Wagner experience opens the doors to a career in music
Originally from Houston, TX, Elliot Jacobson '06 arrived at Wagner College full of big ideas. Through the experiences had at Wagner, Jacobson was able to narrow down what he wanted to do after graduation.
An arts administration major, Jacobson found Wagner’s Learning Communities a key component to his success. Learning Communities (LC’s) are clusters of courses that are linked together by a single theme and share a common set of students. The faculty plan their LC courses with overlapping assignments, common readings and joint problems so that courses share common ground. Jacobson recalls his freshman LC, which combined music and literature, helping to set the stage for what would come throughout his years at Wagner. The combination of concepts such as music business and music performance helped him develop a deeper understanding for the music industry.
With the help of Wagner’s Career Development office, Jacobson landed internships at Sony Music, Atlantic Records and Universal to name a few. “It was a really big help to learn while in school, how to work in a professional world. When I got out of Wagner, I already understood how the real world was working,” noted Jacobson.
While enrolled at Wagner, Jacobson met indie pop singer-songwriter and Staten Island native, Ingrid Michaelson. The two hit it off, and next thing Jacobson knew, he was playing drums on Michaelson’s first record. As he tried to balance two lives as a drummer and a career at a music publishing company, Jacobson “took the leap” and turned his career as a drummer into a full time role, playing drums for Michaelson and other artists.