Emily McCabe graduated from Middlebury College in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She originally hails from Armonk, New York and since finishing school has worked in Colorado teaching both skiing and violin lessons. Additionally, Emily has interned with a number of performing arts nonprofits and she has a current placement at the NY Philharmonic in their education department. Other experiences include work in the development department at Roundabout Theatre Company and Opera Australia, research and support for projects at Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History and Kunhardt Productions, and administrative work with Belleayre Music Festival. Emily is particularly interested in the development of education programming in a performing arts context.

What attracted you to the Arts Administration Program at Teachers College, Columbia University? I was initially attracted to ARAD because, unique among the programs I looked at, it has a strong education and arts education component. I was also interested in the partnerships with Columbia business and law schools and felt the program would give me a solid introduction to important business and managerial skills. The academic rigor at Columbia as well as the thriving arts environment in New York made it an easy decision to join the ARAD cohort.

How are your studies helping to advance your career goals? I have met incredible people and been intellectually stimulated and challenged by the program thus far. My knowledge of the arts administrative field as a whole has widened considerably and I have been able to follow my personal passions in the classroom and connect them to my career goals. As an example, for a course this semester I am designing an education program for an arts organization I aspire to work with. Additionally, my thesis work is closely tied to my career aspirations and is facilitating connections and deepening my knowledge of the field in which I hope to work.

Describe student life as a member of the ARAD community. I am constantly impressed by my classmates insight and depth of experience. People are intelligent, friendly, and willing to reach out and lend a hand whether it be in the classroom or with an informal networking contact. Everyone is busy with both their academic work and artistic projects but will often find ways to involve others in the cohort. There is a strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork that has developed even over the course of a few semesters.