April 14, 2016

EPISODE 12: PATTI NIEMI, STICKING IT OUT THROUGH JUILLIARD, ANXIETY ATTACKS, & AN ORCHESTRAL CAREER

Download on iTunes.  Download the mp3.

Classical percussionist Patti Niemi gives an insider’s account of surviving Juilliard, enduring high-pressure auditions, and getting a tenured position with an orchestra.  She’s battled serious anxiety issues throughout.

If you're a musician interested in teaching for Piano Power, visit pianopower.org/nerdsontour

Selected links:

• Patti's official bio page from the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.
• Patti plays on a stunning reinterpretation of "Bye Bye Blackbird".
• The New World Symphony accompanies Gloria Estefan (I'm pretty sure that's a young Patti at the 0:52 mark).
• Buy "Sticking It Out" on Amazon.
• Check out "Mozart in the Jungle", a soapy and fun take on life in a classical orchestra.
• The sad decline of Olympic figure skater Debi Thomas, as documented on the Oprah Winfrey Network's "Fix My Life".
• The Louisville Orchestra's Teddy Abrams, committed to taking classical music in a more interactive, community-focused direction.