From Clerk To Coordinator

By Theodore Ball“My love of music began when I was about three years old. I was always singing to my mom’s Carole King album and of course, lots of Disney music. I was always holding concerts on the fireplace in my living room,” said Paige Patton. Patton’s life is intertwined with music, the two are inseparable. Her identity cannot be explained without the mentioning of it. Early in her music journey she took piano lessons, participated in Fairbury High School’s concert and pep-band, as well as “absolutely killing it on cowbell during home games.”Patton moved to Lincoln in the Summer of 2022 after receiving a job at the Lancaster County Courthouse as a records clerk. Itching for an opportunity in the arts, she applied for what she could get. She finally received a job as a part-time Event-Attendant at the Lied Center, but her job didn’t stop there. She worked as a runner, concessions worker, front desk personnel, group sales manager and a house manager. Her hard work didn’t go unnoticed, and the Jazz in June Advisory Board gave her a chance.“I first heard about Jazz in June last year when I was filling in for the front desk at the Lied Center. They (Jazz in June Advisory Board) had asked me to help coordinate the food trucks and help with the day of work. I instantly fell in love with the event and all of the fun I had being a part of it,” said Patton.Jazz in June is Lincoln’s longest-running outdoor concert series held outside Sheldon Art Gallery. The concert brings in artists from all over the United States to play Jazz on Tuesdays throughout June. In December of 2023, the Jazz in June Advisory Board Chair Bill Stephan chose her to be the Coordinator of Jazz in June because of the success Patton had coordinating the food trucks. The new position was challenging at first for Patton as it was something she had never dealt with before.“One of the challenges I faced during the first few months was learning all types of new skill sets. I had never really written an artist contract before or done any sort of big marketing outreach,” Patton said. “I was able to get a handle on all of it though by asking some of the senior staff at the Lied Center lots of questions. It was a huge learning process though, and I am so grateful now to have a bunch of new skills in the back of my pocket.” The Fairbury native can now use her platform to share her love of music with Nebraska. She believes that everyone not only from Lincoln but from all around Nebraska should come to listen to the award-winning artists from all over the nation.“People should care about music because it can affect them in many ways, including their mood, physical health, and ability to connect with others,” she said. “Music does what sometimes words or actions cannot and can take people to a place in their mind that is safe and inviting. Jazz music, especially for me, brings me peace and serenity at a time when the world seems so hectic and uncertain. Music is my happy place, well other than Disney World.”

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