tech & entrepreneurship

In 2020, when the performing world came to a standstill during the Covid Pandemic, Holly used the time to fulfill a lifelong goal and learn how to code. After the birth of her daughter in 2022, she decided to reduce her concert schedule drastically, and - alongside parenting - committed to a Full-Stack Software Engineering Bootcamp. It opened up the possibility for a significant career change, and in 2025, when her Music Director contract with Symphony Nova Scotia ended, she accepted a fulltime position as a Software Development Engineer with Amazon.

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Outside of her job, she has a digital agency called Scordatura, which builds digital tools for artists and audiences. She also takes on occasional web development contracts, whenever her schedule allows, and publishes a blog which examines the arts sector, performance culture, and arts-related tech topics.

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In 2025 she launched her first digital product, Opus 1.0, the first Notion template designed for professional performing artists. 2026 will see the launch of a Musical Leadership Online Learning Platform, Scordatura Learning, and she is in the planning stages of an arts-related app for children.

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As someone who has effected a radical career-change in her mid-40s, whilst being mum to a toddler, she is a staunch supporter of other artists who want to open themselves to options beyond their performing career. She has been invited on numerous podcasts and Radio broadcasts to speak about her decision to end a successful performing career, and the challenges and rewards of retraining in mid-life. Her mission as a technologist is to build tools for the arts that can help it navigate the political and funding challenges it faces in the 21st century, and help artists and arts organisations maintain their independence and creativity.

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