SPEAKING
"Anne Fitzgibbon's presentation at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, was vital and inspiring. It was so important for our students to hear about the work Anne and The Harmony Program are doing and to learn about how the philosophies of El Sistema can be applied in New York City and in other places. Anne's career journey and work inspired several of our students to ask how they, too, can be involved."
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-Dr. Maureen Hurd, Associate Professor, Clarinet
Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University
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SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
Facing the Job Market as a Musician
I believe there are greater opportunities than ever for young musicians
who think broadly and entrepreneurially about their futures.
So, after four years of conservatory study, you’re on the job market and reality hits. What are you prepared to do? The answer is … more than you may think. In this talk, I target soon-to-be and recent graduates of music schools and conservatories with an encouraging message about their employment prospects. Together, we examine the shift in the job market and the opportunities that this changing landscape presents to musicians who approach their careers entrepreneurially. We also identify the broad base of desirable and transferable “soft skills” that music-making strengthens and explore how musicians can most effectively communicate them to prospective employers.
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Social Entrepreneurship, from Passion to Profession
I believe that individuals have the power to effect change and that our unique interests, talents, and experiences are our truest guide to career satisfaction.
Do you have an idea for serving your community? A passion you want to leverage professionally? Need some help getting un-stuck? In this workshop, I guide participants through the critical stages of social entrepreneurship, from concept to creation. As the founder and Executive Director of a New York City-based arts nonprofit organization, I have a passion for helping others realize their visions for community change. We begin by exploring our individual ideas, assessing demand, and identifying desired outcomes, and progress to drafting mission and vision statements, building budgets, and designing project plans. Participants will leave the workshop with actionable proposals and, importantly, a belief in their capacities to initiate social change.
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Read my article on LinkedIn
El Sistema and Your Community
I believe that we have a responsibility as a society to make music education
more widely and equitably available.
Venezuela’s world-famous model of music education, El Sistema, has demonstrated the impact the study and performance of music can have on the healthy development of young people and their communities and has now been modeled in 55 countries and nearly 100 cities in the United States alone. In this presentation, I help audiences gain an understanding of the history of El Sistema and its social and cultural context; the elements that distinguish its successful approach; the Harmony Program’s experience adapting tenets of El Sistema to the needs of New York City communities; and practical tips for launching El Sistema-inspired projects of their own.
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Music and Academic Success
I believe we must play a more active role in informing policy makers, educators, and thought leaders
about the critical importance of music.
Music-making is so much more than creative entertainment. By promoting in children improved behavior, academic achievement, healthy social development, and long-term success, music performance may be one of the most effective tools available to educators. In this presentation, I review the compelling research that measures the powerful impact of music on our young people, our schools, and our broader communities, and examine the powerful question of whether and how we can narrow the achievement gap in our schools by restoring music to its rightful place in our classrooms.
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Read my piece in the NY Daily News
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