Today we’d like to introduce you to Will Rogers.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I grew up in Orlando and ended up going to UCF for undergrad. My original intent was to major in music. At the time, UCF’s music department needed to be more robust, and there wasn’t much of a path for what I wanted to do within the music. I already struggled with discipline, so motivating myself to devote the time to something I wasn’t super excited about was a real challenge. While in school, I also worked at Universal Orlando, which gave me a taste of the hospitality industry. I decided to change my major to Hospitality Management and focus on Event Management while making music my minor.
A few years later, I moved to Chicago to go to grad school. I graduated with my MAM in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, focusing on Performing Arts Management. I worked for a few organizations up there in arts and hospitality roles–at both intern and managerial levels–before missing warmer weather and moving back home. Shortly after I came back, a musician friend introduced me to a colleague of his, Jamie Wehr, who was running an orchestra. A short time later, that orchestra folded due to some politics within the Board. Jamie had approached me to start a new orchestra with the same musicians. We created the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra (OCCO) in 2017. I spent the first few years as the Operations Director, focusing on the organization’s event management and marketing side. I moved into the Executive Director position in 2021. I’m fortunate to report to an outstanding Board who are champions for our mission and vision and supported my growth personally and professionally.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It’s been about as smooth as flying through a thunderstorm. I learned a lot of things the hard way. I’ll be the first to tell you I needed help with discipline and respecting authority. That’s a terrible combination in general. It’s even worse when you’re working your way up through management. I owe several people apologies. However, making mistakes and learning from them is how we grow.
Then, there are the struggles somewhat unique to Orlando and Central Florida. In Chicago, and from what I’ve observed in other cities, there’s a high level of collaboration and support among arts groups. With few exceptions, that doesn’t exist here, at least not on a meaningful level. Many organizations/people want to do their own thing to maintain complete control and full credit. They focus only on what they want to do, not the community. It’s frustrating because it cuts funding, audiences, artists/performers, venues, etc. If there were more partnerships and collaborations, we’d have the money to do more, and the art would get the bigger audiences it deserves. “A rising tide raises all boats” is a phrase that resonates with me but seemingly not many others. It’s been challenging to find like-minded people in the right positions to make the cultural changes to do more and improve in Central Florida. I keep trying, though, because someone has to. Also, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t try to lead by example.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My most meaningful work has been with OCCO. It allows me to use my live events and entertainment background to support music and the arts. Having worked on the planning/producing, operations, and service sides and been a performer in various settings and event types, I have been involved with nearly every facet of event management and entertainment. That’s what sets me apart from others. To take what I’ve learned from those varied experiences and apply them to something meaningful to me is very rewarding.
OCCO’s mission is to advance orchestral music by performing works composed by contemporary composers. Many organizations around the country have the same or similar focus. A few things make us different, and those are the things I’m most proud of. Our focus has shifted to feature more local composers, especially from our friends at the Central Florida Composers Forum. Most of our regular musicians live locally. For that two reason alone, we are the most Orlando-centric group in the area.
Where my influence comes in is in the patron-facing experience. I seek out smaller contemporary venues that provide a great patron experience. One of my favorite spaces is Harriett’s Orlando Ballet Centre. They have a modern, comfortable lobby space to relax before the show and enjoy their plentiful and reasonably-priced concessions. The space has great acoustics and no traditional “stage.” There’s a main floor, where people enter the performance space. You walk right past where the orchestra sits to get to your seats. Before and after the performance, you have direct access to the performers, conductor, and often composers. I want our performances to be comfortable and relaxed. (The closest to a tuxedo you’ll see in anything OCCO-related is if my cat Emma joins me when I’m on Zoom.) Our musicians are encouraged to show off their style and to be comfortable. Our only guidelines are to keep the colors black, blue, and gold. Inspired by my time in the corporate event world and as a big sports fan, I incorporate our colors. Our spaces are lit up in blue and gold. You’ll find those colors in everything that patrons see and touch. Also, we are very intentional with our tone and vernacular in our written communication and how we address the audience. We strive for “artsy, classy, yet down to earth.” I want anyone interested in any level or artistic background (or none at all) to feel welcome at our performances.
I’m most proud of the culture we’ve built in and around the organization and the community that has organically been created. Our musicians, some of the best in the country, enjoy playing with us. Composers regularly attend our concerts and want to write for us. We’ve also started getting “regulars” without formal ties to the orchestra. For a small group performing a niche genre, that’s huge. We also integrate a social aspect into our concerts, inviting our audience to hang out with us at a local establishment. Seeing musicians, composers, audience members, staffers, and even random people who have nothing to do with our concert get together and enjoy each other’s company is truly something special.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
There are two types of risk: necessary and unnecessary. I try to avoid the latter. The risk has to be worth the payoff, and you have to be willing to face the consequences if you don’t succeed. What differentiates a ballsy move and a dumb move is if it works.
Contact Info:
- Website: occomusic.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/occomusic
- Facebook: Facebook.com/occomusic
- Other: willrogersvoicearts.com
Image Credits
Headshot by Roderick Nokin
