It’s intriguing to hear Alsop speak about the necessity of providing experiential education for young conductors. I wish she had an equally wide-ranging vision for the music she programs at Cabrillo.

Enter the artsongwriters! They are merging the benefits of their classical training with the tools and frameworks of pop music. But don’t mistake what they’re doing as “breaking down barriers between genres”—these composers are developing a new and unique style of creative songwriting that does not fit comfortably into any pre-existing genre.