The Florida State University College of Music has launched the Center for Music Leadership and Community Engagement and named Blaire Koerner as its inaugural director.  

The new center will prepare students for a range of music careers while expanding partnerships with arts organizations and community partners in Tallahassee and beyond. 

The center brings together the college’s Bachelor of Arts in Community Music, Master of Arts in Arts Administration and music entrepreneurship initiatives to create new opportunities for students while strengthening its ties to the community.  

The center also will serve as a hub for internships, professional development and community engagement across the College of Music. The center builds on the college’s recent launch of the nation’s first undergraduate degree in community music. 

“The college has historical community engagement in many arenas, but the new undergraduate program in community music highlighted a need for stronger and more focused structures for the future,” said Gregory Jones, the College of Music’s associate dean for engagement. “These concepts are an innovative response to developments in student interest, community needs and social change. Tallahassee offers an ideal environment for these new programs due to its diversity and strong arts footprint.” 

Students will have opportunities to work with local arts organizations, schools and community partners through internships, collaborative projects and other hands-on experiences. The center also will help strengthen existing partnerships while creating new opportunities for engagement across the region. 

Koerner joins Florida State from the Eastman School of Music, where she served as associate director of the Institute for Music Leadership. There, she helped develop leadership programs, expand internship opportunities and build partnerships with arts organizations while preparing students for careers in music. 

“What drew me to the College of Music was its strong sense of community,” Koerner said. “When I was researching the school, I noticed that ‘community’ was one of the College of Music’s core values. To me that stood out because it emphasized what they prioritize, how they strategically plan and think, and meant that this Center was not only going to be supported but was truly needed.” 

She also said she was impressed by the college’s commitment to preparing students for many different careers in music. 

“I really appreciated the fact that it’s looking toward the future,” Koerner said. “The college actively values all forms of careers in the music field. As someone who’s created a unique path for herself and guided many others on their authentic journey, I really resonated with that flexibility of choice.” 

During her first year, Koerner said her focus will be on listening, building relationships and learning from the university and community. 

“I’m going to be conducting a listening tour, setting up meetings, asking questions, listening to feedback and insight, attending events and absorbing as much as I can,” she said. “We need to start building the center’s reputation with individuals and organizations who represent a wide array of community spaces and endeavors.” 

Koerner said the center will build on the College of Music’s long history of community engagement by creating a stronger framework for future partnerships. 

“FSU is already enhancing the student experience and benefiting the community and has been doing so for over a hundred years,” she said. “What I believe the center can bring to the table is structure. I see the center as becoming the focal point of community engagement, helping to allocate resources more efficiently, strengthen existing programs and build new ones.” 

Jones said he expects the center to become a lasting resource for both students and the broader community. 

“We anticipate that in five years we will have created a strong center for musical engagement that offers clear pathways and support for students and faculty to increase their work off campus,” he said. “The recipe for combining experience in music, entrepreneurship and arts leadership will yield FSU graduates ready to lead the way in bringing the power and passion of music to communities across the globe.” 

To learn more about the Center for Music Leadership and Community Engagement, visit music.fsu.edu/community-engagement. 

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