In the first three of this 6-part series on flutist administrators, we’ve defined what an administrator is, figured out how flutists can be both musician and administrator, and heard from the always-brilliant Katherine Isbill Emeneth, a flutist turned entrepreneur who’s forging her own path in today’s music world. This week I’ll give you a glimpse into a typical day for a flutist-administrator.
Like any career field, there are vast and diverse possibilities for daily work for musician-administrators.
To give you a clear picture of what the day-to-day activities might be, I’ve used my personal experiences as a U.S. Army musician and non-profit employee, combined with individual accounts of peers in the civilian workforce. There’s a lot of freedom and independence to make your own schedule, so the example here is just one of the many ways the day can unfold in this line of work. That’s really what makes it fun, and it’s one of my personal favorite parts!
Because each day is so unique and varied, most of us prefer to outline a few details first. This usually includes goals, projects, and reminders, along with things like appointments or meetings that need to be planned around. That way neither music or admin tasks and roles get neglected. Doing this planning every day can be tedious, so I personally do it for the whole week at a time and only revisit for little adjustments. Side note: Keeping a planner or journal definitely comes in handy!
Once all the planning ducks are in a row, the day can truly begin!
I’ve provided two examples of a typical day for a flutist-administrator so you can see how much variety there really can be. And this only touches the tip of the iceberg of possibilities! These examples portray the two most common types of settings for flutist-administrators: office-based and entrepreneur-based. Office settings might include working for an orchestra or performing arts center, military or other self-run music organizations, or a non-profit. Entrepreneur-based example encompasses music studio owners, portfolio musicians, freelance musicians, etc. Since today’s flutists are always filling the roles of both musician and some kind of administrator, making time for everything can be a challenge. But with a bit of creativity and learning from experience, being successful as a flutist and administrator is at your fingertips!
Day 1 Office-Based
9:00-10:00 — Check emails & catch up on correspondences
10:00-Noon — Practice/Rehearse
Noon-1:00 — Lunch
1:00-2:00 — Meeting or Project Work
2:00-3:00 — Practice/Rehearse
3:00-4:00 –: Meeting or Project Work
4:00-7:00 – Lessons and/or Rehearsals
Day 2 Entrepreneur-Based
8:00-9:00 – Check emails & business admin.
9:00-11:00 – Practice/Rehearse
11:00-1:00 – Public School Sectionals
1:00-3:00 – Lessons, Public Schools, or Project Work
3:00-6:00 – Lessons, Project Work, Business Admin, and/or Rehearsals
6:00-8:00 – Lessons and/or Rehearsals
Now that you’ve seen a little of what a day-in-the-life is like, what do you think? Do you see yourself as a flutist-administrator? Do you have a cool way of planning your week so you can keep it all straight? Or do you wonder how administration fits into the lives of flutists? Comment below with your thoughts and questions, or feel free to email me at katherinelewisflute@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.
And make sure to read my first three articles, where I walk you through how every flutist has an inner administrator!
Article 1: https://thefluteexaminer.com/flutists-as-administrators-part-i/
Article 2: https://thefluteexaminer.com/flutists-as-administrators-101/
Article 3: https://thefluteexaminer.com/flutists-as-administrators-katherine-isbell-emeneth/