Jonathon Zhang, a music major at Northeastern University, spent six months in South Africa working at Cape Town Opera as a part of his final co-op. This global experience not only helped him expand his professional opportunities, but also worked on a new musical theatre piece expected to premier this year in Cape Town and abroad. “Because I chose to attend Northeastern, I’ve lived on four continents and spent two full years abroad before graduating college,” he said. “It’s been amazing.”
Zhang first studied abroad since his arrival at Northeastern in Australia, where he took classes in business and marketing at the University of Sydney. He then joined Cobalt Music Group in London as a part of his first co-op. Here he assisted in cataloguing license requests and approvals, creating promotional material, and managing the company’s database. He went on to Cape Town where he oversaw the auditions process of Cape Town Opera and liaised with numerous casting agencies, thereby coordinating auditions for several people. “It was really cool having the opportunity to see the creation of a musical piece from the ground up,” he said. “I gained some really great insight into the industry.” He is currently back in London where he is taking up elective courses in music and communications departments at Goldsmith University.
“Going abroad has not only reinforced the idea that music is the global language, but it will help me keep in perspective that there are so many different types of music out there,” he said. Zhang is eager to continue exploring and embracing the notion that we live in a global society. He believes that he has grown professionally and learnt aspects about the music industry which he wouldn’t have if he hadn’t received the global exposure which Northeastern University provided to him.
Vaishnavi Singh