Interview with Luke McDonald
Date25 March 2026
Mediumborn digital audio file
DimensionsDuration: 40 Minutes, 45 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineCommunity History Project Collection
DescriptionAudio file of interview with Luke McDonald. He was interviewed by Juliana Jaramillo on March 25, 2026 over Zoom.
Luke McDonald was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History's Community History Project discussing moments of change in his life.
Luke discusses his belief that change is related to the idea of people being light on their feet, and that it allows people to explore new ideas and topics, whether good or bad. Luke identified his moment of change as organizing his first show in his friend’s backyard, which introduced him to organizing music events and planning arts-related events.
He discusses they ways in which working in the arts field helped connect him to amazing people and experiences. He notes that the city of New Haven is slowly growing into an arts hub in Connecticut.
Prior to organizing the show, Luke was already involved in arts-related scenes like the ECA (Educational Center for the Arts) theater program in New Haven. The original thought to host a music show was Luke's idea. Initially, he faced some technical difficulties when putting together the show. Throughout the process he learned that organizing a show requires far more effort and planning than he originally thought.
Following his first show, Luke shifted his focus from performing music to being able to support others and foster community through event-planning. He talks about how he finds the communal aspect of art to be an incredible experience. Luke found himself facing challenges such as fair pay, representation, and ethical practices when organizing a show. He mentions how balancing these different aspects as an event planner requires focusing on the primary audience.
Luke identified his strengths from organizing events, emphasizing a focus on community gain rather than personal gain. He discusses his struggle with being able to accept artistic criticism. Luke has had to manage his anxiety regarding hosting successful events. The advice he offers to people wishing to organize their own event is that money should never be the motivation. Luke has found that profit will lead people astray from the community that these kinds of events should foster.
Luke ends the interview by emphasizing that working with strong and appreciative teams helps create the best results, which has helped him find success in his field.
Luke McDonald was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History's Community History Project discussing moments of change in his life.
Luke discusses his belief that change is related to the idea of people being light on their feet, and that it allows people to explore new ideas and topics, whether good or bad. Luke identified his moment of change as organizing his first show in his friend’s backyard, which introduced him to organizing music events and planning arts-related events.
He discusses they ways in which working in the arts field helped connect him to amazing people and experiences. He notes that the city of New Haven is slowly growing into an arts hub in Connecticut.
Prior to organizing the show, Luke was already involved in arts-related scenes like the ECA (Educational Center for the Arts) theater program in New Haven. The original thought to host a music show was Luke's idea. Initially, he faced some technical difficulties when putting together the show. Throughout the process he learned that organizing a show requires far more effort and planning than he originally thought.
Following his first show, Luke shifted his focus from performing music to being able to support others and foster community through event-planning. He talks about how he finds the communal aspect of art to be an incredible experience. Luke found himself facing challenges such as fair pay, representation, and ethical practices when organizing a show. He mentions how balancing these different aspects as an event planner requires focusing on the primary audience.
Luke identified his strengths from organizing events, emphasizing a focus on community gain rather than personal gain. He discusses his struggle with being able to accept artistic criticism. Luke has had to manage his anxiety regarding hosting successful events. The advice he offers to people wishing to organize their own event is that money should never be the motivation. Luke has found that profit will lead people astray from the community that these kinds of events should foster.
Luke ends the interview by emphasizing that working with strong and appreciative teams helps create the best results, which has helped him find success in his field.
Object number2024.79.85
NotesSubject Note: The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History’s Community History Project (CHP) is a public-facing initiative, focused on contemporary collecting, gathering items of the recent past as well as from events happening today. This program developed community historians to identify, document, and preserve their experiences as residents of Connecticut, and to share these experiences during a series of community presentations. The project focused on the theme "Redefining Moments of Change." Conneticans share stories of people or events who have changed their lives or how they have sparked change in the lives of others.Cataloging Note: Digitization and access to this collection is supported by a Congressionally Directed grant through the U.S. Department of Education.
On View
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30 June 2025
