Ashley Taylor
Major: Music Education
Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL
Describe your current job role:
Currently a grad student at the University of Oxford, studying Musicology.
What professional experience(s) did you have prior to your current job role?
In between PBA and grad school I spent two years as an artist in residence at A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, as well as teaching for the De George Academy.
What do you know now that you wish you had known about being a working professional?
I know I was told this, but I wish I had listened: The first years after college, you don't have to have it all together and land a full-time career right away. If I had gotten the full time positions I wanted, I'd have missed out on a lot of experiences and never applied to grad school.
"Give yourself permission to experiment and innovate"
How did PBA prepare you for the world of work?
PBA did a great job of preparing me for working with students in the arts because of the examples of my music professors, who cared about us individually and raised our expectations toward excellence.
What advice would you give to current PBA students and/or young alumni who are about to start their first professional full-time job?
Give yourself permission to experiment and innovate in whatever environment you find yourself working. Creativity, combined with kindness, can transform the workplace.
Have you been mentored by anyone in your professional field since entering the workforce? If so, what impact has that had on you?
I am incredibly thankful to the music staff at Dreyfoos, who have all mentored me in the past few years and helped me understand the trickiest aspects of teaching highly gifted students. My parents are my constant source of advice and support, and have helped me navigate the music classroom and professional atmosphere in tremendous ways.
Spotlight posted in December 2017.