Note: This post comes to us from Michael Mauskapf, a second year PhD in Musicology student at the University of Michigan.
We all know what 'interdisciplinary' means. Each and every one of us are taught to leverage collaborations and explore new modes of creative thought. But do we actually do it? Do we actually know how?
Arts Enterprise is an organization that allows students from all backgrounds to explore modes of creativity through arts and business. Instead of treating these as distinct disciplines on opposite ends of the academic and professional spectrum, we recognize artistic thought and business savvy as skill sets that everyone can benefit from. For-profit and nonprofit constructs are just that--abstract constructions that, while valuable, should not limit organizational and personal development. Arts Enterprise is more than just a student club--it's a close knit group of friends, a career development agency, an advocate for your ideas, and an action-oriented team of creative leaders that will help shape our global culture for years to come.
I come to Arts Enterprise as a PhD student in musicology--not your typical Arts Enterprise member (but who is). In addition to feeding my creative appetite and entrepreneurial interests, AE has provided me with a wealth of information and experience that informs my academic research. As someone interested in the organizational and cultural history of arts organizations, the experiences I glean from my AE colleagues and the world-class speakers and performers we engage make me a better scholar. Perhaps most importantly of all, though, they make me a better person, and constantly remind that we all have something to learn from each other.
Michael Mauskapf
Executive Director, AE@UM
