Cody Schreer
Cody Schreer
Class Year
2020
Current home
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
Major(s)
Music Performance
Current Position
Personnel and Operations Manager for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra
Cody Schreer ’20 used his music performance major and business administration minor to become a personnel and operations manager for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, working as a liaison between musicians, local American Federation of Music union representatives, and orchestra management. A handful of his tasks include hiring, resolving issues, communicating updates from management, submitting payroll, and scheduling meetings. When the orchestra has a concert, Mr. Schreer works with the stage hands and crew to ensure the best possible environment for the musicians to work and perform music.
Mr. Schreer stays involved with Carthage by frequently visiting his old place of student employment, the Office of Admissions, and coming back to celebrate Homecoming and Family Weekend every fall. “It’s a really special place for me,” says Mr. Schreer. “Four years is a long time, and in that time, I made many lasting friends and memories.”
What have you enjoyed most about your career?
“The fact that I get to meet so many people in the music world is the best thing. You start to realize that this career field is much smaller than you would think, and there’s connections everywhere.”
How did Carthage prepare you?
“Being able to change majors and add minors so easily was a big help. I knew music in some way was the end goal, but I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. I was able to try out music education and found out that teaching wasn’t my calling. Then, I was able to change to just music performance and realized my junior year that maybe that wasn’t the best option for me either. I tacked on a business administration minor, and the rest is history. My academic advisors and professors were extremely helpful with leading me through these decisions, and it ultimately worked out so well.”
How has your liberal arts education benefitted you?
“Personnel managers of an orchestra are well known in the field as the ‘problem solvers of the orchestra.’ It requires the problem-solving and critical thinking skills I gained by attending a liberal arts college. I am the first one that musicians or management will come to when there is an issue and it is my job to figure out how best to solve it. For example, if the conditions on stage are not within our contractual parameters, it is my job to get things back to acceptable standards. If the lights are too bright, I am the one who communicates with the lighting crew to dim that one specific light up in the corner that is shining in the musicians’ sight lines. If there is a draft, I am the one who tries to find the source and then come up with solutions on how to remedy it.”
Why did you choose Carthage?
“Carthage was the only out-of-state school I was interested in. I received a postcard with a picture of the campus on the beautiful aqua lake, and I knew I needed to at least visit. When I toured campus, I had other big state schools back in Michigan in mind, and Carthage just felt better compared to them. I liked the small campus, the small class sizes, and that I could potentially create relationships with my professors rather than being just another number in a class.”
What opportunities were made possible because of your Carthage experience?
“Due to COVID, I graduated in a workforce that was almost non-existent. In the music world, there were little to no opportunities. However, because I was able to really diversify my education and add a business minor, I knew I could still find something to use as a stepping stone to get to the career I really wanted. I ended up working for Amazon for three years and eventually became a manager. Being able to utilize my business knowledge through my minor was a huge part of me being able to pivot to the job I have now.”
What Carthage professors played a part in your success and how?
“Professor Edward Kawakami was by far the most influential professor for me. He is an incredible speaker and always seemed to say the right things at the right moment. He said something that I think most people with musical aspirations need to hear. He talked about how the majority of us will not play music professionally. He wasn’t saying that to discourage or make us feel bad, but to tell us about the reality of the business. We were all great performers and maybe a handful of us would continue on playing, but most of us would end up doing other things! Even if we didn’t continue performing, he still encouraged us to stick with music in some way. It turns out his words were true, and I am not performing professionally, but because of his words, I am fine with that. I feel like if I did continue down the performance route, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
What role have the values in Carthage's mission, "Seeking Truth, Building Strength, Inspiring Service — Together" played in your life?
“I seek truth almost every day. With our economic, societal, and political landscape, it can be hard knowing what is right and what isn’t. Really digging into every angle has helped me navigate this crazy world we live in. Building strength correlates best with my own personal life. I, like many others, try to better myself every day. I can always see room for improvement, to be a better husband, a better friend, and a better colleague. Inspiring service goes hand in hand with the work I do now — being the main person who brings a group of talented musicians together to play wonderful music for the community.”
What's your favorite Carthage memory?
“Working at the Office of Admissions. I’ve always been a somewhat introverted person, and I still am. Being an ambassador and also working as the receptionist every once in a while really brought me out of my shell and helped me learn how to be more of a people person. The admissions reps were always so supportive and fun to work with that it really fostered a healthy environment for me to grow.”
Tips for current Carthage students?
“Always keep your long-term goals in the back of your mind. I wasn’t able to land a perfect music job straight out of college, but I knew someday I would come back. Also, learn how to transfer skills to different careers/opportunities and be able to communicate how the skills you gained in one area can be beneficial in another. If you went to school for a specific major, you are not stuck working in that specific major’s career field. You have experience and knowledge and that can still be very valuable in unexpected ways.”