{"id":26827,"date":"2026-04-24T21:06:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T01:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?p=26827"},"modified":"2026-04-24T21:06:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T01:06:45","slug":"behind-the-curtain-job-shadow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/behind-the-curtain-job-shadow\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Curtain: Job Shadow Offers Peek at Symphony Operations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Kalamazoo
Randa Alnaas ’27 observed an orchestra rehearsal ahead of a concert at Miller Auditorium and met with the stage manager. The experience was a highlight of her job shadow given her own experience in stage management at K\u2019s Festival Playhouse.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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When Kalamazoo College student Randa Alnaas \u201927 walked into the EPIC Center in downtown Kalamazoo, she wasn\u2019t nervous. Instead, she felt curious and ready to learn about what happens behind the scenes of a professional performing arts organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alnaas, a theatre arts<\/a> and economics<\/a> double major, recently completed a one-day job shadow with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra<\/a> (KSO) as part of K in the Zoo, a program coordinated through the Career Studio<\/a> at the Center for Career and Professional Development<\/a> (CCPD). The experience offered her a rare look into the administrative, marketing, and operational side of a major arts institution while helping her begin connecting two academic passions that often feel separate in the classroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to learn more about the administrative side of the arts,\u201d Alnaas said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s performing music or theater, I\u2019ve always thought about how the business side supports the creative work.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alnaas learned about the opportunity through CCPD communications that highlighted available job shadows across a wide range of industries. Although options included fields such as finance and computer science, the KSO listing immediately stood out. After submitting her application and explaining her interest in arts administration, she was selected and connected with the KSO\u2019s marketing team to arrange her visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the moment she arrived, Alnaas said the experience felt thoughtfully planned. She received a detailed itinerary outlining who she would meet and what she would do throughout the day. Her visit began with a tour of the KSO offices inside the EPIC Center, which houses multiple arts-related organizations. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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