“I am and always will be…

The Optimist.

The Hoper of Far Flung Hopes.

And The Dreamer of Improbable Dreams.”

~ The Doctor, Doctor Who

Degree

Ph.D., Music

The Graduate Center, City University of New York

2018

Current Position

Development Director

People’s Theatre Project

Hello!

My name is Aya Esther Hayashi, and I am a musicologist, theatre artist, fundraiser, and classically trained flutist. I am the proud daughter of Japanese immigrants. I currently work as the Development Director at the People's Theatre Project. In friendly company, I describe myself as a professional nerd. I am passionate about anti-racism and race/ethnicity and gender in music performance, theatre, and pop culture.

As a nonprofit fundraiser, I have successfully raised over $34MM in capital, federal, state, city, and foundation grants. I am regular participant and occasional facilitator of the Culture@3’s Anti-Racism Working Group and the larger Culture@3 calls.

Research/Writing

My academic research focuses on the music of media fandom. I’ve presented conference papers in the US and abroad on musicals, wizard rock, Firefly (2002), and Doctor Who (1963-1989, 2005-). I co-edited the special issue of the Journal of Fandom Studies (June 2016). You can find more of my writing in the following publications: The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical (2019); Intellect's Fan Phenomena: Harry Potter (2019); and Transformative Works & Cultures no. 34 (September 2020).

Theatre

In 2018, I started Okaeri Productions. “Okaeri” means “Welcome Home” in Japanese. We are a small theatre production company that works to "change the stage" through small, intimate musicals that feature artists and creative teams of color. Through Okaeri Productions and with the support of the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (MSTDA), I have successfully produced weekend performance runs of Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell’s [title of show]; Jason Robert's Songs for a New World'; Austin Winsberg, Alan Zachary, and Michael Weiner’s First Date; and Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell.

Teaching

From 2011-2017, I taught music history at the City College of New York (CUNY) and Hunter College. Classes were structured around lectures, Q&As with guests, writing assignments, and discussion. Outside academia, I volunteered for 7 years with the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (MSTDA), assistant directing the teen and children’s theatre programs. From 2013-2018, I worked as a tour guide for Big Onion Walking Tours.