For Youth By Youth: Art IS a Real Job

Attention all young creatives and community leaders! Sick of people saying you'll be unemployed with an arts degree? Listen and learn from people who felt the same, but are making their careers flourish and come to life. Join us for a night of insightful conversation with Christian Inman, Brayden Cranford, Jenny Herzog, and Ananda Toulon, to learn about the many different ways to have a fruitful and fulfilling career in the arts.

We know choosing to go into the arts, switching careers, or taking a new step into your future is not easy. With a field that is always evolving, it can be difficult to figure out how you might fit in.

This conversation aims to offer clarity on possible directions surrounding art careers, reduce fear in career decisions, and remind young people that exploration, change, and not having it all figured out are part of the process. After the panel, we’ll host an intentional networking and mingling session where youth can get advice to make clear, informed decisions.

Speakers:
Brayden Cranford - Co-Founder of CNA Productions, Music Director, Arranger, Track Programmer, Drummer, Bassist, Keyboardist

Jenny Herzog - Singer, Tap Dancer, Educator, Film Director & Producer, founder of Tap For Joy and Chaos Theory

Christian Inman - recording artist, vocalist, producer, BMI & Berklee's 2026 Know Them Now x Ones to Watch

Ananda Toulon - Visual Artist, Mentor, Fellow at Artists for Humanity

Organized and Moderated by CMCB Youth Employees

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Community Conversations is a series of workshops with CMCB staff that seeks to engage others in dialogue about important issues in arts education. We want the voices of our students, parents and partners to be amplified. Join us to learn and share your experiences.
Additional information about registration and other events can be found at www.cmcb.org. This event is free for all to attend; please consider making a donation to CMCB to support this work.