Even as we make our way through this season of chilly, snowy days, growth and excitement can be seen, heard, and felt in Merit School of Music’s young musicians, who are ardently preparing for their bright futures.
Merit’s Associate Board recently hosted a Leadership Institute panel at the Joy Faith Knapp Music Center here in the West Loop to discuss with students topics such as building careers, facing rejection, and deciding what comes next in their musical journeys. Merit’s Leadership Institute is a free mentorship program supporting Conservatory high school juniors and seniors as they prepare for their first year of college.
In the session moderated by Associate Board members Conrad Devin and Eduardo Lopez, arts administrators (Tim Corpus, Kurt Gildow, and Richard Riedl), a record label executive (Binta Niambi Brown), and employees of music technology company, Shure Incorporated (Chery Jennison DaProza and Brent Shumard) shared their experiences with our students on how they found their career paths, how their musical training and education has supported their goals, and expanded definitions for our students of what careers in music can look like beyond performance and teaching.
Read below for some key insights and advice shared by our panelists.
