Presented at the APME Grad Student Conference

Graduate school has been a trip. As both a singer and a writer, I’m intrigued by all the different ways we find to communicate with one another. Learning to conduct research and write academically continues to interest and challenge me, like learning another language.

Last year, as I wrapped up the first half of my degree program, I committed to applying to a variety of conferences to help me practice communicating in this new style. I was pretty shy about sending my little MA papers out into the world to be questioned, mulled over, and judged, and I was glad the first yes came from the APME Graduate Student Conference. The popular music folks at APME are warm and welcoming, and helped me find my sea legs in a supportive environment full of fellow newer researchers.

Flash forward six months, and I’ve been accepted to present at every single conference I applied for. It’s validating to know that other people want to hear about the work I’m doing, and I’m grateful to APME for creating inclusive spaces for exploration and discussion.