There’s something in the air in Sarasota, and Marcy Miller has begun taking voice lessons again after “I won’t tell you how many years”—which, though not exact, sounds like more than five. Music has re-entered her life in a big way since she and her husband moved down here two years ago, dormant perhaps since her days in the all-women’s a capella group at Yale but now wide awake as she assumes her new role as executive director of Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, which she begins today. Most recently serving as the executive director of the William King Museum of Art in Abingdon, VA, Miller took a moment with SRQ to talk both first steps and long-term goals in her new artistic home.

What is your responsibility as executive director? Miller: My primary role will be making sure that the organization is strong financially, through good management and fundraising. Finding the music is for the artistic director. My role will be to find venues, to contract with them to make sure we’re getting what we need at a good price.

What are some of your goals going in? I would like to expand the venues a little bit. Right now, we’re not performing in Manatee County. I would love to find a good venue in Manatee. And maybe expand a little bit to the south as well. We’re in the Venice Performing Arts Center and also at the Plantation Country Club, and I’d like to see if there’s anything more down there.

What is ASC’s goal this season? Recently, ASC went through some strategic planning and I’m excited about its rededicated mission to young artists. We’re really going to focus on presenting and promoting young and emerging talent, and one day we are going to be known nationally as the musical organization dedicated to the professional development of emerging artists.

Why is that important? A lot of schools right now are cutting back on music and arts education. And so a lot of the younger generations are not being educated in classical music and other arts. Lee Dougherty Ross, the founder of ASC, is now Director of Outreach, and she brings a lot of artists into the schools. I love the idea of students seeing young artists, so they know its something they can do as well.

How does it feel to be singing again? It feels wonderful. And one of the things I’m going to enjoy most about my position is the opportunity to attend all of these concerts. We have close to 30 a year, and just the thought of attending all of those brings me a lot of joy.