Looking back now as a happy little student at Bishop’s University, in a program I love, it’s wild to think how clueless I used to be about my future. Turns out, the Arts Administration program was the plot twist I didn’t know I needed. It’s brought me into an awesome community of artists and given me the perfect mix of music and business skills I need to chase my dream career in the industry. But getting to this point wasn’t straightforward. It took time, exploration/research, and a leap of faith to figure out the right path for me.
THE ROAD LESS CERTAIN
For the longest time, I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do after high school. I had spent most of my childhood dreaming of becoming the next pop star icon, but there wasn’t exactly a how-to book on that. As I hit my teenage years, I started taking songwriting more seriously and using it as a creative outlet for all that was going on in my life. I was also lucky to have grown up in a musical family that was incredibly supportive of my passion and always encouraged me to explore my talents further.
By my senior year of high school, I was sitting on an album’s worth of recorded songs with little idea of what I wanted to do with them. Everyone around me seemed so certain about their university plans, confidently chasing their dream schools. Meanwhile, I was stuck with one clear truth—I loved music, but I had no idea how to turn that passion into a real career. How was I supposed to make that a career?
After using my mom’s sworn-by pros and cons list method, I decided that the best choice for me was to take a gap year. If I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, it didn’t make sense to rush into a decision and spend a lot of money on something I wasn’t fully committed to. This ultimately ended up being the best decision, and it completely changed my life.
TAKING CHARGE OF MY MUSIC CAREER
Once I finished up with my “Oh my god, what have I just done?” meltdown, I settled into my decision and planned for how I could make the most of the year. I already knew that I wanted to continue working my serving job to save for my future, wherever it ended up taking me. My mind, of course, also came back to the songs I had put so much time into writing, recording, and producing that were just collecting dust. In one fearless decision, I committed to going full-force in trying to kickstart my music career under the artist name, Luella.
GAP YEAR GRIND
During the first two months of my gap year, I put everything I had into planning my album release. I focused on growing my social media presence, filming music videos, booking my album release concert, and building a live set with my band. I was met with such a great response from my community, even selling out my first concert and having to add a second date. This process really shed light on just how important the business side of music is and how interested I was in it.
DISCOVERING THE PERFECT FIT: BISHOP’S ARTS ADMIN PROGRAM
As I continued building my music career, playing live shows, and working on my second album, I kept searching for what I wanted to do after my gap year. It was my mom who introduced me to Bishop’s University, a Quebec liberal arts university in the Eastern Townships. She had come across their Arts Administration program, and after researching, I realized it checked all the right boxes.
The program seemed like the perfect opportunity to gain the knowledge, tools, and connections to manage my own artistic career. It combined business courses with arts focused courses and emphasized experiential learning, meaning that I wouldn’t just be studying theories, I’d be applying what I learned in real-world projects. Some of the courses that stood out to me included Festival Curation and Production, Fundraising in the Arts, Communications and Marketing, and Music Professionals.
SMALL CAMPUS, BIG OPPORTUNITES
We scheduled a campus tour and a private meeting with the head of the program, Esther Charron. My first impression was that the campus and town were small, but Esther raised some great points about how a tight-knit learning environment allows for better communication with professors and more personalized support.
One of the most exciting things I learned during my visit was how supportive the Arts Administration program is of students who are also pursuing their own professional artistic careers. Many of the assignments would directly relate to what I was focusing on with my music, including grant writing, marketing plans, budgeting, and project timelines. This meant that instead of feeling like I was juggling two separate worlds, academics and music, I could integrate them. The projects I would be working on for school had the potential to further my real-world career, and that was super valuable to me.
Now, as a student at Bishop’s University, I feel more confident than ever about my decision. I’ve been able to take part in the vibrant campus life, developed so many wonderful friendships, and still found time to pursue my passion for music.
For anyone feeling lost after high school, unsure about their next steps, or passionate about turning their art into a career, I can’t recommend taking time to explore your options enough. Whether it’s taking a gap year or finding a university program that truly fits your needs, sometimes the best path forward isn’t the one everyone else is taking, it’s the one that makes the most sense for you.
