Business NH Magazine recently partnered with the Manchester Community Music School in Manchester to host a competition to highlight the powerful effect of music on one's life, career, aspirations, or success. Below is our first-prize winner. Meet Karl Dubay.
In high school, I often slept with bulky headphones: Glazunov's Concerto in Eb for Alto Saxophone, alternating with Paul Desmond's jazz quartet Wendy, burning into my adolescent brain via an old record player, set on continuous repeat. Later that year in 1982, I won the Maine State High School Concerto Competition and was guest soloist with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra. Concurrently, I usually found myself near the rear of the pack on the cross country and swim teams, but it was all in fun!
Then, fast forward through a few years of music study in college, which nurtured a learning foundation for my brain, heart, and soul. As I matured, that diligence and creativity led to four more years of civil engineering school, a degree, and working on big fun projects in Boston where my engineering employer funded my MBA. Again, my music training and "conditioning" came into playworking by day and studying by night, and competing with both halves of my brain! Too many young technical professionals (and more experienced business persons) continue to starve their right hemispheres, which quite literally limits their full potential and contribution to our business communities.
After 20 years of being a licensed professional engineer, many of the most successful and invigorating colleagues and associates I work with in the industry (including architects and attorneys) are those with rich experiences as musicians in their early "past" lives. Today, as a small engineering business owner, I consistently support creativity in our firm's work and relationships. This support and approach pays off with added value for our clients and the communities we serve.
This is how I believe the Manchester Community Music School sets a benchmark in nurturing our next generation of inspired and successful leaders in all industries. That's how cello lessons translate into biochemists (in my sister's case), and in my more humble case, sax players turn into civil engineers.
Karl Dubay, The Dubay Group, Inc.
Civil Engineers & Land Planners
5 Ledge Road, Windham, NH 03087
603-965-3296
www.thedubaygroup.com
Karl as an aspiring musician.
Current Issue - May 2024