Volunteer Spotlight: Ann Stephens

How did you first get involved at Upper Valley Music Center?

I had known for a long time that UVMC could use my help as a music librarian.  It was only when I was able to reduce my hours at our family business that I could offer my services to UVMC for 2 days a week. I have been working at the UVMC Library since April 2022.

What volunteer projects are you involved in?

I have an M.A .in Music Librarianship and, with the help of other volunteers, am organizing the sheet music in the basement into a performance library.

Why do you volunteer at UVMC?

Handling the choral and instrumental music is like meeting old friends. It is also very rewarding to see what we’ve accomplished so far. And it’s good to get back in the world of Music Libraries. I am also grateful to be able to have my dog Finnegan by my side.

What have you learned from volunteering at UVMC?

It is our wish to customize our music library to the needs of the faculty and the wider community.  This is hard to discern and prioritize.  I can’t say I have learned this yet– I’m still working on it.

What’s your advice for someone considering becoming a volunteer?

The work you are doing as a volunteer needs to provide you with its own rewards, whether it is the people, the purpose, or the actual activity. If you are looking for someone to praise you and thank you all the time, this type of reward will not be sufficient to sustain you over time. Finding what will benefit yourself matters. 

When you’re not volunteering, what musical activities can we find you participating in?

I teach violin to children and adults, play chamber music: (our Trio played in the Hanover Street Chamber Music Festival) and play music to the residents of the Margaret Pratt Community in Bradford, VT.