In this episode, Lisa and Melissa discuss:

• The misconceptions and realities of pursuing a music career
• The value and limitations of majoring in music at college
• How parents can support teens responsibly pursuing creative paths
• Building sustainable and financially secure careers in the arts
  
  

Key Takeaways:

• Majoring in music is often unnecessary, and sometimes unhelpful, for students pursuing contemporary music careers, who instead benefit more from learning entrepreneurial skills like music production, video editing, and social media marketing.
• Many successful musicians build income through diverse streams like collaboration, licensing, freelance production, and music business work, not just from their music.
• Early hands-on experience in music production, collaboration, and entrepreneurship helps students determine whether a professional music career is right for them before committing to a college major or expensive program.
• A helpful question to guide college decisions is: "What are you hiring a college to do for you?" Focusing on outcomes like networking or skill-building rather than simply pursuing prestige.
  
  

“You do not need a piece of paper, or an institution, or anyone's permission to become great at your craft. Become an entrepreneur and launch yourself.” – Melissa Mulligan

About Melissa Mulligan: Melissa Mulligan is a renowned vocal and music career coach who has guided platinum-selling, award-winning, and touring artists, including Jack from AJR, Chelsea Cutler, Jeremy Zucker, and Aria Lisslo, the 2024 John Lennon Songwriter Award winner. With decades of experience, she has coached talent across genres, from Emmy-winning performers to pop-punk legends. Melissa is the founder of Music Career Mastermind, a global coaching collective of top-tier producers, songwriters, and music industry experts. Through this initiative, she helps indie artists and aspiring professionals build authentic, sustainable careers in music while getting recognized for their most unique creative work.

Episode References:

• Register now for Real Talk: Mapping Music Careers and College Paths — a four-person expert panel featuring Melissa Mulligan, Lisa Marker Robbins, Dr. Christine Gangelhoff, and Dr. Elena Johnson: flourishcoachingco.com/music
  
  

Get Lisa's Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career...(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).
flourishcoachingco.com/video

Connect with Melissa:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/music_career_mastermind

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mymmvs/

Website: https://www.mastermindroad.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-mulligan-3ab018142/

Connect with Lisa:
Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co

In this episode, Lisa and David discuss:

• Evolving expectations in college admissions
• Challenges in assessing academic readiness amid grade inflation, and how some colleges are responding
• Increased reliance on standardized, verifiable academic indicators
• Strategic adjustments needed for competitive application success

Key takeaways:

• Colleges increasingly expect students to submit AP exam scores for each AP class listed on transcripts to verify true academic mastery beyond inflated grades.
• Objective academic benchmarks—like AP exams, competitions, and certifications from Schoolhouse.world—are filling the gap left by discontinued SAT Subject Tests.
• Students without AP access, including those in under-resourced schools or homeschooling, can use Schoolhouse.world or CLEP exams to demonstrate subject proficiency.
• The selectivity of a student’s intended major—not just the college—can significantly affect how much weight objective academic data carries in admissions.

“Now, when you take an [AP] class in high school, an A in that course does not necessarily reflect content mastery anymore, and college admissions officers will even say this.” – David Blobaum

About David Blobaum: David Blobaum is a nationally recognized expert on standardized exams and college admissions. He graduated from the University of Chicago with honors from both the college and his major. He is the managing partner at Summit Prep, a supplemental education company specializing in SAT and ACT tutoring. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Test Prep Association and is its Director of Outreach. In that role, he has helped educate families on testing and admissions through over seventy TV interviews, podcast appearances, and published op-eds.

Episode References:
#072 Summer is the Key to Academic Success https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/072
#100 Can You Really Trust What Colleges Say Matters in Admission? https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/100
#142 SAT, ACT, and Test-Optional Admissions https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/142
#057 College Admission by Major with Andy Borst https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/057
#149 Boosting STEM Student Success Through Math Contests with Vida John https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/149
#042 Will grade inflation hurt your teen? https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/042
#018 How to Get Freshman Year Free https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/018
Schoolhouse.world: https://schoolhouse.world/
Modern States: https://modernstates.org/
The Nation's Report Card | NAEP: https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

Get Lisa's Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career...(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).
flourishcoachingco.com/video

Connect with David:
Website: http://summitprep.us/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCUAS5Ayzj6evxDqoNieGkqg
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-blobaum/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/summit-prep-llc

Connect with Lisa:
Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co

In this episode, Lisa and Tara discuss:

• Navigating cultural, generational, and personal differences through intercultural competence
• Building self-awareness as the foundation for meaningful cross-cultural understanding
• Creating opportunities for teens to develop global and human skills in everyday contexts
• Connecting intercultural experiences to long-term success in education, careers, and relationships

Key Takeaways:

• Intercultural competence includes understanding one’s cultural values and norms and using that awareness to interpret and empathize with others’ differences, not just across nations but including neurodiversity, socioeconomic background, and generational gaps.
• Teens can gain intercultural skills without traveling abroad by participating in local experiences such as taking inclusive classes, hosting exchange students, or attending language immersion camps.
• Intercultural learning is most effective when combined with intentional reflection or mentorship to help teens make meaning from their experiences and apply the lessons in other contexts.
• Skills developed through intercultural experiences — like empathy, emotional intelligence, and flexibility — are increasingly valued by colleges and employers and can significantly enhance a teen’s college application and workplace readiness.

“Developing intercultural competence, a big piece of it is developing self-awareness — like, who am I? What groups am I a part of? How have those shaped my values, my thinking, my interests?” – Tara Harvey

About Tara Harvey: Tara Harvey, Ph.D., is a highly regarded specialist in intercultural teaching and learning in higher education. In 2016, Tara founded True North Intercultural LLC to provide high-quality professional development to higher education faculty, staff, and institutions, helping them better navigate cultural differences and facilitate students’ intercultural learning (at home and abroad). Tara is also in an intercultural marriage and the mom of two teens.

Episode References:

• Tara’s Blog, Intercultural Experiences for Teens: https://www.truenorthintercultural.com/blog/intercultural-experiences-for-teens
• #160 How World Languages Open Doors with Dr. Karyn Koven: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/160
• #135 Transformative Cultural Abroad Experiences for Teen Personal Growth with Johnny Tock: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/135
• Concordia Language Villages: https://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/

Get Lisa's Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career...(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).
flourishcoachingco.com/video

Connect with Tara:
Website: https://www.truenorthintercultural.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taraaharvey/
Email: tara@truenorthinter

Connect with Lisa:
Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co