Andrew Paa

From Violinist to Marketing and Public Relations

Trained as a classical violinist and chamber musician, I realized during my graduate studies at Kent State University that there's more to music than just performing. After completing my MM in Chamber Music at Kent State, I decided to attend the University of Akron to pursue an MA in Arts Administration.

At the University of Akron, I primarily studied entrepreneurship in the arts, with courses designed to teach me how to build a nonprofit from scratch. My practical experience included both teaching and marketing work through my graduate assistantships along with internships in company management at Porthouse Theatre and social media marketing with Tuesday Musical Association.

I also started to put what I learned into practice, fusing together my training as a classical musician with my knowledge in administration and entrepreneurship. Using social and digital media, I founded the Cuyahoga String Quartet, expanded my teaching studio to 15 students, and became an in-demand freelancer throughout Northeast Ohio.

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