Hello class, and welcome to my first blog post! My name is Abby Johnson and I am a sophomore BA music major with a concentration in management studies. I study vocal performance! Within the Music Department, I sing in Chapel Choir and I am on the Music Department Student Committee. Outside of the Music Dept., I am a member of the Music Entertainment Committee and the executive board of KSTO Radio Station. In addition, I enjoy working in the Admissions Office.
I was born and raised in Santa Monica, California, near the beach, but I am no surfer. In my free time, I like to go on long walks or hikes, watch Jeopardy, and play music with my roommates Sylvia and Sydney in our band Manderson.
I am taking Democracy in the Arts because I want to learn more about my field of interest: performing arts management. From the Kennedy Center to local non-profit organizations, I look forward to meeting professionals and discovering career paths in arts leadership. Also, I hope to gain a new perspective and understanding of arts policy, specifically with arts educational programming, accessibility, and funding.
As someone who has taken on various collaborative leadership positions within the Music Department and outside of the department, I bring to the class a perspective on St. Olaf’s music culture that recognizes the diverse communities of music appreciation on our campus.
In addition to music, I have also enjoyed my involvement in theatre: directing, producing, and performing. In my junior year of high school, I was selected to produce our theatre department’s “Public Domain” student-run showcase. Public Domain is a cabaret-like show encompassing theatre, music, poetry, dance, and comedy scenes. I have always been passionate about Public Domain because it is the only production at my high school that gives an experimental artistic outlet to all students across campus. I worked closely with the student performers, techies, theater student council, drama teacher, and performing arts departments for two months to produce the show. This experience taught me the value and joy of cross-collaboration in the arts.
I was disappointed to hear that the class would not be taken in Washington, D.C., but I am still looking forward to hearing from our guest presenters and learning more about vocational paths in the arts!