Two years ago, Kathleen Haughey moved from Rhode Island, where she had completed a master's degree in ethnomusicology at Brown University, to become the education director at Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury. During her interview for the position, she felt an immediate chemistry with the institution's longtime co-executive director, Greg Sharrow, Haughey recalled. She came from a family of wheat farmers in Montana; Sharrow wrote his dissertation on folklore related to agricultural practices and farming. They shared the same views on how ethnography — the study of people and cultures — can help people understand one another. "When I started at the Vermont Folklife Center, I finally found my ideological family," Haughey said. Haughey, 29, grew up in Montana and attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., where she majored in Spanish literature and cello performance. During a semester abroad in Argentina, she developed an interest in the connections between music and culture. "It was really interesting to learn about the dictatorship and its effect on Argentine culture, history and politics though [artistic] expressions," she explained. Haughey has been VFC's head since taking over from Sharrow and fellow co-executive director Andy Kolovos about seven months ago.* "It is equal parts an honor and terrifying," she said. "I feel supported, and I also feel I have the freedom to take the folklife center in a new direction." Besides working her full-time job, Haughey is still completing her PhD at Brown. She plans to finish her dissertation on Bhutanese musicians by spring 2019. Seven Days caught up with Haughey to learn more about her vision for VFC's future. SEVEN DAYS: What has it been like easing into your new position? KATHLEEN HAUGHEY: It's really exciting to be a woman and a leader right now, because I get to be around other really inspiring women who are leading their fields. I don't have a lot of experience being a leader in a formal, professional space. And so I'm making it up as I go along. I'm also watching a lot of role models. There are so many ways to be a leader. I'm more quiet and not a traditional leader, in the sense that [I don't dictate] things. I'm trying to foster a collaborative environment in which people feel they have [the reins] of their own program and the autonomy to make creative decisions. SD: What's the most difficult part of your…
Two years ago, Kathleen Haughey moved from Rhode Island, where she had completed a master's degree in ethnomusicology at Brown University, to become the education director at Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury. During her interview for the position, she felt an immediate chemistry with the institution's longtime co-executive director, Greg Sharrow, Haughey recalled. She came from a family of wheat farmers in Montana; Sharrow wrote his dissertation on folklore related to agricultural practices and farming. They shared the same views on how ethnography — the study of people and cultures — can help people understand one another. "When I started at the Vermont Folklife Center, I finally found my ideological family," Haughey said. Haughey, 29, grew up in Montana and attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., where she majored in Spanish literature and cello performance. During a semester abroad in Argentina, she developed an interest in the connections between music and culture. "It was really interesting to learn about the dictatorship and its effect on Argentine culture, history and politics though [artistic] expressions," she explained. Haughey has been VFC's head since taking over from Sharrow and fellow co-executive director Andy Kolovos about seven months ago.* "It is equal parts an honor and terrifying," she said. "I feel supported, and I also feel I have the freedom to take the folklife center in a new direction." Besides working her full-time job, Haughey is still completing her PhD at Brown. She plans to finish her dissertation on Bhutanese musicians by spring 2019. Seven Days caught up with Haughey to learn more about her vision for VFC's future. SEVEN DAYS: What has it been like easing into your new position? KATHLEEN HAUGHEY: It's really exciting to be a woman and a leader right now, because I get to be around other really inspiring women who are leading their fields. I don't have a lot of experience being a leader in a formal, professional space. And so I'm making it up as I go along. I'm also watching a lot of role models. There are so many ways to be a leader. I'm more quiet and not a traditional leader, in the sense that [I don't dictate] things. I'm trying to foster a collaborative environment in which people feel they have [the reins] of their own program and the autonomy to make creative decisions. SD: What's the most difficult part of your…