| Faculty Focus: Crossing Departmental Boundaries for Self-Designed Majors |
02.01.13 |
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It’s not unusual for a student’s interests and ambitions to expand outside departmental boundaries. Many LVC students adapt to this natural occurrence by picking up second majors, or a minor or two. Others, such as Nikki Abbamont ’14 (far left, photo at right), choose to work closely with faculty advisors to develop a major of their own. Thinking carefully about their interests and career plans, especially in collaboration with professors in their fields, can yield exceptionally fruitful results.
Nikki Abbamont ’14: Entertainment Business
Junior Nicole Abbamont came to LVC as a music major, but quickly realized that she wanted to explore more of the industry. “I found I was more interested in the whole aspect of popular culture,” she noted. “I thought the marketing and promotions side of the entertainment industry was extremely interesting, and I wanted to focus on the music business side.” Her dream job: marketing for a live entertainment promoter or record label.
To get there, Abbamont developed a curriculum in collaboration with Dr. David Rudd, Eugene C. Fish Distinguished Chair of Business and professor and chair of business and economics, and Jeff Snyder, professor of music and director of music business. “I chose classes that I knew would help me in the future and left a lot of room for other classes in digital communications and sociology that I thought would benefit me in the long run,” she said. “I actually combined every requirement for the business major except for two classes, then added the music business classes.”
Abbamont meets with Rudd and Snyder every semester to discuss her progress and post-graduation plans. “We’re trying to figure out the best timing for my classes and internships,” she added. She’s currently applying for an internship with Live Nation and hopes her work with the R||:Evolution Music Conference and newly formed R||:Evolution Record Label will help her to earn a position.
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