How do musicians develop as leaders within their communities — and what does that process actually look like from the inside?

This project explored the relationship between musical practice and leadership identity, drawing on interviews, observation, and organizational learning theory to understand how artists grow into leadership roles. The core finding was that musicians rarely think of themselves as leaders, even when they are doing exactly that work. Naming that gap, and helping musicians recognize their own leadership capacity, became the heart of this inquiry.

The project sits at the intersection of identity, artistry, and organizational development, and it is where my research began.