Featured Artist: Aelsa Woods
Aelsa Woods currently supports two long-term orchestra clients as a comprehensive communications consultant, with a decade's experience partnering with various nonprofits and music organizations in their administrative and marketing efforts. She specializes in youth and rural orchestra marketing, where funding is harder to come by, audiences are smaller, and change is more disruptive. Through guest-centric and participant-centric communication—with a touch of theater—Aelsa focuses on creating unforgettable and meaningful experiences.
Check out her Featured Artist Page!
Can you share the story behind the creation of Aelsa Woods Consulting?
I started doing contracted administration and communications work for nonprofit arts organizations through a summer stint as the personal and executive assistant to the executive director of an arts advocacy nonprofit in my community. It was such a catch-all position, but it absolutely set me up for the work I still do today. At the time, I called my "business" Artful Strategies—over time, as I further legitimized myself with education and then an LLC and all the things that come with that, the name and specific offers have changed, but the through line is there. I'm delighted to have now been doing this work for over a decade!
How did your musical background influence your journey?
I was a violinist in high school, then a violist, and a pianist. The thing is I wasn't necessarily particularly talented—I did well enough to study music in college, but I was always one of the weaker players in my section or studio. That sounds like I'm being hard on myself, but truly, I was just a fairly mediocre performer. However, through my musical studies and ensemble involvement, I learned that there's more to making music than being on stage. Seeing those roles in the music realm was the biggest influence on my career because it gave me an outlet for the musical side of me that suited my actual strengths: communication, organization, management, etc.
How do you balance multiple clients across different industries?
One of my "catchphrases" if you could call it that is "effective marketing is an exercise in empathy." Success as a business (any business) and as a marketer relies on your ability to see the world through their eyes. Seeing the world as a musician is fairly easy when you are a musician. When working with clients who specialize in different realms than music, that process requires humility: willingness to ask questions, to look silly, to admit when you don't know something, and to spend more time listening than speaking. It's also critical to know when to rely on instinct and when to do research and find data. The great thing is that even in widely disparate industries, people are still people, and they have deep human needs that we get to support them in meeting through our service and product. Using empathy to find that angle is the skill that allows all my other skills to cross niches.
Can you highlight a favorite project/client that you've consulted with?
I'm always going to say my current clients are my favorites! One project I'm really proud of was for the youth orchestra I contract with. We approached donors with a "sponsor a child" campaign that allowed our summer camp for total beginners to be free for 17 students. These students got to take group violin lessons for a week for only the cost of a $25 violin rental. Of those students, nearly half are signed up for fall programming. That one fundraising initiative may be responsible for a significant surge in registrations this year that will have a ripple effect for the next several years for our programs.
Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self?
I think a lot of young musicians struggle with identity and self worth. I know the younger version of me wouldn't listen to this, but I would tell her that it's okay to chill out a bit, that it's okay to get a couple Cs, that it's okay to not be the best pianist in studio, that it's okay to struggle in orchestra, and that none of that means anything about who she is—that she'll find her "thing" and it's coming!
What are some struggles working with non profits?
Well, it's the money. It always is, right? I've loved that challenge, though—I think one thing people forget is that just because an organization is non-profit doesn't mean we can't make business strategy decisions that are pointed at generating surplus revenue. That surplus revenue can be reinvested into programming, advertising, personnel, or other initiatives that require capital. Getting creative about additional revenue opportunities is one of my favorite parts of working in the non-profit space!
What do you think is most important about music education?
Music is a great context for kids to learn a lot of really important skills and truths. Skills like leadership, communication, using and reading body language, reading, listening, and more. But beyond the skills, there are truths that we as humans need to learn that music ensemble participation teaches. That leadership doesn't always look like being the "boss" (sitting first chair). Or, when playing the notes on the page but needing to reach deeper for musicality, that language is one thing, but the meaning often lies beneath the code. That someone being better than you at something doesn't mean you aren't a critical part of the process, and that we need all kinds of people, with all their different kinds of talents. And in orchestra, we get to learn all that while having fun with our friends!
Share a win that you think other consultants should know!
I'm not sure this is a win, but it's something consultants might sometimes forget. You don't need a ton of flashy clients coming through your doors to succeed. I've been fortunate to have a few long-term clients that I work with month after month and year after year. Those long-standing relationships pay the bills and create social proof that have so much value even if your CV doesn't have a hundred names on it.
Any advice for those who are afraid of public speaking?
Practice! Do it scared! All the annoying tips we hear all the time. People tend to be more gracious than we give them credit for and they're listening to you because they want to learn from you. I get nervous when I speak still, so that might not ever go away, but the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Do you have any upcoming projects or goals you are excited about and want to share?
I'm preparing to launch a mastermind for arts administrators. I'm choosing a few people to test a beta version and hope to launch fully in 2027! If this sounds like something someone would be interested in, they can email me at aelsa@aelsawoods.com!
