In my, what seems like a previous life now, I was an opera singer and music teacher. I never imagined I'd find myself debugging code in my sleep or getting excited about machine learning algorithms. Yet here I am, a full stack developer and UI/UX designer, thriving in the world of tech. My journey from the stage to the screen is a testament to the unexpected ways our careers can evolve, especially in the face of global disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic. But more than that, it's a story of relentless dedication and the power of focused, intensive learning.

My performance of Ritorna vincitor! from Verdi's Aida, with Maestro Eduardo Mueller in Graz, Austria

The Prelude: A Tech-Savvy Musician

Long before I made the full leap into tech, I had been straddling the worlds of music and technology. My journey into web design actually began during my undergraduate years at Vanderbilt University, where I was pursuing a degree in vocal performance.

In a linguistics class with a particularly tough professor, I found myself, along with many of my classmates, in need of extra credit to maintain my A. Seizing the opportunity, I proposed an extra credit project: building a website on the University server covering some aspect of linguistics. The professor agreed, and I created a website on semantics, not only saving my grade but also discovering a new passion in the process.

The following year, inspired by this experience, I suggested a similar project to my medieval and renaissance music history professor. She loved the idea so much that she incorporated it into the curriculum, having the entire class build websites as part of their coursework. These early academic projects sparked my interest in web development and set the stage for what was to come.

From there, my passion for web design grew. I remember staying up late nights in the early 2000s, tinkering with HTML and CSS to create my first personal website. It was a simple page that was attempting to push the boundaries of what was possible in those days - what I am trying to say is ...it was very '90s. But it was a start. Over the years, I refined my skills, learning to create more sophisticated sites for my opera performances, recitals, and teaching studio.

This early exposure to web development laid a foundation that would prove invaluable in my future career shift. Little did I know that these "side projects", which began as academic exercises and evolved into tools for my music career, were actually preparing me for a major life change. They were the first notes in a technological aria that would eventually become my new career masterpiece.

My performance of the finale of Puccini's Suor Angelica with Maestro Michael Palmer in Atlanta, Georgia

The Power of Dedicated Practice

Before we dive into my tech journey, let me share a bit about my approach to learning. When I started playing guitar, I dedicated myself to practicing 3-5 hours every day. After just one year, my guitar teacher told me I had accomplished what many of his students take 5-10 years to achieve. This rapid progress allowed me to start teaching guitar alongside my voice and piano students much sooner than expected. In fact, I had not even considered teaching guitar. I learned to play it simply because I had always wanted to, and I had songs in my soul that wanted to be written. But after a very short time, I had students and conservatory administrators practically begging me to open up my schedule to guitar students as well.

This experience taught me the power of focused, intensive practice. I realized that with the right mindset and approach, I could compress years of learning into months. The key elements of this approach include consistency, intensity, and deliberate practice. I didn't just repeat the same things over and over; I constantly challenged myself, focusing on my weaknesses and pushing beyond my comfort zone. This method became my standard approach to acquiring new skills, allowing me to progress rapidly in my operatic career and, later, in my transition to tech.

As we explore my journey from opera to code, keep this philosophy in mind. It's the thread that ties together my musical past and my technological present, and it's the engine that drove my rapid transition into the tech industry. Just as I once practiced scales and arpeggios with unwavering dedication, I now throw myself into coding challenges and software documentation with the same intensity.

The Curtain Falls: When Music Went Silent and Life Changed Forever

In March 2020, the world as we knew it came to a standstill. For those of us in the performing arts, the impact was immediate and profound. I vividly remember the day I received a cascade of emails and phone calls, each one canceling a different performance or teaching engagement. Within a week, my calendar for the next six months had been wiped clean.

But the pandemic brought more than just professional upheaval. It struck at the very heart of my family. My husband contracted COVID-19 and subsequently developed long COVID, leaving him immediately disabled. In an instant, our lives were turned upside down. The stage, once my second home, fell silent, and so did our plans for the future.

Faced with this new reality, I realized I needed to do more than just weather the storm – I had to chart an entirely new course. The sudden shift was jarring - no more rehearsals, no more pre-performance jitters, no more applause. But more importantly, I now had to find a way to support and care for my family in this unexpected crisis.

It was in this moment of personal and professional upheaval that I found an unlikely path forward: technology. The tech industry promised stability, growth, and the flexibility to work remotely – all crucial factors given my husband's condition. What started as a necessary pivot to provide for my family soon became a passionate pursuit of a new career.

I began my tech journey in earnest by enrolling in two prestigious Harvard courses to kickstart my abilities in Data Science and Full Stack Engineering. The first was Harvard's CS50, an intensive introduction to computer science known for its rigor. It's worth noting that only 3% of students who sign up for this class achieve the certificate, making it a significant challenge. Through dedicated effort and long hours of study, I was proud to earn my certification in just 4 weeks (as opposed to the expected 3.5 - 4 months), marking a major milestone in my tech education.

Building on this foundation, I then took Harvard's CS Artificial Intelligence class. This course opened my eyes to the fascinating world of AI and ignited a passion for understanding the intricate workings of intelligent systems. The concepts I learned here would prove invaluable in my future tech career and continue to fuel my curiosity about the cutting edge of technology.

But my education didn't stop there. Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a desire to build a comprehensive skill set, I went on to achieve an additional 14 certificates in various computer science, artificial intelligence, and data science courses. Each certificate represented not just new knowledge, but a step closer to my goal of becoming a proficient tech professional.

As I delved deeper into these various tech fields, from web development to data science to AI, I found myself increasingly captivated. The more I learned, the more I realized that this new world of code and algorithms could be as creative and fulfilling as the world of music I was leaving behind. It was a different kind of performance, but one where I could still express myself and make a meaningful impact.

In many ways, I found parallels between my musical training and my tech education. The discipline required to master a difficult aria was not unlike the focus needed to solve complex coding challenges. The creativity involved in interpreting a piece of music found new expression in designing elegant solutions to technical problems. And the satisfaction of a well-performed concert was mirrored in the thrill of seeing a program run successfully or an AI model yield insightful results.

This intensive period of learning and certification was more than just acquiring new skills; it was a transformation. I was not just learning to code, but learning to think in new ways, to approach problems from different angles, and to see the world through the lens of data and algorithms. It was challenging, often frustrating, but ultimately deeply rewarding.

Finding Harmony in Data

• Pattern Recognition: Just as I once analyzed musical scores, identifying recurring motifs and harmonic structures, I now find myself dissecting patterns in data. The thrill of discovering a trend in a dataset is remarkably similar to uncovering a hidden musical theme.
• Creativity: The creative problem-solving required in coding isn't so different from interpreting a challenging aria. Both require thinking outside the box and approaching problems from multiple angles. I often find myself applying the same creative thinking I used to develop a character on stage to develop innovative solutions in code.
• Attention to Detail: The precision needed in both music and programming is strikingly similar. Just as a misplaced note can disrupt an entire performance, a single misplaced character can break an entire code. My years of perfecting musical phrases have translated well into debugging and optimizing code.
• Performance: Presenting findings to stakeholders isn't unlike performing for an audience. The nerves, the preparation, the need to engage your audience - it's all there. My stage presence has become a valuable asset in tech presentations.
• Collaboration: In musical performance, I was used to working closely with conductors, directors, instrumentalists, and fellow singers. In tech, the collaboration shifts to working with project managers, designers, and other developers. The dynamics are surprisingly similar - it's all about harmonizing different skills and perspectives to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

The Pandemic Pivot: A Common Refrain

As I began to share my journey on social media and attend tech industry events, I realized I wasn't alone in this career shift. At various mixers and networking events, I frequently encountered other musicians, artists, and theater professionals who had made similar transitions into the tech world.

What struck me most in these encounters was how each of us brought unique perspectives from our artistic backgrounds that enriched our new roles in tech. Our creative problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to collaborate effectively – all honed through years in the arts – proved to be valuable assets in the tech industry.

These experiences not only validated my own career transition but also highlighted a broader trend: the influx of artists into the tech world is bringing fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to problem-solving. It's a testament to the adaptability of creative professionals and the unexpected synergies between the worlds of art and technology.

Organizations like Artists Who Code have sprung up to help creatives transition into tech careers, recognizing the unique perspectives artists bring to the field. These initiatives provide not just technical training, but also a community of like-minded individuals facing similar transitions.

Artists Who Code

Embracing the New Stage: A Relentless Pursuit

When I decided to change career paths, I knew I had to approach it with the same intensity I had applied to my music. I made a commitment to work every single day, not taking a single day off for years. Keep in mind, I do not only work this hard because I feel compelled to succeed for my family. I do it because I genuinely love this work. My goal was to educate myself and gain as much experience as possible to truly compete with people who had been in tech for far longer.

For the past few years, I've dedicated 10-16 hours a day to learning and working in tech, even on weekends and holidays. This relentless schedule might seem extreme, but for me, it's been a labor of love. Just as I once practiced arias and perfected my breath and phrasing, I now debug code, design amazing web sites and applications, and optimize algorithms with the same passion and dedication.

As I've grown in my tech career, I've found that my artistic background, combined with my long-standing interest in web design and my intense work ethic, gives me a unique edge:

• User Experience: My understanding of audience engagement translates well to creating intuitive user interfaces. I approach UI design with the same mindset I used to approach stage presence - how can I make this experience captivating and accessible for the user?
• Communication: Years of performing have honed my ability to present complex ideas clearly. Whether I'm explaining a technical concept to a non-technical stakeholder or documenting my code for other developers, I draw on my experience of making opera accessible to diverse audiences.
• Adaptability: The ever-changing nature of the arts prepared me for the rapid evolution of tech. Just as I had to quickly learn new roles or adapt to different directors' visions, I now navigate the constantly shifting landscape of programming languages and frameworks with ease.
• Cross-disciplinary Thinking: My experience in blending music and web design allows me to approach problems from multiple angles. This interdisciplinary approach has been particularly valuable in bridging gaps between different teams and finding innovative solutions.
• Emotional Intelligence: Years of portraying complex characters and working in high-pressure performance environments have given me strong emotional intelligence. This helps immensely in understanding user needs, managing team dynamics, and navigating the often stressful world of tech deadlines.
• Work Ethic: The discipline required to practice music for hours on end has translated directly into my tech career. My ability to focus intensely for long periods has allowed me to accelerate my learning and productivity in ways that continue to surprise my colleagues and myself.

The Encore: Merging Art and Tech

Today, I find myself at the intersection of art and technology, working on projects that blend creativity with cutting-edge tech. From developing AI-powered tools to creating visually stunning web experiences, mobile apps, and data visualizations, I'm constantly amazed at how my two worlds collide. My early forays into web design for musical projects have evolved into a full-fledged career in tech, allowing me to push the boundaries of what's possible in both fields.

The intensity of my work schedule has allowed me to compress years of learning into a much shorter timeframe. Just as I was able to achieve 5-10 years of guitar progress in one year, I've found that my dedicated approach to tech has allowed me to rapidly close the gap with more experienced professionals.

Advice for Fellow Artists

• Embrace Your Background: Your artistic skills are more relevant than you might think. The creativity, discipline, and collaborative spirit you've honed in your artistic career are invaluable in tech.
• Start Small: Begin with online courses or bootcamps to get a feel for different tech areas. I started with a free Python course on Coursera, which led me to explore data science further.
• Network: Connect with other artists who've made the switch. They can provide invaluable advice and moral support. LinkedIn and Twitter are great platforms for this.
• Keep Creating: Don't abandon your art – find ways to incorporate it into your tech journey. Your unique perspective as an artist-turned-techie is your superpower.
• Use Existing Skills: If you've dabbled in tech-related projects for your art, use that experience as a springboard. My early website design work gave me a head start in understanding web technologies.
• Be Patient: Learning to code or design can be frustrating at first. Remember that mastering a programming language is not unlike learning a new piece of music - it takes time and practice.
• Look for Interdisciplinary Opportunities: Seek out projects or roles that allow you to blend your artistic background with tech. These unique combinations can lead to innovative solutions and fulfilling work.
• Stay Curious: The tech world is always evolving. Approach it with the same curiosity and willingness to learn that you bring to your art.
• Commit Fully: If you decide to make the transition, be prepared to dedicate yourself fully. The tech world moves fast, and catching up requires intense focus and effort. But remember, the skills you developed as an artist - discipline, creativity, and the ability to perform under pressure - are your secret weapons in this new arena.

Coda: A New Aria in Code

The path from opera to coding has been unexpected, challenging, and incredibly rewarding. It's shown me that our skills and passions can find new expressions in the most surprising places. My journey wasn't a sudden leap but a gradual evolution, with my early web design work for music projects paving the way for a full transition into tech.

Today, when I look at a complex codebase or a challenging design problem, I approach it with the same reverence and excitement I once felt looking at a new opera score. The stage may have changed, but the performance goes on - now in lines of code instead of lines of music.

My journey is a testament to the power of dedicated, focused effort. Just as I once practiced arias and art songs for hours on end, I now immerse myself in coding challenges and tech documentation. The intensity of my approach has allowed me to make rapid progress, turning what could have been a daunting career change into an exhilarating adventure.

Whether you're considering a similar change or just curious about the intersection of art and tech, remember: the most beautiful harmonies often come from unexpected combinations, and your diverse experiences can be your greatest strength in the tech world.

As we navigate an increasingly digital future, the world needs more artists in tech - bringing creativity, empathy, and a unique perspective to the digital products that shape our lives. So, if you're standing at the crossroads of art and technology, don't be afraid to take that first step. Your next great performance might just be in code. And remember, with dedication and focused effort, you can achieve in months what others might take years to accomplish. The stage is set - are you ready for your tech debut?!