Where are you from?
I’m originally from Hanover, IN.
What is one thing about yourself that you want everyone to know?
I’ve got lots of musical eggs in my basket–I play saxophone and piano, I teach (certified to teach K-12 in Illinois), and I compose and arrange. I’ve also recently taken interest in arts administration, which is part of why I chose to intern with TCP.
A link to something about you (website, video, post, etc.)
This is one of my favorite performances I’ve been a part of–the opening concert for the Music for All Summer Symposium, which was part of the prize for winning the Yamaha Young Performing Artists competition.
What are you up to these days?
This summer (besides my internship with TCP), I’m teaching marching band, working on some composition/arrangement commissions, and hanging out with my family and friends. I’m also currently pursuing my MM in Saxophone Performance at the Eastman School of Music, where I’ll begin my second year this fall.
When did you intern with TCP?
May-June 2025
How did you connect with TCP?
We connected through the Arts Leadership Program at Eastman. I also went to the same school they did (Northwestern) for my undergrad!
Did you gain anything from the internship that you’d like to share?
My main takeaway from the internship is just how much it takes to run a full-time performing ensemble, from booking, to running development (pulling in contributed income from grants and donors), to production for recordings and shows, etc.
What else did you do while you were interning?
My main project during my internship was transcribing and arranging freqwnt by Cale Koester, an electronic music composer who collaborates with TCP.
Did you leave a legacy or mark on the organization that you’re particularly proud of?
I think my proudest project would be the TMCP arrangement. There were a lot of things that needed to be considered when creating the arrangement. The largest challenge was creating parts without knowing I’m especially proud of my arrangement of Cale Koester’s piece. It was a pretty meticulous, thoughtful process to transcribe the work in a way that is both accessible for performers and still maintains the feel of changing grooves within the time signature. Hopefully, this will enable lots of percussion ensembles to play Cale’s music in the future!
Favorite memory?
My favorite memory was being a room captain at Rhythm Fest, where I got to watch a whole day’s worth of performances by some of my favorite Chicago-based contemporary music groups.
A GIF or YouTube link that sums up your experience with TCP?
Me trying to find an instrument in the TCP studio (I already forgot what Sean told me it’s called)
If you were a cartoon character, who would you be?
Kronk from Emperor’s New Groove (I do the voice)
A funny or embarrassing story from the internship?
On my first day of the internship, it took me 5 minutes to figure out how to leave the building! The TCP studio is not for the faint of heart.
Our interns can experience every part of TCP’s organization, from visiting recording sessions to writing grants and everything in between. We accept interns almost year-round. If you’re interesting in learning more about an internship with Third Coast, please contact Sean Connors at [email protected].