Michael Stepniak, Dean at Shenandoah Conservatory tell us how collaboration is key to the culture and student experience. The school so invested in the value of collaboration, that each year they suspend their teaching for a week to host a festival of student curated performances that challenge their musicians, dancers and theatre makers to work together. Michael shares how he seeks to hire faculty who have a touch of mischief and troublemaker about them and how his willingness to challenge convention led to him coauthor a book that scrutinize arguments for and against radical change, illuminates areas of unavoidable challenge as well as areas of possibility and hope.