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Bridging the Gap Between Music and Tech: Tobi Akanbi’s Quest to Explore Web 3.0 in the Music Industry

“I’m always going to make music, but my goal is not to be famous… I just want to make music for those who enjoy listening to good music. Being a musician, you’re going to be around musicians, but if I also explore the tech space, I can bridge the gap between the music and the tech industry.” (more…)

Bringing beauty into the world together with Jorie Goins through words and dances

Jorie Goins is a part-time MSLCE student from Miami and a Northwestern Wildcat through and through. She graduated from NU’s Medill School of Journalism in 2016 with a BA degree in Journalism, and she is now pursuing her MSLCE degree while working full-time at The Chicago Tribune as a content editor. Apart from her passion for reading and writing, Jorie also loves dancing; she started dancing at age 5 and competing at age 12. During her undergraduate years, Jorie nurtured her passion for dancing by minoring in dance and joining various campus dance groups, including Tonik Tap and Danceworks. (more…)

When classical violin meets theater and business: embracing the unknown with Alison Tatum

Coming from a musical family, Alison Tatum was immersed in music growing up and started playing the violin at six: “My mom worked as a band music teacher, […]and my dad was the executive director of the Folly Theater in Kansas City. What that meant for me is I went to many high-quality concerts for free growing up and heard a lot of really good music.” Enticed by the challenge and excitement of violin, Alison graduated from the University of Missouri with a double major in violin performance and music theory in 2012.

Like most violin-majored students, Alison went straight to graduate school to receive rigorous musical training and better prepare herself as a professional musician, earning a Master of Music degree in 2014 and a Performance Certificate in 2016 from DePaul University. Playing mostly classical music throughout her music career, Alison found herself being burned out by the classical pieces and was slowly losing aspiration to become a professional violinist: “[The] classical music culture is very perfectionistic […], and everybody is playing the same thing. There’s no individualized decision-making in the orchestra.” (more…)

Therapeutic theater: Jazzma Pryor’s mission in creating a more equitable and supportive art world

Jazzma Pryor fell in love with theater during her junior year of high school when she was asked to put together “a little something to keep the student engaged.” Discovering her interest in the theater after her first show, Jazzma went on to Beach Drama, a theater summer camp, under the encouragement of her Gunnery Sergeant in MCJROTC, completely unaware that it would change the trajectory of her life forever.

Being a top student in almost every school course, Jazzma majored in premed chemistry entering college and was ready to become Dr. Pryor, but (more…)

An Expansive Leadership for Creative Enterprise Program Shapes an Expansive Career

For Zoe Skehan ’17, art has always been part of learning—and something she loves.

Although this enthusiasm for all things creative made it difficult to choose a major, she decided to attend the University of Redlands to study art history and visual media studies—a combination to bring her passions into focus.

Earning her bachelor’s degree during a recession, she felt lucky to land a manager position at an art gallery that showcased work by Chicago and Evanston, IL-based artists. After six months, however, she was ready for something different: She wanted to see first-hand some of the work she spent so much time learning about in her art and media courses. (more…)

Turning Business Instinct into Business Intellect in the Creative Industry

When it comes to career paths, film has always been a focus for Evyenia Constantine ’15.

While she was studying film, media studies, and journalism from The New School in New York, she was also working at KaplaniKid Productions—an award-winning film production company founded by her mother, who earned her master’s and PhD at Northwestern University.

In terms of creativity and production, Constantine always trusted her instincts. When it came to business skills, however, she wanted to learn more about proven tools and strategies. She started researching master’s programs to accomplish this goal and discovered the MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises program. (more…)

Shooting for the Stars and the Creative Side of Life

“Explore your options and listen to your heart and your gut.”

Kathryn Hoffman grew up in a family of lawyers and always thought she would become one herself. “I realized that for my whole life the most natural things that come to me [are] being creative with my hands, working with my ideas. Just like that, I realized that being creative is a strong theme. It becomes natural, basically. And that’s how I ended up pivoting,” she explains.

Before joining the MSLCE program, (more…)

Taking Note of the Music Business with MSLCE

As an undergraduate student at Northwestern, Xavier Vilar-Brasser had the opportunity to explore a plethora of majors. It was the combination of creative writing, philosophy, and music that captured his attention. As he explored is interests more, he realized that music grounded him, and he formed the band The Altars as manager, songwriter, and performer. However, it wasn’t until the pandemic that he really consolidated himself as a creative in the music industry.

“I was looking on the work that I’d been doing over the past six months or so. During that time, I realized that it was something that I really enjoyed doing. It was a type of work that I felt really drawn to, and it really inspired me. (more…)

Finding a New Way to Work in the Creative Industry

After graduating from Hampton University with a degree in broadcast journalism, Jaquise Cofield ’17 was ready to pursue what she envisioned as her dream job: working for a news station.

After spending time in the field, however, she realized that broadcast journalism wasn’t the right fit. To try something new, she applied for an internship with the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, working with Paramount’s acquisitions team. The experience revealed a world she had never considered before: the business side of creative enterprises. (more…)

Globally Rounded and Ready for Impact: Regina Osuna’s Diving into Entertainment

Regina Osuna is a globally rounded creative in the entertainment industry. Before joining the MSLCE program, she spent time at institutions like Oxford University, Universidad Internacional de la Rioja, and Universidad Iberoamericana. These experiences, as well as her childhood in Mexico, has helped shape her endeavors in the arts industry.

“When I was growing up, I had an amazing childhood because my parents took me to trips whenever they could, and that opened up my mind to see how all their cultures work,” she explained. Her exposure to these cultures shaped her ambitions to work in the children’s entertainment industry and to help create (more…)