Paola Prestini
Through an illustrious career being equal parts creator and connector, composer Paola Prestini is known both for her “otherworldly…outright gorgeous” music (The New York Times), as well as the “visionary-in-chief” (Time Out New York) and Co-Founder/Artistic Director of the non-profit music organization National Sawdust. As the Wall Street Journal says, many recognize Prestini for “pushing the boundaries of classical music through collaborations.” Her compositions have been commissioned by and performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Barbican Centre, Cannes Film Festival, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Roomful of Teeth, Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and Young People’s Chorus of New York City, among others.
As part of her commitment to the next generation and equity, she started the Hildegard Competition for emerging female, trans, and non-binary composers and the Blueprint Fellowship for emerging composers with The Juilliard School. She was a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow and a Sundance Fellow, and was a graduate of the Juilliard School.
Recent speaking engagements include: Paul R. Judy Center Conference: Lead. Innovate. Music (2016); APAP Keynote: The Creative Mind, Finding Flow (2017); Keynote Classical Next conference, Rotterdam (2019); Keynote for Operadagen Festival, Rotterdam (2019).
Paola is available to speak on topics such as:
- Forging Your Own Path
- Artistry and Resilience
- Compositional Form and Leadership
- Identity and Voice
Mark Rabideau
Mark Rabideau is Director of the 21st-Century Musician Initiative at DePauw University, overseeing curricular innovations, artistic planning, community education and engagement, and the Center for Creativity. Mark teaches courses in music entrepreneurship and Design-Thinking.
A compelling arts advocate, Mark has delivered recent talks at Curtis, Yale, American College in Greece, and American University in Cairo (Egypt). He co-chairs the College Music Society’s Entrepreneurship Education Committee and was a member of the Core Planning Team for CMS Summit 2.0.
“It has always been my belief that creativity resides at the thin line between hope and despair. And as you move through your life’s journey, and face the inevitable challenges that will come your way, it is my hope that you will turn to the creativity within yourself to write your path, forge new ways forward, invent a more hopeful future.” – Mark Rabideau
Among the music profession’s most ardent advocates, Dr. Mark Rabideau is available to deliver May 2020 commencement addresses that speaks to the joys of embracing a life lived through the arts and the boundless opportunities for musicians, artists, and creatives to shape the world they will soon inherit.
Mark is also available to speak on topics such as:
- The Art of Hope: What if we were to think of our life’s work as our masterpiece? And the life of an artist-entrepreneur as an agent for positive change? The Art of Hope re-examines an artist’s curiosity, creativity, and collaborative-nature as essential attributes for identifying the problems we are best equipped to solve, creating innovative solutions for positive change, and building a life of means, meaning, and the chance to give back
- Heroes and Dreams: “Heroes and Dreams” challenges students within the arts to define the significance of what is at the heart of their life’s work, the unique gifts they have to offer, and their vision for a world that repositions the arts at the center of our communities
Lara Downes
“I gave my promise to the world / And the world followed me here”
-from Testimonial by Rita Dove
Pianist, activist, writer and producer Lara Downes offers insights learned from an international musical career built upon personal vision, creative innovation and consistent authenticity. Asking the question “What is your promise to the world?”, Downes calls upon the graduates of the Class of 2020 to treasure the opportunity to act as agents of change in the design of a new era, and to enrich their communities through awareness, intention and action.
In this time of global crisis and uncertainty, Downes would encourage the graduating class to lean on the lessons of the past, to have broad vision for their individual and collective futures, and to trust in our human capacity for survival, resilience, and strength in unity.
Laurie Rubin
Mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin has received high praise from The New York Times chief classical music critic Anthony Tommasini, who wrote that she possesses “compelling artistry,” “communicative power,” and that her voice displays “earthy, rich, and poignant qualities.”
Not just a singer, Rubin also wrote a memoir, Do You Dream in Color? Insights From a Girl Without Sight, that recounts her experiences from childhood through the rise of her career as an opera singer. In it, Rubin shows how her determination to continually surpass and redefine others’ expectations, which has enabled her to defy the naysayers (including those who told her that she would never experience romance, have a real job, live independently, much less ski, design jewelry or fulfill her ambition to sing on stage).
Laurie is available to speak on topics around her book as well:
- COVID-19 and Silver Linings
- The Brink of a New World (now is the time for new graduates)
- Living through History (and making your mark on the world)
- Changing the Infrastructure of our Thoughts
Aaron Dworkin
Named a 2005 MacArthur Fellow, President Obama’s first appointment to the National Council on the Arts and Governor Snyder’s appointment to the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, Aaron P. Dworkin served as dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD), which is ranked among the top performing arts schools in the nation. He is currently a tenured full professor of arts leadership and entrepreneurship at SMTD as well as serving as a Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Aaron is a successful social entrepreneur having founded The Sphinx Organization, the leading arts organization with the mission of transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. He is also host of the nationally-broadcast Arts Engines show in collaboration with Detroit Public Television and co-founder of SonoGrub.com, a weekly blog pairing great food and music. Aaron is also a best-selling writer having authored The Entrepreneurial Artist: Lessons from Highly Successful Creatives.
Aaron is available to speak on topics such as:
- Professor Maverick Throws the DICE: Wagering on Diversity, Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Arts Administration
- What If? Throwing the DICE that Fuel Progress: A Wager on Diversity, Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship in the Workplace
- What If? Throwing the DICE that Fuel Progress: A Wager on Diversity, Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship in Education
In these inspiring presentations, Aaron Dworkin shares his personal story which informed his life of social entrepreneurship. He will delve into the important role that diversity, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship play in society, as well as their associated value and impact in education. Aaron will also share strategies surrounding engaging technology in teaching, core skillsets required for creative careers and the importance of staying relevant in the actively evolving landscape of the modern world.
Tayloe Harding
Tayloe Harding is a composer, music administrator and Dean of the School of Music at the University of South Carolina. A passionate advocate for advancing the impact of higher education music study and experience on American communities and national society, As Dean at South Carolina he has brought a bold idea to fruition: to more fully prepare tomorrow’s professional musicians by combining conventional professional music study with a systematic curricular and co-curricular exploration of music advocacy, music entrepreneurship, and community engagement by forming SPARK: Carolina’s Leadership Laboratory (formerly the Carolina Institute for Leadership and Engagement in Music). His 2014 TedX talk “Music and Hope: Towards a More Musical America,” constitutes a public expression of his interests and work at Carolina and beyond. An active consultant for NASM, CMS, and PKL, he is a frequent presenter on issues facing the future of university music units and their leadership, and remains active as a composer earning commissions, performances, and recordings for his works around the world.
Tayloe is available to speak about a number of topics related to music and its impact on our world, as well as inspiring commencement addresses, sending graduating classes off into their next chapters with a thought provoking perspective.
Nolan Gasser
Nolan Gasser is a critically acclaimed composer, pianist, and musicologist – most notably, the architect of Pandora Radio’s Music Genome Project and the company’s chief musicologist from its founding in 1999. He holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Stanford University. His original compositions have been performed in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall (Lincoln Center), the Kennedy Center, La Salle Pleyel (Paris), and the Rose Bowl (Pasadena), among many others.
Nolan is available to speak on topics such as:
- Why You Like the Music You Do: An overview of Dr. Gasser’s 2019 Macmillan book, Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste, on the sources, nature, and implications of our individual taste in music.
- Empowering Your Musical Taste: An inspiring discussion of the many ways you can enhance and activate your musical taste, on behalf of a richer, healthier, and happier life.
- Music & Technology: Pandora and the Wider Applications of Music Technology: An insider’s view of music technology and the ever-changing music business from the Architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project—with insights into how learnings and applications from the music technology sector can benefit businesses of every kind.
- Unlocking Your Productivity Through Music: Dr. Gasser uses his extensive knowledge of music and its profound interactions with your brain, body, and psychology to provide prescriptive tools and motivations to increase your creativity, mindfulness, and productivity—individually and collectively.
- The History and Culture of XYZ Music: Any of dozens of potential topics that explore (via discussion, recordings, and performance) the origins, achievements, and influence of a given era, style, or individual figure of music history.
Sarah Robinson
Sarah Robinson is the flutist and founding member of Helix Collective, a Los Angeles-based ensemble that specializes in multi-media, collaborative performance and recording. The ensemble has released three critically acclaimed albums and has recorded the scores for over forty films.
She is the director of Helix Collective’s Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival and Program Manager / Associate Coach for iCadenza, a consulting and coaching company serving artists. Sarah is also the author of Clubbing for Classical Musicians, a guide to presenting music in alternative venues which has been called “enlightening, instructional, and inspiring.”
Sarah’s extensive film credits as a flutist include the scores for over fifty films.
Sarah served previously as Principal Flute with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra and has performed with orchestras around the United States. She holds degrees in flute performance from the Royal Northern College of Music (UK), the University of Illinois, the University of South Carolina, and the Chicago College of Performing Arts.
Dr. Robinson has been a panelist and presenter at several conferences on the future of classical music including the 21CMPosium at DePauw University and “Are We Listening – a symposium on music, change, and challenge” at Boston University. Recent speaking engagements and workshops include visits to the Curtis Institute of Music, Peabody Conservatory, University of Maryland – College Park, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, University of South Carolina Lawrence University, Catholic University of America, the College of William and Mary, and Colorado Mesa University.
Sarah Robinson’s message for the graduating class of 2020: Now is the Perfect Time to be graduating with a degree in music. It may seem like a terrible time to be graduating, in the middle of a pandemic that keeps us from performing live music. But today is just the right time to be an artist. Everyone is more in touch with the most important parts of life right now than they have been in our lifetime. The ears of the world are wide open and your voice is needed right now.
Jeff Nytch
Jeffrey Nytch has been a geologist, a small businessman, a singer, and a gardener. Today he is an award-winning composer, author, educator, and international thought leader in the field of arts entrepreneurship. Drawing on his diverse experiences in both life and career, Professor Nytch delivers engaging lectures addressing a wide range of topics related to the arts, society, and the role of creativity and entrepreneurship in making a lasting impact on the world. In addition to these themes, Professor Nytch is available to explore topics for Commencement such as:
“The Muse in Troubled Times: How creativity and empathy can change the world”
Tumultuous times require each of us to ask ourselves how we can make a positive impact in the face of tremendous need. Sometimes that task can seem overwhelming, even impossible. Yet each of us possesses a core of empathy and creativity, expressed differently in each of us. This talk will discuss how we can tap into these traits in order to make an impact in the lives of others and in our society, and in so doing, even find our life’s purpose.
“The Liberal Arts Entrepreneur: A match made for our times” [for liberal arts institutions]
Times of great societal disruption call for the very traits you have developed during your liberal arts education: finding connections between disparate areas of thought, critical thinking, communication, creative problem-solving, and drawing on the deep wells of arts, literature, science, and history to understand the present world in the proper context. These are also the very traits that are at the heart of entrepreneurship. This talk will illustrate how the qualities of the liberal arts and entrepreneurship are exactly what is needed to address the pressing needs of today’s world.
“The Four Powers”
Inspired by his annual “last lecture of the semester,” Professor Nytch offers up four “powers” that can guide and inspire your life’s journey: relationships, empathy, passion, and purpose.
“The World Needs You”
The human species is hard-wired for music. During times like these it’s easy to wonder if we’ll ever return to “normal,” if we’ll ever make music that way we thought we would. Despite that uncertainty, we know two things for sure: music will continue, and that the world needs music — and therefore us — more than ever.
Paola Prestini
Through an illustrious career being equal parts creator and connector, composer Paola Prestini is known both for her “otherworldly…outright gorgeous” music (The New York Times), as well as the “visionary-in-chief” (Time Out New York) and Co-Founder/Artistic Director of the non-profit music organization National Sawdust. As the Wall Street Journal says, many recognize Prestini for “pushing the boundaries of classical music through collaborations.” Her compositions have been commissioned by and performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Barbican Centre, Cannes Film Festival, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Roomful of Teeth, Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and Young People’s Chorus of New York City, among others.
As part of her commitment to the next generation and equity, she started the Hildegard Competition for emerging female, trans, and non-binary composers and the Blueprint Fellowship for emerging composers with The Juilliard School. She was a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow and a Sundance Fellow, and was a graduate of the Juilliard School.
Recent speaking engagements include: Paul R. Judy Center Conference: Lead. Innovate. Music (2016); APAP Keynote: The Creative Mind, Finding Flow (2017); Keynote Classical Next conference, Rotterdam (2019); Keynote for Operadagen Festival, Rotterdam (2019).
Paola is available to speak on topics such as:
- Forging Your Own Path
- Artistry and Resilience
- Compositional Form and Leadership
- Identity and Voice
Mark Rabideau
Mark Rabideau is Director of the 21st-Century Musician Initiative at DePauw University, overseeing curricular innovations, artistic planning, community education and engagement, and the Center for Creativity. Mark teaches courses in music entrepreneurship and Design-Thinking.
A compelling arts advocate, Mark has delivered recent talks at Curtis, Yale, American College in Greece, and American University in Cairo (Egypt). He co-chairs the College Music Society’s Entrepreneurship Education Committee and was a member of the Core Planning Team for CMS Summit 2.0.
“It has always been my belief that creativity resides at the thin line between hope and despair. And as you move through your life’s journey, and face the inevitable challenges that will come your way, it is my hope that you will turn to the creativity within yourself to write your path, forge new ways forward, invent a more hopeful future.” – Mark Rabideau
Among the music profession’s most ardent advocates, Dr. Mark Rabideau is available to deliver May 2020 commencement addresses that speaks to the joys of embracing a life lived through the arts and the boundless opportunities for musicians, artists, and creatives to shape the world they will soon inherit.
Mark is also available to speak on topics such as:
- The Art of Hope: What if we were to think of our life’s work as our masterpiece? And the life of an artist-entrepreneur as an agent for positive change? The Art of Hope re-examines an artist’s curiosity, creativity, and collaborative-nature as essential attributes for identifying the problems we are best equipped to solve, creating innovative solutions for positive change, and building a life of means, meaning, and the chance to give back
- Heroes and Dreams: “Heroes and Dreams” challenges students within the arts to define the significance of what is at the heart of their life’s work, the unique gifts they have to offer, and their vision for a world that repositions the arts at the center of our communities
Lara Downes
“I gave my promise to the world / And the world followed me here”
-from Testimonial by Rita Dove
Pianist, activist, writer and producer Lara Downes offers insights learned from an international musical career built upon personal vision, creative innovation and consistent authenticity. Asking the question “What is your promise to the world?”, Downes calls upon the graduates of the Class of 2020 to treasure the opportunity to act as agents of change in the design of a new era, and to enrich their communities through awareness, intention and action.
In this time of global crisis and uncertainty, Downes would encourage the graduating class to lean on the lessons of the past, to have broad vision for their individual and collective futures, and to trust in our human capacity for survival, resilience, and strength in unity.
Laurie Rubin
Mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin has received high praise from The New York Times chief classical music critic Anthony Tommasini, who wrote that she possesses “compelling artistry,” “communicative power,” and that her voice displays “earthy, rich, and poignant qualities.”
Not just a singer, Rubin also wrote a memoir, Do You Dream in Color? Insights From a Girl Without Sight, that recounts her experiences from childhood through the rise of her career as an opera singer. In it, Rubin shows how her determination to continually surpass and redefine others’ expectations, which has enabled her to defy the naysayers (including those who told her that she would never experience romance, have a real job, live independently, much less ski, design jewelry or fulfill her ambition to sing on stage).
Laurie is available to speak on topics around her book as well:
- COVID-19 and Silver Linings
- The Brink of a New World (now is the time for new graduates)
- Living through History (and making your mark on the world)
- Changing the Infrastructure of our Thoughts
Aaron Dworkin
Named a 2005 MacArthur Fellow, President Obama’s first appointment to the National Council on the Arts and Governor Snyder’s appointment to the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, Aaron P. Dworkin served as dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD), which is ranked among the top performing arts schools in the nation. He is currently a tenured full professor of arts leadership and entrepreneurship at SMTD as well as serving as a Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Aaron is a successful social entrepreneur having founded The Sphinx Organization, the leading arts organization with the mission of transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. He is also host of the nationally-broadcast Arts Engines show in collaboration with Detroit Public Television and co-founder of SonoGrub.com, a weekly blog pairing great food and music. Aaron is also a best-selling writer having authored The Entrepreneurial Artist: Lessons from Highly Successful Creatives.
Aaron is available to speak on topics such as:
- Professor Maverick Throws the DICE: Wagering on Diversity, Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Arts Administration
- What If? Throwing the DICE that Fuel Progress: A Wager on Diversity, Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship in the Workplace
- What If? Throwing the DICE that Fuel Progress: A Wager on Diversity, Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship in Education
In these inspiring presentations, Aaron Dworkin shares his personal story which informed his life of social entrepreneurship. He will delve into the important role that diversity, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship play in society, as well as their associated value and impact in education. Aaron will also share strategies surrounding engaging technology in teaching, core skillsets required for creative careers and the importance of staying relevant in the actively evolving landscape of the modern world.
Tayloe Harding
Tayloe Harding is a composer, music administrator and Dean of the School of Music at the University of South Carolina. A passionate advocate for advancing the impact of higher education music study and experience on American communities and national society, As Dean at South Carolina he has brought a bold idea to fruition: to more fully prepare tomorrow’s professional musicians by combining conventional professional music study with a systematic curricular and co-curricular exploration of music advocacy, music entrepreneurship, and community engagement by forming SPARK: Carolina’s Leadership Laboratory (formerly the Carolina Institute for Leadership and Engagement in Music). His 2014 TedX talk “Music and Hope: Towards a More Musical America,” constitutes a public expression of his interests and work at Carolina and beyond. An active consultant for NASM, CMS, and PKL, he is a frequent presenter on issues facing the future of university music units and their leadership, and remains active as a composer earning commissions, performances, and recordings for his works around the world.
Tayloe is available to speak about a number of topics related to music and its impact on our world, as well as inspiring commencement addresses, sending graduating classes off into their next chapters with a thought provoking perspective.
Jeff Nytch
Jeffrey Nytch has been a geologist, a small businessman, a singer, and a gardener. Today he is an award-winning composer, author, educator, and international thought leader in the field of arts entrepreneurship. Drawing on his diverse experiences in both life and career, Professor Nytch delivers engaging lectures addressing a wide range of topics related to the arts, society, and the role of creativity and entrepreneurship in making a lasting impact on the world. In addition to these themes, Professor Nytch is available to explore topics for Commencement such as:
“The Muse in Troubled Times: How creativity and empathy can change the world”
Tumultuous times require each of us to ask ourselves how we can make a positive impact in the face of tremendous need. Sometimes that task can seem overwhelming, even impossible. Yet each of us possesses a core of empathy and creativity, expressed differently in each of us. This talk will discuss how we can tap into these traits in order to make an impact in the lives of others and in our society, and in so doing, even find our life’s purpose.
“The Liberal Arts Entrepreneur: A match made for our times” [for liberal arts institutions]
Times of great societal disruption call for the very traits you have developed during your liberal arts education: finding connections between disparate areas of thought, critical thinking, communication, creative problem-solving, and drawing on the deep wells of arts, literature, science, and history to understand the present world in the proper context. These are also the very traits that are at the heart of entrepreneurship. This talk will illustrate how the qualities of the liberal arts and entrepreneurship are exactly what is needed to address the pressing needs of today’s world.
“The Four Powers”
Inspired by his annual “last lecture of the semester,” Professor Nytch offers up four “powers” that can guide and inspire your life’s journey: relationships, empathy, passion, and purpose.
“The World Needs You”
The human species is hard-wired for music. During times like these it’s easy to wonder if we’ll ever return to “normal,” if we’ll ever make music that way we thought we would. Despite that uncertainty, we know two things for sure: music will continue, and that the world needs music — and therefore us — more than ever.
Sarah Robinson
Sarah Robinson is the flutist and founding member of Helix Collective, a Los Angeles-based ensemble that specializes in multi-media, collaborative performance and recording. The ensemble has released three critically acclaimed albums and has recorded the scores for over forty films.
She is the director of Helix Collective’s Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival and Program Manager / Associate Coach for iCadenza, a consulting and coaching company serving artists. Sarah is also the author of Clubbing for Classical Musicians, a guide to presenting music in alternative venues which has been called “enlightening, instructional, and inspiring.”
Sarah’s extensive film credits as a flutist include the scores for over fifty films.
Sarah served previously as Principal Flute with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra and has performed with orchestras around the United States. She holds degrees in flute performance from the Royal Northern College of Music (UK), the University of Illinois, the University of South Carolina, and the Chicago College of Performing Arts.
Dr. Robinson has been a panelist and presenter at several conferences on the future of classical music including the 21CMPosium at DePauw University and “Are We Listening – a symposium on music, change, and challenge” at Boston University. Recent speaking engagements and workshops include visits to the Curtis Institute of Music, Peabody Conservatory, University of Maryland – College Park, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, University of South Carolina Lawrence University, Catholic University of America, the College of William and Mary, and Colorado Mesa University.
Sarah Robinson’s message for the graduating class of 2020: Now is the Perfect Time to be graduating with a degree in music. It may seem like a terrible time to be graduating, in the middle of a pandemic that keeps us from performing live music. But today is just the right time to be an artist. Everyone is more in touch with the most important parts of life right now than they have been in our lifetime. The ears of the world are wide open and your voice is needed right now.
Nolan Gasser
Nolan Gasser is a critically acclaimed composer, pianist, and musicologist – most notably, the architect of Pandora Radio’s Music Genome Project and the company’s chief musicologist from its founding in 1999. He holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Stanford University. His original compositions have been performed in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall (Lincoln Center), the Kennedy Center, La Salle Pleyel (Paris), and the Rose Bowl (Pasadena), among many others.
Nolan is available to speak on topics such as:
- Why You Like the Music You Do: An overview of Dr. Gasser’s 2019 Macmillan book, Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste, on the sources, nature, and implications of our individual taste in music.
- Empowering Your Musical Taste: An inspiring discussion of the many ways you can enhance and activate your musical taste, on behalf of a richer, healthier, and happier life.
- Music & Technology: Pandora and the Wider Applications of Music Technology: An insider’s view of music technology and the ever-changing music business from the Architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project—with insights into how learnings and applications from the music technology sector can benefit businesses of every kind.
- Unlocking Your Productivity Through Music: Dr. Gasser uses his extensive knowledge of music and its profound interactions with your brain, body, and psychology to provide prescriptive tools and motivations to increase your creativity, mindfulness, and productivity—individually and collectively.
- The History and Culture of XYZ Music: Any of dozens of potential topics that explore (via discussion, recordings, and performance) the origins, achievements, and influence of a given era, style, or individual figure of music history.