Ever wonder what it takes to schedule 30-plus musical artists for numerous performances at up to 50 senior living facilities each month? It’s obviously no small task, and that’s why we’re always so impressed with Anne Lewellen, our Administrative Program Coordinator, and her ability to connect available artists with our unreached audiences throughout Northeast Indiana.
We thought it might be time to pull back the curtain and shine a light on all the many hidden talents Anne possesses. For instance, did you know that before Anne joined us in this part-time role, she worked as the part-time ensemble coordinator for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic?
In fact, it was Anne’s connection with The Phil, where she performs full-time as the principal harpist, that brought her in contact with AUI in the first place. “I’ve always admired the work AUI does in the community,” she said, “and I was excited to come on board.”
Anne compares her role as scheduler to putting a giant puzzle together every month. “There are many moving parts,” she said. “My first step is to look at the availability of our performers for the month I am scheduling. They’re doing this out of their own sense of wanting to give to the community and bring joy to our audiences.”
From there, Anne works to make sure our audiences get exposed to a wide variety of musicians and music styles. “I try not to put people in the same place they just were,” she said. “Our senior living partners can host anywhere from 2 to 16 performances at their facilities each month, and we try to vary the performances.”
An accomplished musician in her own right, Anne has been playing the harp since childhood and makes a yearly trek to the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson, Wyoming, each summer. In this invitation-only orchestra, Anne performs with musicians from across the nation in one of the most popular and impressive music festivals in the country.
If that weren’t enough to keep her busy, Anne also teaches harp lessons to students ranging in age from 4 to 80 years old. “I feel blessed to have a career in music and do what I’m doing each day,” she said. “It’s all related. I think of my work for AUI as an extension of being a musician. To have a career doing something that you love is a very special thing.”
