About
PATHWAY
Resilience in Arts Organizations
While I came to Michigan enrolled in the Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance, I knew that I wanted to challenge myself both intellectually and musically. With falling audiences nationwide, the classical music industry is at a critical juncture that is requiring performers to reevaluate how they relate to the wider world. After coming across a poster advertising the Organizational Studies (OS) program, I knew that the interdisciplinarity of the program could help me answer the question as to how I can be a leader in the future of classical music.
Taking the class “Critical Issues in Classical Music” at the same time as “Formal Organizations and Environments,” challenged me to apply organizational theory in the context of arts organizations. I found there is a lack of organizational theory research about arts organizations, and I wanted to bring these two fields together.
This past year, I have been applying organizational theory to examine how the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is looking towards the future in an increasingly volatile field. Gaining this critical understanding of what could be my future work setting has uniquely equipped me for my career, while also scratching an intellectual itch. Through my coursework and research, I have gained the skills to critically evaluate the challenges facing classical music, while also seeing how organizations face these challenges in real life. My liberal arts education has led me to dream beyond being a performer, but to building a life dedicated to the arts in the service of humanity.
