Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica J. Washburn.
Erica, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Like many others, the path to my work at NEC (New England Conservatory) was anything but easy, and had its fair share of obstacles. But, it was worth every side road traveled.
I knew from a young age that teaching was my calling, and so, attending Westminster Choir College as an undergraduate Music Education major seemed the right thing to do. As it turned out, it was – matriculating at Westminster in 1996 not only opened professional academic doors for me, but the institution also taught me what it meant to be a teaching/performing musician at the turn of the 21st century.
Once I graduated from Westminster I returned to my home area of Upstate New York and taught middle and high school for three years, then packed up my life and moved to Greenville, North Carolina to earn two Master of Music degrees (Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance) at East Carolina University. Following my time at ECU I headed to Rochester, New York to begin my post-graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, eventually earning a third Master of Music in Vocal Performance, with a minor in Choral Conducting.
My time at Eastman brought me to late-July of 2009, and during the afternoon of a beautiful day, while I was between teaching voice students at the New York State Summer School of the Arts, School of Choral Studies in Fredonia, NY, I received a phone call from Tom Novak, Dean and Provost of NEC, offering me the opportunity to teach at the college.
The rest, as they say, is history, as I am now halfway through my tenth year at the Conservatory as Director of Choral Activities.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The cost of a higher education does not come without sacrifice, and that sacrifice comes in many forms, particularly as an artist.
For me the most looming obstacle as a college student was always money – trying to figure out to how to make financial ends meet every semester (there were 20 in total), in a capacity that allowed me to create art, i.e. make music. Too often people wanted to ‘hire’ a musician and pay them in ‘exposure.’ Sadly, they still do. While exposure is a critical aspect of establishing yourself as a professional artist, it does not pay bills. Several times over the years I have had to choose to miss out on holidays and family events for high-paying gigs. And yes, though this is a way of life for most musicians, it does not lessen the difficulty in making such choices. Fortunately I have a family who understood my choices then, and now, and continues to support me.
Post-college, now in my ‘professional’ years, I have come to appreciate that being an educator does not come without innate struggles. Some days those struggles are due to an inability to find the “A-ha!” words that will trigger a learning concept for a student, or sometimes you do not have time to meet with a student who has solicited your expertise because the time does not exist in your schedule. Or, it is because you recognize you are not in possession of the ability to solve all the problems the world has forced a student to bear.
Teaching is incredibly rewarding, but it’s also extremely emotionally, and physically, exhausting. Educators never stop thinking of their charges, even after they have graduated on gone on to successful careers. Like their parents, we know their conflicts and we continuously worry for them, but we counter that with the hope that we will witness them conquer their small corner of the world and be great, in everything they do.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about New England Conservatory – what should we know?
New England Conservatory is the oldest continuously operating college conservatory in the United States. It’s doors opened in 1867, in Boston, and have not closed since. The college presents more than 500 concerts per year, which are free and open to the public, and range from student solo recitals and instrumental chamber groups, to large ensemble performances, such as the college choirs, orchestras, wind ensembles, jazz bands, etc.
I have the privilege of serving the college as the Director of Choral Activities, and in this capacity, I am responsible for overseeing the success of the choral program. This includes two choirs, the NEC Concert Choir and NEC Chamber Singers, which combined is typically 110+ students, teaching several courses on a rotating basis, including Advanced Choral Conducting, Beginning Choral Conducting, Sacred Choral Literature and Secular Choral Literature, supervise the graduate Choral Conducting program, which includes private studio instruction for conducting, and serve on several college committees.
I’d like to say these responsibilities make me unique, but in reality, while the content of the classes I teach varies from my immediate colleagues due to my specialization, the majority of college-level educators, particularly those I teach with at NEC, share in the same amount of professional responsibility.
What, or better, who, I think readers should know more about is our students, past and present, of the Conservatory. They not only rank among the finest musicians in the world, but they are also the most wonderful, kind of heart and generous of spirit humans I have the pleasure to know and spend my days with.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There are many people that I owe my career successes to, but none more so than my colleagues in education, my own teachers, and my family and friends.
I will forever be indebted to my primary voice teachers; Karen Holvik (NEC/Eastman), Jan Opalach (Eastman), John Kramar (East Carolina University) and Anne Ackley Gray (Westminster Choir College), and of course my conducting mentors; William Weinert (Eastman), Daniel Bara (University of Georgia/East Carolina University), James Jordan (Westminster Choir College), Andrew Megill (University of Illinois Urbana/Westminster Choir College). They were demanding, exacting and believed in my abilities, even when I doubted myself.
My family has always cheered on my musical studies – from figuring out how to pay for private voice lessons, piano lessons, flute lessons, bass guitar lessons (yes, bass guitar lessons), through college and beyond. They never questioned my choices and commitment to music education and performance, and believed that I would find my success.
I also have two very dear friends, Dr. Anthony Maglione, and Dr. Kevin O’Brien, who have been incredibly supportive colleagues. Both Anthony and Kevin are professional musicians as well – we met during our undergraduate years at Westminster Choir College. Our friendship has now well surpassed the 20-year mark, and over these past decades we have shared our trials and tribulations, achievements, and disappointments. To have one such person that is an honest sounding board in your life is fortunate; to have two, a loving family, supportive colleagues and phenomenal students, compels you to acknowledge Providence.
Contact Info:
- Address: New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA - Website: https://necmusic.edu/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/necmusic/
Image Credit:
Andrew Hurlbut, Brian Gornick, Alexandra Gilliam, Marie von Kampen
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