Two-Thirds of Millennials Spend $7/Day on Coffee
Three millennials walk into a coffee shop. Each with our own bat signal – a collegiate sweater, a mustache, and a side-part (obviously the only choice). Cheugy, maybe. But there’s an unspoken ease in meeting with people who speak your generational language.
Millennials never skip brunch, and on this particular morning, Andrew Maxfield, award-winning composer, and Nathan Royal, guitarist, band leader, and Executive Director of swing orchestra Hot House West, met with me to unpack a contradiction.
The data tell us one story, that young professionals are moving to Utah in droves, drawn by opportunity that feels abundant and ready for the taking.
But lived experiences tell another.
We all know talented people leaving Utah for megacities like New York and Los Angeles over a perceived lack of opportunity. And many who do stay feel stuck, unsure of how to build a network, access leadership, or replicate the success they see at the top.
Maybe two things can be true.
We can live in an excellent state full of promise and opportunity, yet those things can still feel out of reach for people trying to access them.
The 90s Were Ten Years Ago
It seems that somewhere in the mix of growing up in a complicated inter-generational workforce, many early-and mid-career professionals lost the sparkle, not just to seek opportunity, but to build the opportunity they seek. We were raised on a steady diet of ‘90s rom-coms and startup mythology: Leave home, head to the coasts, and find success waiting in a glass tower.
But as Andrew put it:
“In Utah and other so-called flyovers, we have a weird habit of looking over our shoulders at the coasts to know what is cool, but we don’t need to,” Andrew, who grew up in Salt Lake City and trained in Europe and the East Coast, now makes his home in Provo. “The truth is that any place is about as great as you make it, and we have literally everything we need for a thriving scene with deep roots right here.”
That mindset shift is already happening here. Music industry leaders like Andrew and Nathan aren’t waiting for a scene or leaving Utah to find one – they’re building one. Through partnerships, mentorship, and an intentional effort to create infrastructure, they’re proving something simple but powerful – scenes don’t appear; they’re constructed.
“Everyone points to the music scene in Austin or New York, but those scenes didn’t fall from the sky,” Nathan shared. “Somebody decided to build them. That’s exactly what’s happening in Salt Lake — Utah Symphony, Hot House West, venues, presenters, and musicians who chose to stay — all pulling together with a core belief that what we have here is worth nurturing and growing."
The One Where Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Takes the Stage
Professional success will require and depend on intergenerational collaboration and connection.
Here’s another contradiction:
We live in one of the youngest, most community-rich states in the country – full of recreational leagues, arts groups, frisbee teams, and religious organizations – yet we’re also in the middle of what experts say is a loneliness epidemic.
People are here. Opportunity is here. Yet connection is often elusive. Not only do professionals need access to one another; they also need access to experienced leaders, executives, and decision makers that often feel out of reach.
This is why intentional spaces matter.
Engagement Series. Come As You Are.
At Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, connection is integral to our mission; “connect the community through great live music.” And with performances nearly every week, - from Ben Folds, to Mozart, to Lord of the Rings - USUO offers a low barrier to entry for just about anyone. All you need is a concert ticket.
USUO’s Engagement Series builds on that foundation.
Designed for early-to-mid-career professionals, these events pair live performances with curated pre– or post-concert experiences. Featuring key business and industry leaders and influencers, meaningful networking and conversation, and space to actually connect. Resolving the contradiction: Not performative networking, but real connection.
The Engagement Series has hosted leaders like Steve Price, with Utah 2034, renowned pianist, Stephen Hough, and even reimagined the Capitol Theatre through an immersive ghost tour experience.
On May 12, alongside our Ben Folds concert, Andrew and Nathan will lead a pre-concert dinner focused on building opportunity and taking ownership of the communities we want to live and work in.
As Andrew said at brunch:
“Not to be too Ted Lasso about this, but the thing you need most is belief. When people believe in a place, they stick around and make it great. And—surprise, surprise—it becomes great.”
IT’S OUR TIME
There’s a moment in The Goonies when Mikey rallies his friends with a simple line: “It’s our time.” That idea feels just as relevant here.
As Nathan said:
“Salt Lake doesn’t need to be the next Austin. It needs to be the first Salt Lake.”
The opportunity is here. The talent is here. What’s left is connection and the willingness to build.
USUO’s Engagement Series is one small but intentional step toward closing that gap: connecting people to each other, to leadership, and to the kind of opportunity that doesn’t just get found; it gets created.
We hope you’ll join us.