Admin VA

Nicole Springer

Executive Director
The Youth Orchestras of Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
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Years in current position: 1.5
Years in the field: 5

Majors:
B.A. German and Music (double major)
M.A. Arts Management

Additional Training:
Law and contracts for the arts
Board member on local symphony

Career Path:
Project Director at MENC: The National Association for Music Education (current)

What are the most surprising, interesting or challenging aspects of your day-to-day work?
Working with parents, grant writing.

What inspired you to work for an orchestra?
Having performed with symphonies for the past fifteen years.

What advice would you offer to someone considering the orchestra field?
Get your foot in the door, volunteer, take an entry-level position in an organization whose mission you feel passionate about.

Any other advice?
Get experience in different fields such as marketing and development. Fundraising knowledge is extremely important.

Wendy T. Young

Executive Director
Symphonicity-the Symphony Orchestra of Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia
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Years in current position: 9
Years in the field: 10

Majors:
Piano Pedagogy/Music Theory
Graduate work in Musicology

Additional Training:
Local arts workshops in development
League of American Orchestras marketing seminar

Career Path:
Owner, Wendy Young Piano Studio (current)
Librarian, Symphonicity 

What are the most surprising, interesting or challenging aspects of your day-to-day work?
Trying to get all the work done as a part-time employee!

What inspired you to work for an orchestra?
Love of classical music.

Would you have done anything differently?
I would have studied Arts Adminsitration sooner if I had known how much I would love it.

What advice would you offer to someone considering the orchestra field?
Get a degree in Business, Arts Administration, take business courses, and lots of computer training.

Any other advice?
Be prepared to keep a lot of balls in the air, and be able to handle crises with an even temperament.