What am I waiting for?

Has there ever been a time when someone comes to you with a proposal, an opportunity, and you thought, "That's not really my gig."? A fine proposal, but it's just not something you're real comfortable doing, and maybe you haven't had a lot of experience in that specific area.

My answer: Yes. And I'd imagine your answer is the same.

I am in a place professionally where I am looking for opportunities to broaden horizons, deepen and expand friendships and connections, garner valuable performance experiences, compose new and marketable works, and build a stronger resumé. So of course I am always waiting for someone to bring a proposal to me. I'd love that opportunity.

But what I'm finding is that I seem to only want the opportunities for the things I already know how to do. To perform in a setting I'm comfortable. To write a piece for instruments I've already written. To teach courses and ensembles I have experience teaching. I've gotten pretty good at a few things, so naturally I want to keep doing those things.

But how did I get good at those things? By saying yes to an opportunity that seemed uncomfortable and outside my comfort zone. By stepping into a new experience.


There are some things I find as I try new things and dive into the unknown:

1) I often know more than I think. For example, I was offered a position to teach the front ensemble at Center Grove H.S. last spring for this year's marching seasons. I've never exclusively taught a pit before, and I was quite uncomfortable stepping into such a high-profile, relatively high-pressure situation with such little experience. However, I have been involved with drum corps for 7 years, and high school marching band for 14 years, and it's not like I was ignoring the pit all those years. I picked up on some things even thought I wasn't in a pit and hadn't taught one. And I have a masters degree in percussion performance, and a great deal of experience playing in percussion ensembles. And I have taught keyboard percussion privately for several years. So, when I thought about what knowledge and experience I do have, I realized it was a pretty good starting point.

2) Whether or not you "succeed" (whatever that means in each scenario) at your new endeavor, the experience of being stretched, pushed, pulled, and often failing is worth every effort made. We can gain knowledge, resilience, patience, persistence, and more when we say yes to a new opportunity.

A couple weeks ago, I was asked to play marimba at a my in-laws' church for their Christmas Eve services. I had nothing in the repertoire that worked for Christmas, and it was less than 3 weeks till December 24. My initial reaction was to say no. Not gonna happen. Doesn't she realize I can't just throw something together on such short notice? 

Then I thought further, If I am going to say no to opportunities like this, what am I waiting for? Don't I want to be a performer? Don't I want opportunities to play percussion in public? Why sell myself short?

I said yes, and immediately started working on a couple of arrangements. And it might just turn out okay. :-) Who knows, maybe I'll wind up doing a Christmas album sometime, and this will have been the catalyst.

So when an opportunity arises that seems a little outside your comfort zone or area of previous experience, don't immediately dismiss it because "It's not really my gig." It might not be, and that's okay, too, but we don't want to pass up opportunities that can really enrich our lives, and in my case, advance a career. Think about it. You might be more prepared than you think. And be sure to ask, "If not this, what am I waiting for?"