Introducing Dr. Blaire Koerner and the Center for Music Leadership and Community Engagement
The Florida State University College of Music is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Blaire Koerner as the inaugural Director of the newly established Center for Music Leadership and Community Engagement.
Koerner comes to FSU from the Eastman School of Music, where she served as Associate Director for the Institute for Music Leadership. There, she directed music leadership programs, oversaw student internships, and built a network of over 100 regional, national, and international partners. A practicing bassoonist and co-founder of the interdisciplinary Hats + Heels Duo, Koerner brings both administrative expertise and an active performer’s perspective on audience engagement.
Her appointment coincides with the formal launch of the Center, a multi-faceted hub created to unite FSU’s pioneering Bachelor of Arts in Community Music, Master of Arts in Arts Administration, and music entrepreneurship offerings.
While the College of Music has engaged with the broader region throughout its history, the recent creation of the Community Music undergraduate degree—the first program of its kind in the nation—highlighted the need for a dedicated hub.
The Center was first proposed by Dr. Greg Jones, Associate Dean for Artistic Planning at the College of Music, to address evolving student interests and regional needs. Drawing on his prior experience leading music initiatives for Purdue University, Jones recognized that Tallahassee’s diverse cultural footprint offered incredible potential for expansion of existing off-campus partnerships.
“Our leadership in music education and music therapy has long set a standard,” noted Jones. “These new community-based programs will continue our history of curricular responses to social change. The Center provides a unified approach, uniting music, entrepreneurship, and arts leadership so that our graduates will be more fully prepared to bring the transformative power of music to communities around the globe.”
By organizing internships, micro-credentials, and collaborative projects into a single operational center, the College aims to provide students with versatile career pathways while offering regional arts organizations access to student talent and leadership.
For Koerner, taking on the role of inaugural director offers a rare opportunity to build a program’s foundation from the ground up.
“What immediately stood out to me about the College was that ‘community’ is explicitly listed as a core value,” said Koerner. “Moreover, the College actively values all career paths in music. When I visited, I fell in love with the career tree outside the Office of Student Success. This floor to ceiling design depicted a huge array of career opportunities for music students and represented them all equally.”
“As someone who’s created a unique path for herself and guided many others on their authentic journey,” continued Koerner, “I really resonated with that flexibility of choice.”
Rather than imposing pre-planned strategies upon arrival, Koerner’s immediate focus will be on gathering input and building relationships across Tallahassee and the broader region.
“I cannot come into this space making assumptions about what should be done,” Koerner explained. “My top priority is a listening tour—meeting with faculty, students, community leaders, and regional organizations to understand their values and needs. We want our partners to know that we are here to listen, learn, and build real trust.”
Koerner views the Center as an organizing framework designed to turn scattered, sometimes transient community connections into permanent, structural collaborations.
“FSU has contributed the community for over a century, creating a rich web of partnerships,” said Koerner. “The Center’s role is to serve as the keystone—turning those connection points into building blocks for long-term programs. Whether through internships, collaborative projects, or joint events, we are focused on intentionality and long-term sustainability.”
Local arts organizations, educational partners, and community members interested in exploring collaborations with the Center are invited to connect with Koerner directly at bkoerner@fsu.edu.
