Welcome to episode 28 of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast. This week my guest is Adam Philipson, CEO & President of the Count Basie Center for the Arts.
During this amazing interview you will hear how Adam went from being on the stage at a young age to running an entire performing arts center. It is a great example of listening to your inner voice and following your calling.
Adam was born and raised in NYC and at the young age of 13 he worked with a Manager and took the stage in an off, off Broadway show. By 21, he was on Broadway, in Neil Simons Broadway Bound where he performed in 400 shows. Adam moved to LA where his acting career soared; TV commercials, voiceovers, more theater, but after many performances he realized he lost interest in being on the stage as he satisfied his dreams in that realm. He decided to get his Masters Degree in Arts Administration. After helping to lead two other theater venues, he landed at the Count Basie Center for the Arts.
In his eight plus years at the helm of the Basie he has assisted in ushering a complete turn-around of the theatre operationally and fiscally. He is responsible for doubling the operational budget and successfully rebranding the Basie to more prominently feature its education and outreach activities and its non-profit mission as a community change agent that inspires, educates and entertains. He has diligently aligned the Board, staff and community around a unified vision for the future and secured almost $27 million for its capital campaign which doubled the square footage, added a new venue, 5 new classrooms and created a barrier free environment. Prior to Covid, the Basie has been lauded as the #1 seated venue in the State of New Jersey and top 25 in the world based on the number of audience members served.
Adam is currently on the Board of Red Bank River Center and has been appointed to Governor Murphy’s task force to reopen the arts as well as Senator Gopal’s reopening Monmouth County work group.
Among other activities, Adam is most proud of producing “Rock the Rhythm, Beat the Odds” in partnership with Remo Drums casting a national spotlight on the need for the arts for the social and emotional well-being. Most recently Adam has ushered the Basie into the leadership role with mindAligned where the Basie is the backbone agency for a regional collective impact initiative bringing creative teaching strategies to Monmouth and Ocean County teachers.
Adam is currently an adjunct Professor at Monmouth University where he teaches an Arts Management and Concert Promotion course in the Music Business Department.
There is a point in the interview towards the end, where Adam shares an incredible story about learning the importance of being present and in the moment. This lesson happened for him while he was on the stage. You will want to hear this!
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Next week my guest is Geeta Trikha. Geeta is CEO & Founder of Anjali & Associates, a personal leadership development company. Another interview where you will hear how important it is to follow that inner voice and your heart center. It is life-changing!
Have a great week!