Indre Viskontas
San Francisco, CA USA
"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."
Career Roadmap
Indre's work combines: Science, Music, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
The notion that you can't do two different things well followed me around for a long time, but I kept resisting it. I accepted that maybe this would be true in the future and that I would eventually hit a point where I'd have to choose, but for the time being I would just keep doing the two things that I loved doing. I never ended up hitting a point where I was forced to choose! I've been able to balance my passions and make a portfolio out of my career where I can do all of the things I love.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Psychology & French Literature
University of Toronto - University of Trinity College
Doctorate
Cognitive Neuroscience
University of California, Los Angeles
Graduate Degree
Vocal Performance
San Fransisco Conservatory of Music
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I grew up surrounded by music, but it never seemed like something I would be able to make a career out of.
2.
As a child of immigrants, it was always very important to my family that I pursue a stable career.
3.
In high school, I was inspired by the books of neurologist Oliver Sacks—I found the subject matter very interesting and it seemed like a good career that my parents would be supportive of.
4.
I earned my bachelor’s degree and went on to earn my Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience—throughout this whole time in my life, I kept my interests in neuroscience and music very separate.
5.
After working so hard to earn my Ph.D., I wanted to devote time to the part of myself that was a musician and artist, so I went back to school to earn a master’s degree in vocal performance.
6.
Once I combined my passions, I found that each enhanced my understanding of the other—applying neuroscience to music made me a better performer while music helped me better understand the human brain.
7.
I’m currently a professor at San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the University of San Francisco as well as the creative director of Pasadena Opera.
8.
Additionally, I host a podcast about science and society called Inquiring Minds.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
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.
How I responded:
The notion that you can't do two different things well followed me around for a long time, but I kept resisting it. I accepted that maybe this would be true in the future and that I would eventually hit a point where I'd have to choose, but for the time being I would just keep doing the two things that I loved doing. I never ended up hitting a point where I was forced to choose! I've been able to balance my passions and make a portfolio out of my career where I can do all of the things I love.