Every time I ignored the gatekeepers and naysayers and pushed my career in a new direction, it was terrifying. But I’m so glad I did. Perhaps I can thank my parents’ stubborn genes for that. Over the years, people have said the following to me:
- “You can’t be concertmaster of two orchestras. Who will take care of your husband?”
- “You’re just a musician. You don’t actually have to know about ticket sales or marketing.”
- “I’m going to assume you probably don’t understand spreadsheets.”
Those are exact quotes.
At the Chorus America conference, one message landed with impact: artists and arts organizations must stop obeying the “ghost stories” of what we think we can’t do and start building real infrastructure.
When a physician manages a hospital budget or an educator shapes a school district’s public policy, they are celebrated as industry experts. Yet, the classical music world clings to an outdated myth that a true artist must remain completely detached from business and policy, and vice versa.
Refusing to accept those limitations has allowed me to build a career that spans multiple worlds. Over the last few years, I’ve maintained an active solo schedule with The Rose Of Sonora, premiered a new violin concerto (Stealing From Birds), given recitals, served as concertmaster with Wichita Symphony, been a featured speaker, expanded the reach of Arts Capacity, and helped lead The Michael O’Neal Singers through record breaking fundraising years, including a 27.1% increase in overall giving and a donor base that doubled in size.
I’m tired of the double standards we put up with, tired of the lazy assumptions, and frankly, tired of the systemic misogyny that sits at the root of so much of it.
Returning home energized from Chorus America, I can see more clearly than ever how the strategies discussed there strengthen not only my work with the chorus, but every aspect of my life as a soloist, concertmaster, arts administrator, and musician. The stage, the boardroom, and the strategy meeting don’t compete with one another. They fuel one another!
Fluency across these roles builds stronger institutions and stronger art. Artistic excellence, financial literacy, fundraising, and community engagement aren’t separate conversations, they’re part of the same ecosystem. When we limit ourselves to a single narrow lane, we weaken our perspective, and eventually that weakens the arts themselves.
To the multi-dimensional artists and leaders being told to stay in a box: ignore the naysayers and do it anyway.
The field desperately needs people who can perform at a high level, understand the spreadsheets, build relationships, advocate for investment, and make the case for the arts all at the same time.
