
Indre Viskontas
Neuroscientist & Opera Singer
“Sometimes where you end up when you jump is a much more interesting place than where you would have been had you continued walking along the path.”
“Sometimes where you end up when you jump is a much more interesting place than where you would have been had you continued walking along the path.”
Neuroscientist & Opera Singer
I'm a neuroscientist, opera singer and director, and podcast host.
My career is a portfolio in which I do a bunch of different projects rather than one long career path. As creative director of Pasadena Opera, I spend my time directing operas and occasionally singing. As a professor, my schedule follows the academic year. I teach different courses throughout each semester. I also spend time researching and writing papers or books. To avoid spreading myself too thin, I'll devote all of my time to one project until it's done before moving onto the next.
Here's the first step for college students
I recommend making a plan—whether that's a five-year, ten-year, or twenty-year plan. Think of something you want to do or become, then plan out what it takes to get there. It's okay if what you end up doing wasn't your initial plan. The point is that if you have a plan to start out on, then you'll be able to take those steps and decide along the way if you're still engaged. From there, you can decide to keep going or pivot. But you can't do that if you don't have a plan to start with.
"You can't do two things well. You can't be both a musician and a neuroscientist at the same time at the level that you want to be. You have to choose."
Paths to fulfilling work for all learning styles