An interview with Dan Martin, Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University and annual visiting faculty member at the University of Bologna (Italy.)

Deb: What are the apps you use every day?

Dan:

CALENDAR.  My schedule is always full and not a day goes by when one meeting or event isn't delayed, cancelled or rescheduled.  Having an updated calendar at my fingertips is a life-saver. 

EMAIL.  Obviously, though I don't use it to send complex or long messages.  It's wonderful, though, for being kept informed.  

UBER.  The majority of cabs in LA and NYC are now small hybrid cars or mini-SUVs, neither of which have enough room for my 6' 8" frame, most of which are my legs!  Uber is a life-saver.  Yes, it's a bit more expensive than a traditional cab, but after shredding the pants of several expensive suits because of a lack of leg room (or simply NOT being able to get into some of those cars), Uber is worth the cost.  Plus, the cars are clean, the drivers are friendly and knowledgeable, no money/cards change hands, and detailed receipts arrive via email.  

TODOIST.  For years, I have tried every project management and to-do list tool available, from the DayRunner notebook to index cards to paper lists to a spreadsheet.  A year ago, I returned to the time-honored list on paper.  Lots of writing, re-writing and over-writing.  Recently I discovered Todoist, and I adore it!  Like the Calendar, Todoist works across my platforms: phone, tablet and laptop.  Managing deadlines, prioritizing and editing tasks/projects is effortless.  

Deb: If you could recommend one app to all arts managers, what would it be?

Dan: The Todoist app surprised me at how easy it is to use and how helpful it turned out to be.  I recommend it to everyone.

Deb: As an iPhone user, do you have a favorite function?  

Dan: The MUTE SWITCH!  Every once in a while, a person needs solitude.  Muting the email, text and other notifications from time to time is important to our mental health.