Class Year

17

Current Hometown:

Belfast, Maine

Job and Employer

GoldenOak member

Work:

I am a founding member of the band GoldenOak. GoldenOak is an indie/soul/folk band based out of Portland, Maine. We tour the east coast from Virginia to Maine and have recently spent some time touring Canada.

Community work & family

I spend a lot of time outdoors. Maine has so many amazing places and things to see. When I’m not on the road playing music the mountains and lakes of Maine become my home.

Senior project:

I designed and developed an artist touring platform called Eco-tour. Eco-tour aimed to reduce the environmental impacts artist have while traveling or touring with their art. I targeted four main aspects of touring; Food, Travel, Discarded Resources, and Accommodations. For each of these I developed goals and standards for artist to meet to reduce their impact on the environment. I also bought and converted a van to run on biodiesel fuel and be known as the Eco-tour van. The van has since broken down, but my eco-tour aspirations are in full swing.

Internship:

I interned at the Community Energy Center (CEC). At the CEC I worked to design, plan, and implement, renewable energy and sustainability projects around MDI.

Human ecology in action:

At its roots I believe human ecology is about connecting people and ideas. I challenge myself to
incorporate that into my music, weather through writing, composing, playing shows, or speaking
with fans after a performance. There have been so many small and big connection I have had
the opportunity to make through my art and to me that feels like human ecology at work.

A COA experience that was particularly significant or memorable:

During my third year at COA I took the course “Launching a New Venture” with Jay Friedlander.
The main focus of the class was to take a potential business from just an idea to a full fledged
business plan. For this class I decided to use my band, GoldenOak, as my business. This was the first time in my life that I began to look at my art as a business and I now use the skills and
mind frame I developed in this class everyday.

Considerations for prospective students:

The biggest thing I took away from my time at COA was how to look at the world through
many different lenses. This has greatly shaped my work as a musician. As a musician I often have to wear many unexpected hats, such as accountant, booking agent, public relations consultant, and manager. The perspective and groundedness I developed at COA helps me navigate through each of these roles.