While Zahra Freedman ’24 was always surrounded by music as a child, she often felt like it was being placed in front of her through structured experiences like classical piano and band lessons—not like she was intentionally moving toward it. Instead, she enjoyed creative writing, participating in national writing competitions and developing short stories on the spot.
As she studied sociology at Bates College in Maine, however, she started to discover music in a new way—along with its relevance to her life, especially amid the turmoil of the pandemic. Through her sociology program, she got to explore music in a new way in courses like ethnomusicology, where she studied music in its social and cultural contexts.
“During that time, music became such a light not only for me, but also for the people around me,” she explains. “I fell in love with songwriting that mimics poetry and music that helps you express something a written essay can’t. I reached a point where my interests turned from listening to music to wanting to make music.”
During a study-abroad experience in London, a lightbulb went off for Freedman: When she saw spaces that empowered artists to tell stories in different ways by fusing different types of media, she was inspired to study creative arts from a new perspective.
“I wanted to find a graduate program that would help me develop business acumen and pair it with my creative knowledge to give me agency.”
And that’s exactly what she’s getting from the MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises (MSLCE) program. Thanks to the quarter system, she can pursue all the classes on her wish list.
For example, Freedman learned all about corporate finance, economics, and accounting in Adjunct Professor Cory Sandrock’s Economics of Creative Enterprises course.
She’s discovering how brands have become more personal in Assistant Professor TJ Billard’s Branding in a Digital Age.
In one of her elective courses, Associate Professor Eric Patrick’s Projection Mapping and Video Production, she’s studying new creative mediums like electronic film scoring, projection mapping, and live video editing.
“The courses are all so different, but they pair together so well,” Freedman explains. “That’s one of the best things about the MSLCE experience.”
The cherry on top, she says, is the professional development work that’s woven into the program. “That’s where I’ve gotten the most surprising lessons,” she says. “I had time to reflect on my career path, think strategically about what I want to do, and conduct thought experiments with Mandi Glowen, the associate director of External Programs, Internships, and Career Services (EPICS). I’m developing three realms of skills here: business, creative, and self-reflection. It’s such a multi-dimensional program.”
To take an industry deep dive, Freedman attended MUSEXPO as part of her Immersion, Development, and Experience Advancement (IDEA) Fund project. The IDEA Fund provides practical, flexible, and customizable resources for MSLCE students to help them accelerate their career strategy and work toward career goals.
A music business conference, MUSEXPO allowed her to explore all the roles that exist within the world of music, film, and media. She got to watch panel discussions and roundtables featuring insights from people who work in these positions. “This trip provided me with a great way to get advice and meet people in industry,” explains Freedman. “Mandi always says that networking is like building a garden, and I planted many seeds at Musexpo.”
For example, she made a connection that led to an internship just a few months later. Freedman spent the summer in Los Angeles at Dreamboat Music, working as a music supervision intern. “We place and clear music for different visual media projects, like films and documentaries,” she explains. “I’m reading scripts and going through music libraries, finding music that fits a scene, and finding the rights to those songs.”
In her role, the negotiating and persuasion skills she learned in Adjunct Lecturer Laverne McKinnon’s The Power of Pitching + Persuasion course and Assistant Professor Nathan Walter’s The Power of Strategic Storytelling course have been very useful.
Once her internship is over and she has an MSLCE degree behind her name, she’ll be well prepared to work toward achieving her career aspirations. Freedman envisions leading a community space that platforms unheard voices and centers on storytelling through sound and visuals.
“Creating an incubator space that harmonizes mediums and shares the stories that aren’t often given a light will help me position music as less of a commodity and more as a valuable pillar of community.”
Getting Involved on Campus
To help push Northwestern artists to the next level, Zahra Freedman ’24 decided to join Niteskool Productions, a student-run music video production house and record label. As part of the artist crew, she says there are three benefits she gets from the experience.
- “I get to be part of an artist cohort. It’s wonderful to be part of a community of artists on the Northwestern campus and talk about our shared interests.”
- “I get to be on a set and see how call sheets and equipment handling are organized.”
- “I get to explore music from the video side, which I’ve always found to be as exciting as the music itself.”
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