Chad Cooper, executive director of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (Brooklyn, NY) and a National Guild trustee, moved into his current role after a 16-year career as a highly-paid Wall Street banker. The Wall Street Journal recently profiled Cooper, exploring what this transition has looked like and how the move to a nonprofit has provided personal fulfillment--if not the shorter hours that Cooper envisioned.
After making the switch, Cooper was struck by the day-to-day worries of an arts school director—"you don’t have to worry, as a banker, whether the elevator is going to break down”—and also by the dedication and resolve of staff members, many of whom are working for little pay. Ultimately, the transition has changed Cooper’s relationship to his work and to the Brooklyn community that he lives in.
You can read the full article here.
About the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
The Conservatory’s main campus, in the heart of historic Park Slope, Brooklyn, is a comprehensive educational centers for over 1,000 students. The Conservatory offers a full range of lessons, classes and ensembles to students of every age and ability, and provides more than 200 merit- and need-based scholarships annually. The Conservatory serves more than 800 individuals living with disabilities and other significant life issues through its music therapy program, both on-site and through more than 20 partner sites in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and Manhattan. The Conservatory also provides music education to an additional 6,500 school-aged children each year through its Music Partners Program, offered in more than 40 public, private and parochial schools, youth centers and community-based organizations.
Published: June 05, 2018