Katherine Li

Katherine Li is a Mechanical Engineering major and Music minor from the University of Pennsylvania (Class of 2025). She currently plays piano, French horn, and mellophone and serves as Drum Major for the Penn Band and music director for the Theater Arts Council.

I am an Assistant Acoustic Consultant, so I support the AC team with any projects or tasks we need additional hands on. I studied mechanical engineering, with a concentration in solids and materials, but most of my extracurriculars involved playing instruments, conducting ensembles, and teaching music. I tend to be pretty particular and diligent about my work and the science behind it, but, above all else, I value connections and serving others. I like to take time to observe those around me, understanding how people think and feel both in a professional and personal capacity.

What Excites You Most About Your Work

I feel incredibly lucky to have found Charcoalblue so early on in my career. The specific intersection of artistic and scientific design in this field is really compelling as someone who has walked the line between humanities and STEM for most of my life. I am excited by the idea of creating unique auditory experiences for all people, whether they are casual listeners or regular audience members, and hope to support the performing arts industry at large.

A Place That Shaped or Inspires You

I grew up in quiet suburban Maryland, so I love 3-hour meandering walks through the neighborhood trails and long evening drives. Despite not living at home since I was 13, when I went to boarding high school, I feel very strongly attached to my hometown. Grateful to be in NYC, but I’m not a city person!

What Are You Learning About Right Now

I have been learning to knit, crochet, and play Magic the Gathering. I am also playing in my first ever DnD campaign!

A Book, Podcast, Building, or Creative Work That Inspires You

I am not at all picky about genre, whether that’s for music or books (I am, however, more picky about TV shows and movies, for some reason.), but I am pretty critical and love deeply analyzing and discussing the media I consume. I also enjoy reading webnovels, manga, and other translated stories. Always looking for book or animanga recommendations!I also really appreciate story-driven games and interactive media. And in general, I love playing games (video, board, TTRPG, or card!) with friends.Fun fact: When I was 11, I ran both a generic anime fanpage account and a YA book club, each unrelated to the other and each with a few thousand followers, on Google+.

Cultural Value You Most Identify With

I have to pick two cultural values, because I think they are critically at their best when considered together: collaboration, and equity, diversity, & inclusion. What is collaboration when you only work with those like you? What is accessibility and equity when it still others people and separates their ideas? Only when there is true diversity in all sectors—gender, race, socioeconomic status, ability—can we also have true collaboration. In the end, many of the CB cultural values interact and overlap, so I encourage people to take on an intersectional lens for matters both big and small in our lives.