For students at Ithaca College, future career opportunities may seem daunting. But surveys indicate that 97 percent of students find a job or enter graduate school within a year of graduation. Contributing writers Moira Colley and Danielle Paccione spoke to six recent alumni from each school about their experiences after graduation.

Name Alex Meixner ’98
Major Trumpet performance/music education
Current employer/position Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra
Location Allentown, Pa.
What he does Meixner runs multicultural workshops and educational work that integrate folk music from Africa and Central America into his own work. Meixner has made more than 40 recordings and performed in a concert with the London Symphony Orchestra. He recorded a Grammy–award winning CD in 1994, called “Music and Friends,” with Walter Ostanek. Other of his CDs include “Scenes from a Parallel Universe” and “Alex Plays Button Box and Other Stuff.” His performances landed him a spot on “Good Morning America” last week. His talents were also highlighted on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” in 2004.
What got him there Meixner said he came from a musical family. At age 6, he began performing with his father — who was a musician at Disney World — and two sisters in a folk ensemble. He said he also had many great experiences at the college with the professors in the music school. “Ithaca College provided me with a strong network of educational opportunities,” Meixner said.
Challenges “I was constantly trying to build a network with students and professionals,” Meixner said. One of his greatest projects is performing in The Al Meixner Trio with his dad and “Mr. Drummer.” The group sings in up to 11 different languages, plays more than a dozen instruments, and has developed a name as one of the top Alpine/Polka show bands in the nation.