Favorite Parts of Being a Head of Musical Theatre at East Carolina University

The thing I enjoy most is being surrounded by music all day. Sometimes when I leave work, I feel like I've had enough music, so I turn off the radio and just sit in silence. I'm a total theater nerd and grew up in theater, and I love performing.

My favorite part of my job is getting to work in musical theater every day and make a living from it. I'm also very lucky because my colleagues are all my very good friends, which makes coming to work enjoyable.

Recently, we had a short study abroad in Croatia for two weeks. I stayed behind to hold down the fort. Then, my colleague, who was also supposed to be helping, had shoulder surgery.

I ended up being all alone, which made me sad because I couldn't just pop into someone's office for a chat about the day. I'm very lucky to have the relationships I do with my colleagues.

I also really love the students and working with young people. It's enjoyable and fun, though it can be stressful and overwhelming at times. For the most part, I get to create art and be part of the next generation of performers.

I have many students making their Broadway debut this year. Some are working at theme parks and on cruise ships. We even have an alum who was nominated for a Grammy for a show she wrote. It's really cool to see their success and watch them take off in the industry. That's one of my favorite parts as well.