Pathways to a Creative Life

An engaging conversation with Sue Ott Rowlands. Starting with a degree in Theater, we talk about a career pathway in and out of higher education, to the New York City Theater scene, and into administration. Sue engages with an insightful conversation about her unique, ongoing career that has leveraged all the essential skills we have been discussing throughout this podcast and adding another essential ingredient. 

Dr. Lazzeri speaks about how she first became interested in vocal performance, how mentors along the way led to opera, teaching, and eventually to NKU/SOTA where she leads the Music program. She also adds a 5th 'C', Connection, to our discussion of the 4 C's at the heart of an arts education:  Collaboration, Creativity, Communication, and Critical Thinking. 

Communication is the most essential of the essential skills according to new national survey. Kentucky's Council of Postsecondary Education (CPE) shares a national survey of employers that ranks the most important essential skills. At the top:  Communication. In this episode, we talk about how communication is at the heart of everything we do in an arts education. When a student in the School of the Arts walks into the classroom or walks onto the stage, communication skills are being developed, honed, and deployed. Visual and performing artists, after all, are storytellers at heart, and you can't tell a good story without highly developed communication skills!

NKU Alumni, Theatre Professor, and Theatre & Dance Program Head  Michael Hatton tells us how he first became interested in the arts, how  mentors opened doors to new possibilities, and what he loves most about  teaching Theatre and leading the program.

What do students learn pursuing an education in the arts? How to be a better artist, performer, and musician, of course! But what else? Well, it turns out a lot! In this episode we talk about what else. What else comes from an education in the arts? What else in an education in the arts prepares one for careers both in the arts and in other fields. 

What can you do with an education in the creative and performing arts? We find out by having conversations with professionals in lots of different fields both arts-related and seemingly unrelated to the arts. Stay tuned as we speak with more and more folks charting a path from their degree in the arts toward a fulfilling, creative life!