For the longest time, I thought of myself as just a flutist. That’s all I knew and I loved it. But upon graduation, I decided to explore a career in which I can still participate in the arts in my free time while utilizing my other skills. I still love the flute and I continue to teach but I’m learning every day that it’s never too late to unapologetically explore new paths, start new projects, and commit to living a life that aligns with my goals.

About Me

My name is Daniela (she/her/hers) and I’m currently Assistant Director of Graduate Admission with a focus in Marketing and Recruitment at Providence College. I graduated with my doctorate in Flute Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa in the Spring of 2021. Upon graduation, I had a thousands of questions floating around in my head. “What am I going to do now?” “Why are there so few teaching jobs open?” “Does the life of a musician align with my personal life plan?” “All these jobs would require me to move away from my significant other.” “Will any of these jobs actually offer the stability I seek?” “I have student loans I have to start paying off soon.” “I can continue to take auditions but I’m daunted by that thought, not excited.” You get the point. Furthermore, I was burnt out. I had studied, practiced, and worked HARD for 15+ years and even though I loved it, I was blind to the fact that this life wasn’t serving me or my goals any longer. My dream, my goals, and my idea of “happiness” had changed completely without me noticing. So I took a hard look at what I wanted out of life... I wanted stability, peace of mind, free time, a steady income, a family, a plan for retirement, etc. And I realized that as much as I loved being a flutist and teacher, I was unlikely to live out my dreams unless I made a change. I’ve always been an avid writer, a creative thinker, and a resourceful learner adept at honing new skills quickly, so I decided to explore a new career path.

I started by working part-time at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa and was promoted to a full-time department assistant position soon after. In this role, I learned a lot about working collaboratively, being flexible when challenges arose, and creating my own systems. But having been in academia for so much of my life, I felt that I needed a new challenge that was more central to my interests. So when Omaha Symphony offered me the position, I picked up my life and moved to Omaha! In my role as Communications Manager, I managed our social media accounts, wrote press releases, maintained assets, coordinated media coverage, conducted interviews, updated the website, created emails and graphics, came up with digital initiatives, and much more…! And even though the work was challenging, I’m grateful for the opportunity to dip my toes into arts administration. This job gave me the confidence and skills to apply to my current job at Providence College (Rhode Island) in which I perform many of the same tasks but with a focus on attracting graduate students to PC’s many amazing programs!

When not working or teaching, I love spending time with my fiance, playing with our sweet pitbull/boxer mix named Bubba, traveling, attending comedy shows and concerts, and cooking.