The performing arts have always been instrumental in my development as a person. Though access to the arts was very limited in Sanilac County, Michigan, I sought many opportunities. I was raised a farmer’s daughter and a 4-H kid so I had unlimited access to agriculture knowledge. Between the farm and 4-H, I was trained to be very hard working, independent, responsible, and outgoing. I loved the cattle, and still do, but I wanted more variety. At age 8, I told my mom I wanted to learn to play piano. I took lessons for 12 years and still play my piano today. In 5th grade I began playing the alto saxophone in the band. I would continue to play saxophone in my school’s band all the way until graduation, picking up the tenor and soprano saxophones as well. In high school, I was recruited to join jazz band, as well play in a jazz ensemble of six members selected by our band director. During my freshman year, I learned that our school had an after-school drama club. I immediately signed up. I auditioned for the fall play and was cast in a supporting role. For the rest of high school, I would go on to play a part in every show we put on. Our club was very small; it consisted of our director who was a local pastor, and a group of kids who auditioned to act in the shows. Our performances were on a temporary stage set up in the gymnasium for the weekend, and the set consisted of flats that we repainted for each production. The band director happened to have about six stage lights and a few body microphones that he would loan to us for each performance. This was the extent of it, but it was my favorite thing to do. They were the lowest budget productions I have ever seen, but I loved every minute of it because everyone was there to have fun. My junior year of high school, my drama director came to me and said, “You should look into a career as a stage manager.” I had no idea what that was. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as going into theatre for a career other than acting. I asked him why, and he replied, “Because you are the one always going through the script and making sure we got every last detail.” I then looked up what a stage manager was, and I decided that was direction I wanted to go. I applied to Western Michigan University for their stage management program and was accepted as one of four students that year, and continued my journey as an aspiring artist.
While at school I did internships at Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Central City Opera, and worked professionally at Farmer’s Alley Theatre. Throughout my time at school, I didn’t quite fit in with the other students. I was there because it was something I loved to do, but the other students were the type of people that want to change the world through theatre. They were all so serious about their work every second, and I just couldn’t get on their level. School was a huge eye-opener into the artistic world for this cow-loving girl. By the time I graduated, I knew stage managing in the big city was not something I wanted to do. I missed the small town life, but didn’t want to leave entertainment. I went on to substitute teach for a little bit, and then a college program with Disney. After almost two years of thinking about what I wanted to do, I decided I wanted to get my master’s degree in the field of arts administration. I love stage management, but I realized that running rehearsal was very stressful for me. My favorite job I ever had was an administrative assistant in an insurance office, which tells me that desk jobs are attractive to me. A short while later, I secured a slot here at The University of Alabama working towards my MFA and MBA in Arts Management. The dual degree was perfect because I would have the business degree to fall back on if I still wasn’t sure where I wanted to go after school. This past summer, I accepted a position as the Production Stage Manager at Bay View Music Festival. I had a cast of 50 community members for the musical and they revived my love of theatre. They helped me discover exactly what I wanted to do with my career: I was going to get my MFA and MBA in Arts Management, move back home to rural Sanilac County, and open a storefront black box on the main street in Sandusky. The people I worked with at Bay View showed me exactly why it was I went into theatre in the first place; it’s fun and inspiring, and brings people together that wouldn’t normally work together. Sanilac County may be small, but it is a true community. It’s a very important place to me, and I desperately want to show them why the arts are so important and that it’s possible to have agriculture and art in your life. This venue would be a place where all the arts can foster: We would produce community theatre productions, the high school bands can have a proper venue for concerts instead of the gymnasium, the art students at the high school and at the local studio can put on art galleries, and anyone else who wants to do a fun community activity can have a place to do it. This is my ultimate goal. Another ambition of mine is to add performing arts into the Sanilac County 4-H as a project area, and as an activity to do throughout the year. The 4-H fair was, and still is, a huge part of my life and I wish to provide the opportunity of performing arts to the 4-H youth. I am at school learning how to open and operate a business, both for profit and not-for profit organizations. I am very anxious to get started with all the ideas I have in my head, but first I have to finish school so I can learn how to implement all these ideas. I will graduate in May 2021 and then move back to Sanilac County to start my project.
While at school I did internships at Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Central City Opera, and worked professionally at Farmer’s Alley Theatre. Throughout my time at school, I didn’t quite fit in with the other students. I was there because it was something I loved to do, but the other students were the type of people that want to change the world through theatre. They were all so serious about their work every second, and I just couldn’t get on their level. School was a huge eye-opener into the artistic world for this cow-loving girl. By the time I graduated, I knew stage managing in the big city was not something I wanted to do. I missed the small town life, but didn’t want to leave entertainment. I went on to substitute teach for a little bit, and then a college program with Disney. After almost two years of thinking about what I wanted to do, I decided I wanted to get my master’s degree in the field of arts administration. I love stage management, but I realized that running rehearsal was very stressful for me. My favorite job I ever had was an administrative assistant in an insurance office, which tells me that desk jobs are attractive to me. A short while later, I secured a slot here at The University of Alabama working towards my MFA and MBA in Arts Management. The dual degree was perfect because I would have the business degree to fall back on if I still wasn’t sure where I wanted to go after school. This past summer, I accepted a position as the Production Stage Manager at Bay View Music Festival. I had a cast of 50 community members for the musical and they revived my love of theatre. They helped me discover exactly what I wanted to do with my career: I was going to get my MFA and MBA in Arts Management, move back home to rural Sanilac County, and open a storefront black box on the main street in Sandusky. The people I worked with at Bay View showed me exactly why it was I went into theatre in the first place; it’s fun and inspiring, and brings people together that wouldn’t normally work together. Sanilac County may be small, but it is a true community. It’s a very important place to me, and I desperately want to show them why the arts are so important and that it’s possible to have agriculture and art in your life. This venue would be a place where all the arts can foster: We would produce community theatre productions, the high school bands can have a proper venue for concerts instead of the gymnasium, the art students at the high school and at the local studio can put on art galleries, and anyone else who wants to do a fun community activity can have a place to do it. This is my ultimate goal. Another ambition of mine is to add performing arts into the Sanilac County 4-H as a project area, and as an activity to do throughout the year. The 4-H fair was, and still is, a huge part of my life and I wish to provide the opportunity of performing arts to the 4-H youth. I am at school learning how to open and operate a business, both for profit and not-for profit organizations. I am very anxious to get started with all the ideas I have in my head, but first I have to finish school so I can learn how to implement all these ideas. I will graduate in May 2021 and then move back to Sanilac County to start my project.