November 6, 2010

• Hello from the new girl

  Yesterday’s 12-hour day marked the end of my first week at my new job. I am the new press and marketing coordinator for a major university music, theater, and dance presenter. It has been a while since I’ve been engulfed in the performing arts (a while as in high school), and I know next to nothing about classical music, but I keep reminding myself that I’ve done this in unframiliar territory before. I knew next to nothing about contemporary art before I worked at the MCA, aside from the fact that I liked it and frequented the museum every chance I got. I definately didn’t know anything about design or Scotland for that matter when the Scottish government somehow allowed me to market their inagural, nation-wide design festival. But I am interested, curious, and enthsiastic. I am a good writer, have solid common sense, work hard, and I know how to sell. I am good at forging relationships in the community and I’m a friendly, helpful insitutional ambassador. I’m not afraid of doing well or of failing; I just do my best every day and see where that takes me. Nine times out of ten, it takes me and the organization I work for somewhere good.

  I like marketing cultural events because I get to learn a lot about many cultural happenings and audiences that my daily life would otherwise never bring me in contact with. Last night, I attended my first mariachi performance. I may have stumbled upon the arts marketing sector by chance, but I really like it most days. Getting free tickets to things dosn’t hurt, either.

  Shaun is working from home; he was a contractor for a creative content company in Chicago and has been able to keep that position in our new life here in Ann Arbor. He’s also still freelancing a ton as an entertainment journalist; this week he was flown to Austin to play a new video game all week long and review it. Recently, he had to write a piece invovling Star Trek, a show he never really followed. He was terrified because “Treky” is a way of life for some very special people and getting Star Trek factioids wrong on any level could mean piles of hate for Shaun. I have the same fear while I compile press releases and write copy in my new job for classical and chamber music performances. Those people know their music and don’t suffer fools gladly. Luckily, I am fasidious about fact checking and have the internet at hand. Luckily, I do get relief as we also present lots of theater, dance and other types of music that I feel more at home in.I’m also tasked with acting as insitutional leiason to a few student groups, which will be fun.

  Lila is hard at work being a 14-month old, learning to walk, talk, and be her awesome self. Right now she is sitting on my lap, her fuzzy head under my chin. Her hands are busied playing with clipped coupons, sorting through each while saying, “yes, yes, yes. No no. Yeah!” Better go before that becomes boring.

  xo, dear readers!

   

  • 9:43 am
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