"Blending technical abilities with management experience really opens up career possibilities. I like that I can explore all these avenues here."

Among the qualities that make Bucknell's liberal arts approach unique, the freedom to explore is what drew Darren Mayrowetz '27 to apply.

Mayrowetz picked up instruments at a young age, experimenting with the guitar and saxophone before finding a passion for percussion. As a music major, he sought to enroll in a program that would allow him to grow as a creative.

"I'd played a lot of rock, funk and jazz but didn't know a lot of classical, orchestral or other genres," says the Denville, N.J., native, who performed in a local rock band with several high school classmates. "I love crossing barriers, though, and the professors here really push me out of my comfort zone and into new areas."

Mayrowetz's introductory classes challenged him to tinker with electronic and pop sounds, using audio software to create his own compositions. But music isn't the only discipline he's flexing new muscles in.

Courses like Introduction to Film/Media Studies have inspired him to consider diverse professions within the music industry, from film scoring and editing to talent management. Recently, Mayrowetz leaped at the chance to combine his love of music with a budding interest in business through an internship as a booking agent. His employer: three-time Grammy award-winning pianist and composer Gustavo Casenave.

"I was looking for a way to get ahead and learn more about what I could do in music beyond composing," says Mayrowetz, who applied with a resume built from scratch with help from Bucknell's Center for Career Advancement. "I'd booked gigs for my band back home, but never professionally. So I learned a lot about how to sell people on another artist."

Mayrowetz spent a summer working to build Casenave's solo performance series, pitching the artist to venues in New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania — from the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall to Bucknell's own Weis Center for the Performing Arts.

Now, with insight into the business side of music, Mayrowetz is pursuing a minor within the Freeman College of Management to round out his skillset. "I'm drawn to the human resource management minor, especially the Talent & Acquisition Development course," he says. "I can see a lot of overlap between that and artists and repertoire work in the music industry."

Blending his technical abilities with management experience "really opens up career possibilities," he says. "With the things I'm learning, I could lean into music production, audio engineering or even pursue an MBA after graduating. I like that I can explore all these avenues here at Bucknell."