California is home to a multitude of arts nonprofit organizations that offer exciting career opportunities to ethnomusicologists looking for work outside academia. This conversation, led by ethnomusicologist-turned-nonprofit manager Gillian Irwin, will cover topics such as: job duties in arts nonprofit work, differences between academic and nonprofit work environments, transferable skills, and how to prepare now if you’re interested in nonprofit work. This interactive discussion is open to any graduate or undergraduate student who is curious about nonprofit work; attendees who already have experience in the nonprofit sector are also encouraged to attend to enrich and diversify the discussion. 

Gillian Irwin (Ph.D. ethnomusicology ‘20) is General Manager at Gamelan Sekar Jaya (GSJ), a nonprofit organization dedicated to Balinese performing arts. GSJ has served the San Francisco Bay Area through performances and educational programs led by master Balinese artists-in-residence and local artist partners since 1979. In her position, Gillian oversees fundraising initiatives, grant writing, program activities, production management, communications, and volunteer coordination. Gillian earned her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from UC Davis in 2020, completing her dissertation on the influence of government-defined notions of good character on music classrooms in Yogyakarta, Central Java. Gillian is devoted to using her skills to increase understanding of and appreciation for Indonesian culture in the United States.