Posted Feb. 10, 2015
Reprinted from InterCom (pdf)
By Rachel Grimes, graduate student in the M.M.C. program
Many students struggle with juggling coursework and extracurricular activities, but Anna Mathias seems to have perfected this balancing act with her public relations studies and musical endeavors.
Mathias, who has been playing cello since she was 6, has already toured with Trans-Siberian Orchestra
and Grammy
winner Michael Bublé. In November she joined Trans-Siberian Orchestra for six tour
dates.
Mathias, a senior public relations major, also puts her skills to work writing and updating a Trans-Siberian Orchestra musician's website. Roddy Chang is a violinist. "It's been great to merge my two passions into one," she says.
Mathias credits her School of Journalism and Mass Communications writing classes for teaching her the strict attention to detail necessary for her work outside the classroom.
Basically my entire family is in music. It's just kind of a requirement to play. Anna Mathias
Reflecting on her tours with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mathias notes, "It's the hardest music I've ever played, for sure." Mathias says she didn't get to see the music she played until just before the show, adding that they've completely changed the show since she played with them two years ago.
Mathias also put her public relations skills to work this past summer, balancing two internships in New York, where she worked for Karla Otto, an international public relations and brand strategy agency, and College Fashionista, a fashion blog that she continues to write for.
Still, Mathias manages to find time for her family. "Basically my entire family is in music. It's just kind of a requirement to play," she says. "I also play weddings with my mom and my grandma.
That's really easy music. It's relaxing for me because I have it memorized."
Mathias doesn't quite have it all figured out yet, though. She wants to continue playing
music, but is aiming for a career in the field of communications. "I thought I wanted
to work in a fashion PR firm . . . but then I got to New York and just realized there
are tons of jobs. The more I learn, the more unsure I am because there are just so
many opportunities out there."