When the Center for Work and Service asked me to reflect and share some thoughts on my life as a D.M.A. candidate in Music Composition, I honestly did not know what to write because my work is constantly shifting and evolving, even in the three short years since my Wellesley graduation. I am a composer in the avant-garde world of classical music (don’t worry, nobody in this field understands exactly what that means either), as well as a post-modern dance choreographer (even fewer know what that means among us). However, even though I can’t quite define my own field, I can certainly tell you I am on my chosen life’s path, and I hope these steps will help guide your to your dream career, whatever that might look like.
Often times, I find it humorous to go to the young alumnae events in New York, where I study, as the lone freelancer when it seems everyone else has a job with health benefits and some form of security. When questioned about working five part-time jobs, going to school full-time, and struggling to promote myself as an emerging artist in the most competitive city for the arts, I always come to the conclusion that I am on the path to my “dream” job, pursuing my passion of creating work, however it manifests itself. No job security, financial stability, or degree can ever replace that for me. After realizing this key point, I have tried to distill some of the factors I believe have gotten me to this point and continue to steer my decisions as I move forward down the hazy yellow brick road I have chosen to follow.
- Actively seek out close supporters and collaborators.
Finding those people who believe in you and your work is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself. I am extraordinarily lucky to have found collaborators who are also some of my closest friends here in New York. Much of my inspiration and work comes from their enthusiasm, and it makes performing all the more exhilarating and the process of developing material manageable. As a creator, be it in music, movement, or other multimedia, I am only as good as the people around me presenting it. My collaborators’ and performers’ input and feedback are every bit as vital to a project as my own visions and designs. - Always step outside your comfort zone.
If you’re in school, take that random class you’ve been dying to take but you’ve been afraid of how it will affect your GPA. Who is it really hurting if you shy away from an opportunity instead of take it pass/fail? If you’re in the workforce, make time to unwind with a new activity, even for just a day. This past spring, I took an edX course in economics, even though I had never even stepped foot in the department at Wellesley, and I can honestly say it enriched the philosophy behind my work, being exposed to a completely foreign concept and set of perspectives. On a lighter note, one of my coaching friends and I (I coach figure skating as one of my part-time jobs) decided to take an adult gymnastics class on a Friday night on a whim. We not only had a great time bouncing around and looking silly, but also gained unexpected perspective as to how our adult beginners must feel on the ice. - When you fall, pick yourself up and try again.
This is the biggest lesson I learned as a figure skater growing up, and it remains the most important one I now share with my students, whether they be my six-year-old peanuts, my sophomore aural skills students, or my adult piano students. There is no such thing as succeeding every single time at everything you do. Such a life does not exist. There were many chances where I could have turned back to my safer pre-med route (you can see how that turned out), but I found my passion in music and movement, and I continue to find my vocabulary along the way, learning from the experiences I have from putting my work before audiences. I have learned to embrace the fact that nothing will garner unanimous approval, and that this acceptance and rejection is essential to my quest of finding my mature artistic voice…which is said to emerge 40 years down the road…
-Anne Goldberg ’10