The current landscape of concert bookings is tedious and uncertain, particularly because most arts organizations are in fight-or-flight mode. Money is scarce, crowds are limited, regulations are strict.. and while there might be a yearning from audiences to return to the concert hall, things have fundamentally shifted. As someone whose career had just begun to hit a stride, COVID essentially halted progress. No, I’m not pitying myself, but it’s clear that the first people that presenters will have back on stage are those who are guaranteed to sell tickets and generate revenue. And for now, that still means the old guard—the standard repertoire, established performers, and an overall conservative approach. Those with burgeoning careers, in most cases, are going to have to take a backseat.

A few closing thoughts: generating income for commissions like this is hard work, especially when a majority of the money raised does not come from foundations, grants, or private donors. I believe that composers are wildly underpaid and taken advantage of (and of course, performers are too), and while I am not guiltless, I am doing my very best to course correct by raising the highest possible fees.

Attending PASIC is important for so many reasons, whether it’s learning from clinics, watching inspiring performances, or networking with colleagues. But, because it is the only organization of its kind for percussionists, it is an incredibly easy target for keyboard warriors. To that end, I find there to be a significant number of people criticizing PAS behind the scenes and intentionally boycotting PASIC, because things aren’t lining up with their own (often selfish/stylistically biased) notions of what the organization should be focusing on or doing for its members.

When I first started using social media to document my journey from graduate school to professional soloist, I wrestled with how exactly I would represent myself online. I constantly went back and forth about whether I would show what was really happening, or whether I would doctor it up a bit in order to appear more “professional.” So I experimented with both: