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At Setting the Stage workshops industry experts share their advice, insights, and experience to help MSM students and alumni advance their careers.

Each school year The Center for Career Readiness & Community Impact (CCRCI) produces dozens of informative Setting the Stage panel discussions and hands-on workshops. A range of music professionals and entrepreneurs, including many MSM alumni, share valuable career information. Past workshops are listed below.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS – Spring 2025

MAR 20 | THURS | 5:00PM – 7:00PM
“Writing for Ballet and Modern Dance, and Collaborating with Dancers”
(The Solomon Mikowsky Recital Hall)

  • Critically-acclaimed composer and author David K. Israel discusses what it takes to write music for dance. Drawing on his extensive experience writing commissioned scores for Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, the New York City Ballet and many more, Mr. Israel will speak about the unique process of working with some of the world’s most accomplished choreographers, as well as the various ensembles and orchestras that support the art of dance..
  • Presented in collaboration with Violin Studio class and Piano Studio class.
  • Students not in either studio class must RSVP to attend.

MAR 21 | FRI | 10:00AM – 11:50AM
Guest Speaker: Scott Mello
(Room 607)

  • Scott Mello (Vice President of Opus 3 Artists) joins us to discuss his work managing a diverse roster of high-level performing artists and the changing standards moving the industry today.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.VX, Practical Foundations for Music Careers (Voice)
  • Students not in ME 1500.VX must RSVP to attend.

MAR 27 | THURS | 10:00AM – 11:50AM
Inside Jazz Education
(Room 507)

  • Music education is a huge part of the jazz economy, and often a main source of employment for working jazz artists. This class will feature our guest Joanna Massey (Director of Learning and Engagement at Carnegie Hall) who has for decades been a pioneer for several jazz education programs, including NYO Jazz. She will discuss her story as an arts administrator and will share her passion and knowledge of supporting and building educational opportunities for communities.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.JC, Practical Foundations for Music Careers (Jazz)
  • Students not in ME 1500.JC must RSVP to attend.

APR 8 | TUES | 10:00AM – 11:50AM
Sustaining a Creative Career: Longevity, Balance, and Mindfulness in Music
(Room 507)

  • Osaka-born and New York-based pianist Erika Dohi (MM ’10) joins us to share insights on how to navigate the evolving music field while maintaining a sustainable and fulfilling practice. We’ll explore balancing creative vision with freelance work, preventing burnout, prioritizing mental health, cultivating healthy relationships, and integrating mindfulness, efficiency, and real-world connections into a long-lasting artistic life.
  • Presented as part of ME 2001.10, Advanced Practicum for Careers in Contemporary Performance.
  • Students not in ME 2001.10 must RSVP to attend.

APR 10 | THURS | 4:00PM – 5:50PM
Marketing & Social Media: An Online Presence
(Room 329)

  • Grace Freeman (Social Media Manager, Diamond Press) joins us to discuss how to navigate an online presence in today’s industry and culture.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.MT, Practical Foundations for Music Careers (Musical Theatre)
  • Students not in ME 1500.MT must RSVP to attend.

APR 22 | TUES | 10:00AM – 11:50AM
“Approaches to a Life as a Composer-Performer”
(Room 507)

  • Vocalist-Composer Gelsey Bell joins us to discuss her work and get practical about how she has been able to maintain a career as a Composer-Performer.
  • Presented as part of ME 2001.10, Advanced Practicum for Careers in Contemporary Performance.
  • Students not in ME 2001.10 must RSVP to attend.

PAST WORKSHOPS: 2024 – 2025

OCT 16 | TUES | 10:00 – 11:50AM
Life on the Road: Practical Foundations for a Touring Career
(Room 109)

  • Join Tim Mar, COO & Director of Artist Strategy at Concert Artists Guild, for a conversation about what it takes to launch a sustainable, multi-faceted career in today’s marketplace and the realities of a life on the road.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.OC, Practical Foundations for Music Careers.

OCT 22 | TUES | 4:00 – 5:50PM
“Financial Literacy” with Zoë Martin-Doike
(Room 509)

  • Join guest speaker Zoë Martin-Doike, violist of the Met Opera Orchestra, and accountant/tax preparer, as she discusses organizational finance basics, taxes, personal business best practices, and how to prepare now for retirement/investing.
  • Presented as part of ME 2600.OP, Career Essentials for the Orchestra.

OCT 25 | FRI | 12:30 – 2:20PM
“Creating the Career You Want”
(Room 329)

  • Join guest speaker and MSM Faculty Member Keve Wilson, as she discusses her career, the exciting worlds of Broadway, recording studios, and tours, and discovering how to be the best advocate for your own career.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.OC, Practical Foundations for Music Careers.

OCT 30 | WED | 11:00 – 11:50AM
“Creating the Career You Want”
(Room 109)

  • Join guest speaker and MSM Faculty Member Keve Wilson, as she discusses her career, the exciting worlds of Broadway, recording studios, and tours, and discovering how to be the best advocate for your own career.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.OC, Practical Foundations for Music Careers.

NOV 5 | TUES | 4:00PM – 5:50PM
“Tenure, Feedback, & Keeping Your Bearings”
(Charles Myers Recital Hall)

  • Elizabeth Rowe, principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, social justice advocate and public speaker joins us remotely to discuss her tenure.
  • Presented as part of ME 2600.OP, Career Essentials for the Orchestra.

NOV 5 | TUES | 4:00 – 6:00PM
Teaching Artistry: Essential Skills
(
The Solomon Mikowsky Recital Hall)

  • MSM CCRCI faculty member Justin Jay Hines will lead a two-part workshop focused on essential skills in audience engagement and interactive concert programming. Using Eric Booth’s The Music Teaching Artist’s Bible as a guide, students will experience and unpack an interactive listening activity, as well as prepare and present short presentations in small groups.
  • Presented in collaboration with MSM Woodwind Lab.

NOV 7 | THURS | 2:00 – 3:50PM
Identifying as a Pianist
(Room 516)

  • Being a pianist can mean so many different things in the modern world. Join guest speaker Han Chen to discuss what is it that makes one a pianist and how to embrace this identity in a post-pandemic environment.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.PN, Practical Foundations for Music Careers (Piano Section).

NOV 7 | THURS | 4:00 – 5:50PM
Identifying as a Pianist
(Room 515)

  • Being a pianist can mean so many different things in the modern world. Join guest speaker Han Chen to discuss what is it that makes one a pianist and how to embrace this identity in a post-pandemic environment.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.PN, Practical Foundations for Music Careers (Piano Section).

NOV 14 | THURS | 2:00 – 3:50PM
Navigating life after school and building your career
(Room 516)

  • Vicky Chow has been touring the world stages as a soloist and with the Bang on a Can All-Stars since 2009 and has released over 25 commercial recordings.  She will discuss how she transitioned from being in school to becoming a professional contemporary pianist.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.PN, Practical Foundations for Music Careers (Piano Section).

NOV 14 | THURS | 4:00 – 5:50PM
Navigating life after school and building your career
(Room 516)

  • Vicky Chow has been touring the world stages as a soloist and with the Bang on a Can All-Stars since 2009 and has released over 25 commercial recordings.  She will discuss how she transitioned from being in school to becoming a professional contemporary pianist.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.PN, Practical Foundations for Music Careers (Piano Section).

NOV 14 | THURS | 5:00 – 7:00PM
“The Violin Maker’s Guide to Sound and Care”
(The Solomon Mikowsky Recital Hall)

  • This interactive lecture is designed to provide students with a practical understanding of violin maintenance, sound optimization, and the physics behind their instrument. Led by violin maker Lukasz Wronski,  the session will cover essential topics to help violinists maintain their instruments for peak performance.
  • Presented in collaboration with MSM Strings Lab and Lukasz Violins.

NOV 22 | FRI | 12:30 – 2:20PM
Life on the Road: Practical Foundations for a Touring Career
(Room 329)

  • Join Tim Mar, COO & Director of Artist Strategy at Concert Artists Guild, for a conversation about what it takes to launch a sustainable, multi-faceted career in today’s marketplace and the realities of a life on the road.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.OC, Practical Foundations for Music Careers.

FEB 4 | TUES | 3:00 – 5:00PM
Your Body and Your Instrument
(Miller Recital Hall)

  • Join David Leisner in a discussion of some basic principles of human anatomy as they relate to playing your instrument. Issues of alignment and flexibility, the optimum movement of joints, tension in the face, upper torso and arms, as well as the surprising importance of the thumb pad in relieving tension in the hands.
  • Presented in collaboration with Violin Studio class and Piano Studio class.

FEB 21 | FRI | 10:00AM – 11:50AM
Guest Speaker: Renate Rohlfing
(Room 607)

  • Renate Rohlfing (MSM grad, pianist, and music therapist) joins us to discuss the intersection of music and mental health.
  • Presented as part of ME 1500.VX, Practical Foundations for Music Careers (Voice)

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