"I volunteered at Sørveiv – the festival I now am running"

What is your name and current position? 

My name is Anna Willrodt, and I am the head of festival and CEO for the showcase-festival Sørveiv as well as the project manager for Sørf – Sørnorsk kompetansesenter for musikk - and occasional teacher in the master’s degree Music Management.

When did you graduate from MA Music Management at the University of Agder?

I graduated in May 2016.

What was your background before studying at UiA?

I had a bachelor’s degree in Culture and Business (B.A.) from the University of Mannheim, plus a lot of experience from voluntary work in the music and arts sector.

What was your first impression of the university?

I had a great first impression of the university! The facilities are great, and the atmosphere is friendly. And it does not hurt that they have Kristiansand’s best coffee in the student canteen… 

What did you like most about the master’s programme?

It was great how personal the master’s programme was. The classes are small, and the teachers were really dedicated to getting the students involved in the music industry, also on a practical level right from the beginning. I also found it great to be part of a quite young and small academic field and being part of developing that field further.

What kind of projects were you involved while studying at the university? 

I quickly started volunteering for a number of festivals and other organisations. The very first festival I volunteered at was Sørveiv – the festival I now am running 

What was your first job after finishing your master’s? 

I started working at Sørf in the beginning of my second year of the master’s programme and continued to work there also afterwards.