Based on Rachel’s work, one possible interpretation of “boundless” is being tireless. Her three roles have her juggling several things like teaching Music Administration and Governance, a course offered in the fully online Master of Arts in Music Leadership, planning summer music leadership conferences, and meeting with Eastman’s dean and senior leadership to have group planning discussions and identify priority areas for the school. But she also has a direct connection to the strategic plan.

Boundless Possibility was engineered to—in part—enhance the University’s reputation and research enterprise through investments in areas of distinction. Rachel is helping to lead our efforts in one of those areas as director of the Institute for Music Leadership (IML): Musical excellence and innovation.Her leadership of the IML has her shaping a new generation of music leaders, sharing the IML’s work at national and international forums, and contributing to research, such as an interdisciplinary project that seeks to empower musicians by using artificial intelligence to produce and disseminate their art more effectively and independently.

“The idea of being ‘boundless’ shows up most prominently in my work with students,” Rachel says. “I ask myself, ‘How can I help them expand the scope of their thinking and their ideas of success?’ But it’s also present in my work with the institute and the dean as we consider how we can meet the needs of the students and the school now while positioning ourselves for continued leadership in the future.”