The 2026-27 school year is in full fledge. With a highly anticipated new SCOPE year, the new directors board share what they are most anticipating. Below are their remarks on what lead them to being a director and highlight they have experienced since being in SCOPE.
General Manager: Simon Osako
- Hard to say what I’m most looking forward to because there’s so much. The first thing that came to mind is learning more about other aspects of the administrative side of music. Whether that be production, talent buying, or financial stuff, I’m stoked and ready to learn. As incoming General Manager, I’m excited to implement changes in our culture and processes and to see what sticks and what doesn’t, and what fruit comes of those alterations. Outside of administrative stuff, just seeing what shows we end up doing and what funny stories come of them has me in an elated mode. I’m truly psyched to see what our new wonderful board of directors gets up to!
2. My favorite show just might be Springapalooza 2025. I was shadowing our past Talent Buyer, Kendall, and we got to pick up MGNA CRTA in a big, black, and shiny university suburban. The artists filled us in on how they met, which was an elaborate and long series of stories regarding their Minecraft Hunger Games server, and were also keeping us in the loop with their current roommate/Instagram live drama they had with another artist back home in New York. It was so memorable to just hang out with the artists on the ride from the Cedar Rapids Airport back to Iowa City and pick their brains. And yes, they totally were asking us where the corn was, because they couldn’t spot any off of I-80. Post artist transport, they put on a fantastic set, and the crowd was jumping!
3. Funnily enough, it was the moment our General Manager put the application Google form in the slack/mentioned it in our meeting. I hadn’t considered it beforehand, but just seeing the link to apply had me start envisioning myself in the role. I realized I hadn’t considered General Manager as realistic for me because of a lack of confidence, which I also realized was an idiotic reason to not push myself out of my comfort zone and apply. SCOPE really has provided me with such great opportunities and community, and I thought myself a fool to not try and become more involved and have a hand at giving that experience back to others. I came to an understanding that this organization is something I love and therefore want to better, and also that this position (General Manager) is an avenue to provide me with that chance!
Assistant General Manager: Olivia Heller
I'm really looking forward to getting a new group of newbs!!! I can't wait to see all of the fun awesome stuff we're working on come to light for all of IC to enjoy <3. Parties too yay!
My favorite SCOPE show I've been a part of was Magdalena Bay. Their visuals and sound was just so freaking good live - I wasn't super familiar with most of their songs, and it instantly turned me into a superfan.
I've been interested in the AGM role since my freshman year when I joined, I feel like the AGM is responsible for ensuring the comfort of new and existing members and I'm so excited to take care of SCOPE how SCOPE has always taken care of me <3. Plus party planning is my #1 favorite hobby!
Hospitality Director: Caylie James
I’m really looking forward to finding ways/creating more events to connect with all of SCOPE’s Gencomm members. I’ve met so many awesome people from joining and I want to help keep that energy going so new members can have that same experience each year. I also want to focus on making a lasting experience for our performers and their teams. They should leave feeling like they were part of something special, not just another event!
I love whenever we get the opportunity to promote non-mainstream artists bringing something new to the local music scene. My favorite event was this year’s Earth Day show at Trumpet Blossom. The artists’ teams were so friendly and great to work with, and the venue and performances were top tier. Iowa City has a really cool RnB scene!
Hospitality committee did a hot chocolate bar for our Lamplight show at Kindred this year where people brought their own mugs. This was definitely a stand-out for me because it made the whole event that much more personal and memorable. It showed me the impact that good hospitality can have on events like these. I want to continue to create spaces like this for the community and connect audience members so that they want to keep coming to SCOPE shows!
Operations Director: Kaitlyn Sherlock
Getting to work with so many other talented directors and continuing to learn as much as I can. I am also excited for the opportunity to grow as a leader and contribute to such a collaborative and creative environment!
Teezo Touchdown was my favorite SCOPE show I've been part of. It was the first show I worked on with SCOPE, and it showed me how strong the sense of team and community is within this organization. I learned so much from this process, and it made me even more excited to get involved.
How much of an impact the directors impacted me this past year inspired me to pursue this role. They created such a welcoming environment, and it made me want to create that same experience for others!
Development Director: Harper Heston
I am so excited to work with the group of incoming directors. They are all such motivated and great people! I am also so excited to build the development director position from scratch and collaborate with the team as well as make it my own. Fundraising is going to be a game changer for scope I can feel it!
My favorite SCOPE show was for sure Magdalena Bay. They had just released an amazing album and it was such a cool experience, even if I told them they couldn't use the bathroom...
Each year, watching more and more behind the scenes of SCOPEs operations has made me truly love the org. So much and feel genuinely driven to support it and better it! I have also been gaining more experience in building networks and establishing partnerships through my other involvements, so when I saw this job description, I knew I wanted to take it over.
Community Outreach Director: Andrew Titze
I am most looking forward to connecting with student leaders in other organizations, and putting together some fun collabs that bring people together who otherwise would have never met.
My favorite SCOPE show that I have been a part of was the Earth Day show with Jim Swim and Daniel Xavier. The vibes were absolutely perfect and ticked all the boxes of a successful show. I had goosebumps during the entire set!
A moment that inspired me to do this role was the set teardown of Homecoming last year. Everybody came together and worked hard despite being exhausted. I wondered what else was possible in SCOPE after seeing something so inspiring and seeing the fruits of our labor.
Graphic Design Director: Matthew Schmalz
I am most looking forward to creating the graphics for our shows and seeing them put-up all-around Iowa City!
My favorite SCOPE show I have been a part of was Lip Critic at Gabe's. I had the opportunity to take pictures of the show, which all turned out to be really cool. It was also so much fun to be an audience member of the show as they put on a very engaging and exciting performance.
A moment that inspired me to pursue this role was when I was able to create the graphic for our Hispanic Heritage Month post on the Amplify blog. The reception that it received was very encouraging and led me to being interested in the role.
Production Director: Addison Boone
I am most looking forward to getting to dive deeper into what it takes to design a show and set artists up for success. I am also excited to meet and get to know the new members and committee!!
My favorite SCOPE show that I have been part of is our Jazz at the Stanley show this past February. It was amazing to have the opportunity to have a show in such an amazing arts space, and the music and crowd were great!
A moment that inspired me to pursue the role of Production director was watching the folk show at Kindred Coffee from the back of the room, seeing how much everybody appreciated the show. I got to set up some fun lighting for that show, so I was in charge of dimming the lights for the performances, and hearing the crowd go excitedly quiet was very rewarding.
Production Director: Mason Krauss
I am most looking forward to being a defining role in the planning and successful execution of next year's shows. Production is one of my passions, and I cannot wait to be a part of the team to work with artists and other SCOPE members and use my experience to help and teach everyone!
My favorite show so far was the Teezo Touchdown homecoming show! I loved this show because it gave me the opportunity to get to know so many people in SCOPE. I was also super excited to be able to learn how things operated with production in SCOPE, and being able to share and utilize my experience to help execute the show!
A moment that inspired me to pursue the Production Director role was during the Kindred Coffee show, being able to use the knowledge I had in sound systems and help teach my peers how to do what I was doing. A big part in my motivation to become a director was being someone for other SCOPErs to look up to and learn from, and I was super excited to experience a part of that during the Kindred Show.
Marketing Director: Sarah Florez
I am most looking forward to executing SCOPE's marketing goals and working with the rest of the creative team to bring awareness to the amazing live music SCOPE gets to bring to Iowa City!
Dan English at Gabe's
One moment that inspired me to pursue this role was the marketing collaboration and various meetings with Hancher for the Stop/Time festival!
Finance Director: Thomas DeBruin
I'm most forward to working with Development this year! It's a new director position that I feel is really going to enhance what I'll be able to do on the finance end of things.
Probably the Homecoming Concert with Teezo Touchdown last year - Teezo's team was amazing to work with, and it was really cool to be a part of the process of helping to choose him as our artist.
When I was first told I would be Finance Director, I remember Ethan (the Finance Director before me) told me how he was looking for someone who could be in the role multiple years...and now here I am 2 years later, following through on that promise.
Digital Marketing Director: Abby Rhomberg
In my position as a director, I am most looking forward to using our social media platform to promote our awesome shows to the U of I and Iowa City community. I joined SCOPE because I think live music is such an important part of every community, and something that everyone should have access to, so I am excited to be a part of something that provides just that. I am excited to showcase our members' personalities, interests, and collective love for music on our Instagram!
My favorite SCOPE show that I have been a part of was the Kindred lamplight show we put on with Babydog and River Glen. I loved the environment that utilizing a small, local venue created, as well as the vibe that the full audience brought in with them. I love folk music, and was impressed by how the performers incorporated Iowa City and the Midwest lifestyle into their lyricism.
One moment that inspired me to pursue this role was when a fellow SCOPER reached out to me and expressed that they thought I would be good for the position. I love sharing my love for music through my social media, and am inspired by the opportunity to continue doing that in this new way!
AMPLIFY Editor-in-Chief: Lucy Prescott
I am so excited to continue the work I started from last school year. My favorite parts are always writing recaps of an event. I love to capture the mood and excitement of each show in my writing and adding photography to the recap always aids to the recap. I am looking forward to conducting more artist interviews to be able to publish.
My favorite show that I have been apart of so far would be Homecoming 2024. SCOPE booked The 502's as well as Magdalena bay. It was my first large scale production and I enjoyed the full 48 hours of set up, show, and tear down.
One moment that pushed me into applying for this role is my passion for journalism. Going into college I had a few years of experience on my school's news magazine and yearbook. I always enjoy the arts and entertainment and loved writing about those experiences. When I found out that SCOPE had a position open that combined all my passion I knew this was the right decision to continue.
Talent Buyer: Claire Simpson
- I am most looking forward to gaining more professional experience in the music industry to build my own knowledge and develop the skills to strengthen and prepare me for my future career in the industry. Along with this, I am excited to work in a team to build, create, and put on music shows that have a positive impact and bring people together.
- I would have to say this past year's Homecoming show headlining Tezzo Touchdown, it was my first ever SCOPE show, and an unforgettable one because it showed how our handwork as a team all paid off as we were able to put on and enjoy an incredible show from the artist and provide for the attendees. This show, performed by Tezzo Touchdown, was both a fun atmosphere, bringing the community together and was an experience that I am grateful to have been a part of.
- Being involved in the creative arts over the years across learning about the world of dance and singing, being a music minor, and listening/engaging in a variety of artists and music every day has continued to inspire me to be involved in the music industry. Additionally, I believe that learning the behind the scenes of the industry is just as important as what we see from an audience perspective and has led me to pursue this role in SCOPE.
Digital Media Director: Lucille Wacker
- In my role next year, I am stoked to be in a creative position in such an artistic organization and community. I’m very excited to collaborate with people in and out of SCOPE, welcome new members in the fall, see what challenges me, and what I’ll learn from my role and experiences in SCOPE.
I don’t know if another SCOPE show will ever take my number one spot from Homecoming 2025.
There were so many firsts for me at that show, including photographing a concert from the photo pit, being in the homecoming parade, driving a golf cart through downtown Iowa City, handling real-deal production equipment, and seeing how a large-scale concert works behind the scenes. It was such a tiring but eye-opening 48 hours.
I was inspired to pursue this role because of my weekly marketing hour!
Last year my marketing time was led by the past Director of Digital Media (shoutout to the wickedly talented Aspen Suthers!). Every week I would watch and help her produce content for SCOPE. She answered any questions I had, showed me the ropes, and I felt very drawn to the whole process. As I became more involved, it felt so natural, probably due to my passion and background in film and media production, that when applications opened, I knew I had to apply.