On Friday, May 16th, 2025, the NYU Tisch Community came together to celebrate the newest graduates of the Tisch School of the Arts. The Tisch Salute to the Class of 2025 was celebrated by a moving dance piece and performances, and remarks from Honored Speaker Maggie Rogers '16 (BFA, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music). Watch Maggie's speech here.
On May 26th, the New York Times published Maggie's NYU Tisch Salute speech as a guest essay. Read an excerpt below, and read the full piece here: Maggie Rogers: The Truth About Dreams.
"...no one saw the hard work. Or all the times I almost quit. No one heard the songs that didn’t work or the shows that were just bad. I’m remembering particularly this Halloween D.J. set just as Baby’s All Right was opening where I was dressed as the death of capitalism … still relevant.
There were all these almost exits. Things that people will never see. Moments when it almost didn’t happen or I missed the window.
Art is not an industry or a game; it is a practice. I’d tell that girl nine years ago that, over and over again, it’s your artistic faith that will save you. I’d tell her it’s kind of punk to take the long road. I’d remind her that no two artistic careers will ever be the same and that the numbers do not matter. What matters is how you make people feel."
- Maggie Rogers '16 (BFA, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music)