I wanted to learn more about music business, songwriting, and production. I decided to move to Nashville. I found a job working as a ballroom dance instructor. I had no previous experience, but they were willing to pay to train me and I was excited to learn a new artistic skill. I lived there for ten months. During that ten months I wrote many songs and met Dewey Boyed, an aspiring music producer. I moved back to Indiana but began collaboration with Dewey to produce and record the songs I wrote while in Nashville. This experience was priceless. Although my album isn't perfect or timeless, the experience of collaboration with Dewey and the musicians we hired was fruitful and creatively energizing. I released the album in the summer of 2011. I gave some concerts and did some promotion, but ultimately decided to move to Los Angeles to gain more music connections and to pursue acting.
I moved to Los Angeles in the winter of 2012. I had some initial success with creating acting contacts and gaining an agent. For my first job in Los Angeles, I began working as a voice and piano teacher. I found the work as a private music teacher to be rewarding and a great way to gain income while pursuing other artistic interests. Still, I found it difficult to make lasting collaborations in Los Angeles. I would find people here and there to start projects with, but the relationships always lacked the synergy I had with Dewey. I finally met someone who wanted to make a Christmas album with me. That was a joy to work on, but we found it difficult to gain much traction from that project and didn't pursue anything after the release of our EP.
After this, I felt led to study acting. I took a break from music and took two years to attend a Meisner acting program at Baron Brown in Santa Monica. This experience was very impactful to me personally and artistically. It was so necessary for me to step back from trying to build a career in acting or music and to focus instead on the work itself. It was during this period that I met and married my husband. He is also a musician and we began playing together on the worship team at our church and also began leading worship together for other church gatherings.
Currently I am not pursuing acting or music performance as my main source of income, but I am still working as a private music teacher and taking every chance I get to participate in acting and music work whenever possible. I would not change a thing about what I studied and how I went about pursuing my work.
During my time at Taylor, I had the joy of participating in many programs that built my skills as a musician and as a leader. Some beneficial artistic experiences involve work with the Taylor Chorale. This was truly a priceless experience and I have never had the opportunity to work at such a high standard in any choral setting since. I sang in a vocal band that led worship for chapel several times a month. That experience was fantastic for developing practical skills in harmonization and ensemble work, but also pairing them with the spiritual aspect of leading a large group in worship. My work as a Chorale Officer, Chapel Coordinator, and on the Student Development Cabinet were also very beneficial for honing my organizational skills, interpersonal communication skills, and intentional planning abilities.
The requirements of my major were very demanding, but I am glad that I made it a priority to also participate outside of my department. I was involved in many dorm activities and pick-a-dates. I played intramural football, volleyball, and soccer. I performed in Air Band, Nostalgia Night, and My Generation Night. I participated in the theater department as an actress and stage manager. I was not able to participate in all of these things every year, but I am so glad I chose to incorporate as much as I was able within any given semester. All of these experiences were invaluable to my Taylor education as a whole.
There are three professors within my department who stand out as making a big impact in my education. My time in Dr Patricia Robertson's vocal studio was foundational in my pursuit as a musician. She was nurturing and challenging, and taught me how to understand my instrument and share that understanding with the students I teach today. Dr. Joanne Rediger led the Taylor Chorale with kindness and excellence. She maintained a high standard for us, but also created a great sense of family and unity. Dr. Dana Collins was a master of his many disciplines. I recall one year I had Dr. Collins for Harmony III, Counterpoint, and Composition all in the same semester. My level of respect for him as a teacher grew immensely in that semester. He actually taught each class distinctly differently and perfectly appropriately for the unique aspect of each class. I was so impressed with his mastery of all of the material, and his insight into how each subject should be uniquely approached.
There are plenty of practical and necessary skills that can be acquired within the classroom setting at Taylor University, but I believe the greatest foundational core I gained at Taylor was learning how to learn. We weren't given all of the answers, but we did gain the skill set necessary to find the answers we needed. I also appreciate how Taylor provided a safe setting to question and discuss. I remember taking some Bible classes and realizing that two professors I just studied with shared the same few core beliefs necessary to be called a Christian, but differed in many secondary issues. That encouraged us as students to take upon ourselves the responsibility of asking questions and taking the time to find answers that we could have peace with. We went beyond just accepting everything out of the mouths of our professors and instead were encouraged to chew on their words and perspectives and decide for ourselves what our perspectives and beliefs were. This was essential for developing our critical thinking.
Diversify—Try to participate in many on-campus activities. All of these things, even the playful ones, are part of your Taylor education and experience
Follow the Holy Spirit—You might have plans and ideas of how you desire to use your major. Those are good, but they are not the end-all-be-all. Try to learn the voice of the Holy Spirit and submit your plans and desires to Him. I promise that if you get everything you want, but are not led by Him, it won't be nearly as fulfilling as an unconventional path that IS led by Him.
Let go of a conventional model of success—You may very well be able to achieve a gainful and fulfilling career as a musician—many people do. That being said, please don't be discouraged if you do not. If you end up taking a different path, know that your education was in no way a waste. The creative work you do as an artist still has eternal value even if you aren't paid for it. You are enough.
