“Wait – how come YOU got to play with the symphony?”

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This is an excerpt from my December 2022 email newsletter “The Brain Break,” which I send out once a month on or around the full moon. If you like what you’ve read here, subscribe so you can be the first to read my writing, get tickets to upcoming performances, and find out when I have openings for private lessons.

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I got to play with the San Diego Symphony because I asked to do it. And it was terrifying.

I wouldn’t have thought to do it on my own, though. I got the inspiration from feminist marketing consultant Kelly Diels’ article about the importance of hiring folks when they are hungry.  To make her point, she uses the story of writer Ta-Nehisi Coates asking his former editor David Carr for work when he was strapped for cash. As a result of that request, Coates went on to make history with a 7,000 word piece for The Atlantic.

Before hearing this story, I had never considered it acceptable to both ask for work and state my need for it. They say, “It doesn’t hurt to ask,” but that has not been my experience! In 2008, I studied percussion in Brazil on a Fulbright scholarship. During my first week in Rio de Janeiro, my Brazilian advisor took me to see various groups he directed, including a theatrical percussion group. Since the members were my age, I thought it made sense to ask my advisor if I could perform with the group. He took offense, hearing my request as evidence of American entitlement. Our relationship never recovered from my misstep, and I faced many challenges making connections without his help during my first few months in Brazil.

However, I learned an important lesson from this experience: always ask to AUDITION rather than perform with a group. Back in February, I emailed the principal percussionist of the San Diego Symphony to ask if I could audition for their substitute list. He replied that he would add me as a potential substitute – no audition needed – but that the list was long, and the jobs were few. When summer came and went without a call to play on any pops concerts (which typically require lots of percussion), I gave up hope of getting to play with the symphony.

But after reading Kelly Diels’ blog post last month, I decided to email the principal percussionist one more time. I wrote, “I wanted to check in again about the possibility of subbing with the symphony. I recently left my middle school teaching job, and I am in need of work.” Weeks went by with no response. I figured I had put my foot in my mouth again, just like I did in Brazil. And then I got an email from the symphony personnel manager that I was invited to play on the December 11 concert.

This will be a learning experience for me. I’m attending all of the rehearsals, but I will only play on the last of the three concerts as a substitute for the principal percussionist. I will also fill in for one of the section percussionists at the second rehearsal. This means I will have two different parts to learn and three rehearsals to sit through without playing! Still, I can’t adequately put into words how excited I am to do this. If I don’t see you on December 11, I’ll tell you all about it next month.

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Update: due to a COVID case in the section, I wound up playing on December 9, 10, and 11. I was also asked back the next week to play for an additional concert.