#NES

Tag: #NES

There’s No Right Path to Arts Administration: Informational Interview with Kathryn Reinardy ’05

In the Fall of this academic year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathryn Reinardy ‘05, the current Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. 

Kathryn is from the Milwaukee area and graduated from Lawrence University in 2005, with a Bachelors of Arts in History. After Lawrence, she pursued a Graduate Certification in Nonprofit Management from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has been working at MSO for almost 15 years.

When asked about how she went from studying history to working in the arts, Kathryn said this job fit in between her life plans. As well, she has always loved to write and wanted to be adjacent to the arts in whatever career she ended up in. After graduation, she reached out to the Career Center and they connected her with an alum in the opera world. Reinardy also mentioned how her foundation in history really did help her in arts administration, as well as Lawrence as a whole. “The Lawrence Difference is real!” she exclaimed. She continued to describe how our liberal arts college creates strong writers, teaches adaptability, and hones in on creativity. These are all skills that go great with working with the arts. 

While in her position, Kathryn says there really isn’t a typical day at work, as each one is different. However, that’s part of what she loves about it. In her role, she doesn’t stick to one thing. She partners frequently with various departments, such as fundraising, the box office, communications, public relations, and even data. Her current position involves a lot of artistic planning, helping others in their respective positions, and providing leadership direction. 

For my fellow aspiring arts administrators, there are a few key traits that are bound to lead to success in the industry, according to Kathryn Reinardy. Having strong adaptability, critical thinking skills, curiosity, brain power, and a go-getter attitude really do make a difference. As well, it is so important to ask questions and observe, which is something LU tends to prepare its students for pretty well. Getting used to a workplace environment vs a classroom is also a crucial change to get used to, but is something once again we are capable of doing. 

So, how can we prepare to enter the world of arts administration as current college students? Well, Reinardy has some thoughts on that. Engaging in the industry can be extremely helpful. Connect with alumni in your field through the Career Center or personal investigation. There are also arts marketer groups on social media or professional arts administration organizations you can join (Jillian Johnson in the Conservatory is a great resource for this). Lastly, try different things. Don’t be afraid of something just because it is new or you’ve never tried it before. Most people who study history don’t end up working at a world-renowned symphony orchestra, but Kathryn Reinardy did and genuinely loves it.

Good luck Lawrentians!

Don’t be Afraid of a Masters of Music

I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Pedlar ‘25 about her experience in graduate school.

Sarah is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Contemporary Flute Performance at the Manhattan School of Music, and is about to be done with her first year. When asked about why she wanted to continue her education, she mentioned how in the music world, getting a Masters is kind of just what you do. If performing is your goal and music is your passion, this makes perfect sense. She also talked about how she was ready to specialize, as the musical education one receives from Lawrence is primarily classical, and she had a strong passion for more contemporary music. Sarah applied to about 5 specific programs for this. 

Preparing for your grad school application for music specifically is crucial. You have to audition, either in person or virtually, and do prescreen auditions as well. Pedlar mentioned a very common tactic to do this is to not just rely on those of your same instrument. Many people will have professors and friends listen to their audition repertoire, but it is important to gain various perspectives. If you play the clarinet, maybe think about asking some brass musicians to listen, or even the non musicians in your life. You never know what input people will have, especially coming from different backgrounds both musically and personally. 

When asked about if there was anything she wished she knew when applying to grad school and choosing where to go, Sarah talked about finances. She described that as a student going into her second year, her school has made it very clear on how to appeal financial aid packages. Yet, as an incoming student, she had no idea. It’s important to inquire not only about aid, but also assistantships, housing, and especially cost of living. Going from studying in Appleton, WI to New York, NY has a huge price jump. That’s something a lot of people don’t really think about. Sarah’s opinion was to always argue for more aid. You never know what they might say, and the worst they could say is “no”.

In comparison to Lawrence, grad school is very different. An 8:30 class in Appleton obviously is very early. For Pedlar, a 9:00 class time feels earlier than she was used to here, since you have to add in commuting time. As well, electives are a given in any path to higher education. Here at Lawrence, we are more prepared for grad school than you might think. Sarah talked about how since we register ourselves for classes starting your first term your first year, we have a really good sense of the kinds of classes that fit us, which is a leg up when it comes to graduate school. The Lawrence Busy is also something many other programs don’t have, not to our degree anyway. Pedlar mentioned actually feeling like she has more time in her day and how The Lawrence Busy prepared her very well to balance a Masters program with everyday life. With that, us Lawrentians are used to 10 week terms. Everywhere else primarily has semesters. In comparison, a 15 week semester can feel very long in comparison to our normal 10, which was something Sarah mentioned as well. She also talked about how she felt like she was learning the same amount of content as she would’ve learned here in 10 weeks, but in 15 in New York.

Offering some pieces of advice, Sarah Pedlar said that early preparation is key. Doing your research in a timely manner is so important! If graduate school is something that is a possibility for you, start investigating. Which professors would you want to work with? Where would you want to live? What kind of program suits your goals? Typically if you are at LU for four years, your third year is when you should start poking around. Don’t forget to use your network. Talk with your professors, friends, upperclassmen, alumni, everyone. Talk out loud in conversations focused on what you want to do with your favorite professor, as this is how Sarah ended up going through with submitting her application to the Manhattan School of Music. 

“Push yourself to do what you actually want to do,” Sarah said as her final piece of advice. Good luck Lawrentians, you can do this!

An MM Isn’t As Scary As You Think

I had the joy of interviewing Reese Pike ‘25 about her graduate school experience.

Reese is about to finish her Masters of Music in Global Jazz at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute this June. When asked about why she wanted to continue her education, Reese stated that she always knew she wanted to pursue a Masters of Music, as it is a very common path for musicians. She always had the desire to keep music in her life and to continue one-on-one lessons to keep playing. However, during her time at Lawrence, Pike was the only jazz student who was interested in pursuing higher education. That was a bit of a road block, but she ended up applying to about 4-5 programs.

The Masters of Music in Global Jazz is a really interesting program. Reese detailed it as a one-year program that when you get in, your tuition is fully covered. In addition, the program is actually very focused on social justice, not just music. This was what made the program really stand out to Reese, as the emphasis on using you art to help others was very appealing. There are also very frequent world-renowned guest artists that students get to take lessons with and participate in masterclasses. 

One of the biggest resources for Reese Pike during this process was actually a Lawrence University alum. A guest artist came and performed a concert on campus and Pike made the effort to connect afterwards. They had the same studio professor and the alum and Reese ended up having a private lesson with him. Here, he actually helped her get a job. Reese interned at the Panama Jazz Festival. The folks who run this festival were the ones who informed her about the Global Jazz Institute. 

For this program, Pike has about 14 classes per week, including rehearsals, lessons, career advising, and masterclasses. She balances classes on music composition with ones on social activism. Said classes are typically only once a week, at about three hours long. The Lawrence Busy is something we are all familiar with, but it can get busier than that. Time management being key has been crucial for Reese during this one-year program, and for the application process.

When thinking about applying to grad school, Reese thought a lot about what she wanted to move towards. As a then five-year dual degree student in Spanish and Piano Performance with a Jazz Emphasis, she loved many things. The summer before her fourth year, Pike spent her time primarily without music, and hated it. This is when she knew that music needed to be kept in her life in a large capacity. Her fourth year was primarily spent doing her research and recording/doing prescreen auditions. She actually had to balance grad school with her senior recital and studying abroad in Chile. 

When it comes to thinking about graduate school, Reese had a few pieces of advice, the first one being that it is okay to not know what you want to do. If grad school is something you are even thinking about doing, take the time to research. Use your Lawrence community, including professors, friends, upperclassmen, or alumni. Even your professor’s professors can be great resources. There is bound to be someone in your orbit who has or wants to go down the same path as you do. It is a big decision to keep pursuing education after Lawrence. You will be doing your subject all day and every day. Realistically think if that sounds enjoyable, or not so much.  

“There is no right path”, Pike stated. It’s important to take your time and do your research. Give yourself the time to think, not cram life-changing decisions in your last term on campus. Everything will be how it is supposed to be, and that is different for every one of us. You can do it! 

Good luck Lawrentians!

Learning UX Design with Lloyds Banking Group: My Forage Experience

I’ve always been curious about what UX (user experience) design really is and how designers create digital products that are easy and enjoyable to use. Recently, I explored this through the UX Design Introduction Job Simulation with Lloyds Banking Group on Forage, and it was both eye-opening and very helpful.

In this simulation, I took on the role of a junior UX designer, working as part of a team tasked with creating a new digital banking feature. My first challenge was to conduct a competitive analysis, researching what other banks were offering and analyzing customer spending data. This helped me understand how companies identify market trends and make decisions based on data, skills that are useful in almost any field.

Next, I focused on customer research, designing surveys and observing user behavior to see what real customers need. This experience taught me practical ways to collect feedback, analyze patterns, and use insights to make digital products easier and more enjoyable to use. I especially enjoyed learning how UX design combines research, creativity, and problem-solving. It showed me that great design is not just about aesthetics, but about truly understanding the user.

This simulation was incredibly helpful because it gave me a hands-on experience with real-world UX tasks. It clarified concepts I had only read about and gave me tools I can use in the future, whether in design, marketing, or other creative projects. For someone like me, always curious about UX, it was a clear way to see how research and creativity come together to improve user experiences.

Overall, completing this simulation strengthened my skills in research, analysis, and designing with the user in mind, and it gave me confidence in exploring careers that combine creativity and data-driven decision-making.

Try it for yourself: https://www.theforage.com/virtual-experience/N65hfzBKXRiATv6yd/lloyds-banking-group/ux-design-introduction-xhef/intro-scenario

A Current Lawrentian’s Experience Interviewing

Through Big Interview, I had the opportunity to “interview” my fellow Career Peer Educators at the Career Center. We all recorder ourselves answering the sample interview questions, and then we were tasked to each write an article about our experience.

Throughout all the interviews I looked at, the strongest answers were always concise. That’s a huge challenge, especially on the fly in the middle of a conversation. Rambling is way easier than trying to slow down and think. However, slowing down is probably the best thing you can do. When you are more conscious of what you’re saying, you can make sure what you’re saying is relevant.

As well, being able to tie your ideas together is great. If the question is “what is your greatest strength?”, and your answer is “kindness”, you should consistently be relating your kindness to the workplace and how it is used as a strength. That sounds redundant, but it is really easy to just go on a tangent about how nice you are. Then, the employer doesn’t get the chance to see how your strength is actually applicable to what you would be doing.

Confidence is also a huge thing! And honestly if you aren’t feeling the most confident, faking it until you make it is a real thing. Interviewers judge your everything. Your clothes, attitude, tone of voice, and even how you sit matters. You want to exude confidence from the second you enter the building. There are some small ways one can implement this into practice. Smiling is a big one! Smile at the interviewer, the person who hands you your coffee, everyone. The way you walk matters as well, and walking with a smile automatically shifts people’s perception of you in a positive way. Some other quick ones would be walking straight, use a strong handshake, and don’t be afraid of eye contact. In my experience, one of the biggest things that exude confidence is being yourself. No one has fun in an interview where the interviewee is robotic and too curated. Find ways to show them your personality, while maintaining professionalism. It isn’t as hard as you’d think!

Nowadays, many interviews are online. In that case,obviously some things change. You have to keep the interviewer engaged! The easiest way to do that is with your words. Avoid rambling as previously mentioned and focus, really focus, on what you are saying. Not so much so that you’re speaking in chunks, but so that you are concise. Don’t be afraid to use your hands when you talk, as it can help the interviewer stay engaged, but monitor it. You don’t want to be flailing your arms or using hand motions where it doesn’t make the most sense. It takes thought and practice with intentionality to understand it, but this is also not as difficult as it seems.

If the thought of recording yourself and watching it back makes you not the happiest, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Big Interview is a great tool for interviewing, and getting comfortable with feedback. All of my coworkers that I interviewed through this platform are people I see everyday. It really wasn’t weird watching their responses. If you keep a professional mindset, you really can get a lot out of it. I highly encourage you to give Big Interview a try!

Good luck Lawrentians!

Trying Marketing with Forage

I wanted to get a real feel for what marketing work is like, so I tried the Marketing Explorer simulation by Forage. It’s a short, self-paced program that lets you step into different marketing roles through realistic, hands-on scenarios. In just 30–40 minutes, I got to try tasks that professionals actually do, from creative strategy to data analysis and customer research, giving me a clear sense of what a marketing career could be like.

The simulation gave me a taste of how creative, analytical, and customer-focused skills all come together in marketing. It’s a great way to explore different roles, practice real-world skills, and see which parts of marketing might suit you best, all without the pressure of grades.

My experience: As a Film Studies student, I’ve always been curious about marketing and how creative ideas reach the right audience. This simulation let me apply storytelling and problem-solving skills in a marketing context. It helped me understand how different roles connect, explore what I enjoy, and gain confidence about exploring a career in marketing.

Try it for yourself: https://www.theforage.com/simulations/pearson/marketing-oxce