What do you think?
Rate this book
Sticking It Out: From Juilliard to the Orchestra Pit, a Percussionist's Memoir
A vivid look inside the elite and cutthroat classical music world
When Patti Niemi was 10 years old, all the children in her school music class lined up to choose their instruments. Boy after boy chose drums, and girl after girl chose flute — that is, until it was Patti’s turn. From that point onward, Niemi devoted her life to mastering the percussive arts. Cymbals, snare drum, marimba, timpani, chimes: she practised them all, and in 1983, she entered Juilliard, the most prestigious music conservatory in the world.
Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing New York City in the 1980s, Sticking It Out recounts Niemi’s years mastering her craft and struggling to make it in a cutthroat race to a coveted job in an orchestra. Along the way, she has to compete with friends, and face her own crippling anxiety and reliance on prescription medication, while confronting the delicate, and sometimes perilous, balance of power between teachers and their students.
Niemi’s memoir brings us inside a world that most of us never get to see: gruelling practise schedules, intimate musical relationships, and long moments at the back of an orchestra spent sweating and counting before a big cymbal crash. Sticking It Out is a humbling account of the work that leads to a dazzling moment of perfection, and of the dogged persistence it takes to follow a dream.
When Patti Niemi was 10 years old, all the children in her school music class lined up to choose their instruments. Boy after boy chose drums, and girl after girl chose flute — that is, until it was Patti’s turn. From that point onward, Niemi devoted her life to mastering the percussive arts. Cymbals, snare drum, marimba, timpani, chimes: she practised them all, and in 1983, she entered Juilliard, the most prestigious music conservatory in the world.
Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing New York City in the 1980s, Sticking It Out recounts Niemi’s years mastering her craft and struggling to make it in a cutthroat race to a coveted job in an orchestra. Along the way, she has to compete with friends, and face her own crippling anxiety and reliance on prescription medication, while confronting the delicate, and sometimes perilous, balance of power between teachers and their students.
Niemi’s memoir brings us inside a world that most of us never get to see: gruelling practise schedules, intimate musical relationships, and long moments at the back of an orchestra spent sweating and counting before a big cymbal crash. Sticking It Out is a humbling account of the work that leads to a dazzling moment of perfection, and of the dogged persistence it takes to follow a dream.
- GenresMusicMemoirNonfiction
264 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2016
8 people are currently reading
1220 people want to read
About the author
Patti Niemi
1 book31 followersPatti Niemi has played percussion in the San Francisco Opera Orchestra since 1992. She graduated from the Eastman School of Music Preparatory Department in 1983 and earned a BM from the Juilliard School in 1987. Niemi was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami from 1988–1992.
PRAISE FOR HER WORKS:
“A shattered-mirror insight into the bizarre world of hitting things with sticks.” — Neil Peart, bestselling author, lyricist and drummer, Rush
“By turns reflective and dramatic, poignant and hilarious, Sticking It Out offers an irresistible portrait of the artist as a young percussionist. In deft and swiftly drawn narrative strokes, Patti Niemi charts the formation of a career in music — the endless hours in the practice room, the stomach-churning anxiety of auditions, the blend of competitiveness and camaraderie that shapes relations among up-and-coming musicians — and she does it with wit and personality to burn. She’s as adept at writing as she is at standing in a corner and banging on things.” — Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle
“Sharp like a flam, resonant like the end of a roll, Sticking it Out is everything you want a music memoir to be: funny, honest and memorable.”
— Kevin Smokler, author, PRACTICAL CLASSICS: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven’t Touched Since High School
“Patti Niemi’s oft-hilarious memoir shatters images of percussionists as fearless aggressors who drive and pound their way through life. Instead, it presents the image of an emerging artist pounded by fear and insecurity. As she tells her tale with disarming candor, Niemi opens the door on the mental and artistic challenges facing all aspiring classical musicians in an era of shrinking avenues for professional practice. After she takes us through the wringer, as it were, she enables us to breathe a huge sigh of relief, if not make a joyful racket, as she lands her gig with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Brava!” — Jason Victor Serinus, journalist, Opera News, San Francisco Classical Voice
PRAISE FOR HER WORKS:
“A shattered-mirror insight into the bizarre world of hitting things with sticks.” — Neil Peart, bestselling author, lyricist and drummer, Rush
“By turns reflective and dramatic, poignant and hilarious, Sticking It Out offers an irresistible portrait of the artist as a young percussionist. In deft and swiftly drawn narrative strokes, Patti Niemi charts the formation of a career in music — the endless hours in the practice room, the stomach-churning anxiety of auditions, the blend of competitiveness and camaraderie that shapes relations among up-and-coming musicians — and she does it with wit and personality to burn. She’s as adept at writing as she is at standing in a corner and banging on things.” — Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle
“Sharp like a flam, resonant like the end of a roll, Sticking it Out is everything you want a music memoir to be: funny, honest and memorable.”
— Kevin Smokler, author, PRACTICAL CLASSICS: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven’t Touched Since High School
“Patti Niemi’s oft-hilarious memoir shatters images of percussionists as fearless aggressors who drive and pound their way through life. Instead, it presents the image of an emerging artist pounded by fear and insecurity. As she tells her tale with disarming candor, Niemi opens the door on the mental and artistic challenges facing all aspiring classical musicians in an era of shrinking avenues for professional practice. After she takes us through the wringer, as it were, she enables us to breathe a huge sigh of relief, if not make a joyful racket, as she lands her gig with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Brava!” — Jason Victor Serinus, journalist, Opera News, San Francisco Classical Voice
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 17, 2016
STICKING IT OUT could have been a drab, boring book full of technical information that no one who isn't a professional musician would understand. Instead, it is a witty, sometimes hilarious look at the life of Patti Niemi; a life that I found myself utterly fascinated by.
She has included numerous anecdotes about her life and experiences. Patti's story is not all fun and games. In fact, this behaviour was an anomaly. Patti was an EXTREMELY anxious person. She could even have been considered neurotic, or, at the very least: obsessive compulsive.
You would think that the hardest part of Patti's musical career was over once she was accepted at Juilliard. After all, she had been accepted to the most famous and prestigious music school in the world. But that was not the case. She knew that there were, realistically, only a few paying orchestra jobs in the entire country and she knew that competition to land one of those coveted spots would be incredibly fierce.
In fact, she likens the Juilliard students were to vultures in that they were waiting for existing orchestra members to either retire or die so that a spot would become available. It may sound harsh, and people may have the idea in their heads that orchestra musicians are a quiet, reserved group, but the truth is that competition for paying jobs was fierce and sometimes cutthroat.
I was sucked into this book from the first chapter and kept enthralled throughout the book. Patti has led a fascinating, sometimes crazy life and STICKING IT OUT offers a chance for those of us who are non-musical to get a glimpse of this fascinating profession. Her candidness about herself, her fellow musicians, life at Juilliard and the way she truly felt about those competing against her makes this book come alive.
I plan to recommend this book to all my friends, as well as to the readers of my blog. Patti's life and mine have exactly nothing in common and yet I feel like I learned a lot from and about her. Patti's dedication to her dream is awe inspiring. She has worked incredibly hard to get to where she is today and has earned her tenure with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.
I rate this book as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For the full version of my review including pictures and links please visit my blog at http://AmiesBookReviews.wordpress.com
~ I received a free ARC (Advance Review Copy) of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program.
She has included numerous anecdotes about her life and experiences. Patti's story is not all fun and games. In fact, this behaviour was an anomaly. Patti was an EXTREMELY anxious person. She could even have been considered neurotic, or, at the very least: obsessive compulsive.
You would think that the hardest part of Patti's musical career was over once she was accepted at Juilliard. After all, she had been accepted to the most famous and prestigious music school in the world. But that was not the case. She knew that there were, realistically, only a few paying orchestra jobs in the entire country and she knew that competition to land one of those coveted spots would be incredibly fierce.
In fact, she likens the Juilliard students were to vultures in that they were waiting for existing orchestra members to either retire or die so that a spot would become available. It may sound harsh, and people may have the idea in their heads that orchestra musicians are a quiet, reserved group, but the truth is that competition for paying jobs was fierce and sometimes cutthroat.
I was sucked into this book from the first chapter and kept enthralled throughout the book. Patti has led a fascinating, sometimes crazy life and STICKING IT OUT offers a chance for those of us who are non-musical to get a glimpse of this fascinating profession. Her candidness about herself, her fellow musicians, life at Juilliard and the way she truly felt about those competing against her makes this book come alive.
I plan to recommend this book to all my friends, as well as to the readers of my blog. Patti's life and mine have exactly nothing in common and yet I feel like I learned a lot from and about her. Patti's dedication to her dream is awe inspiring. She has worked incredibly hard to get to where she is today and has earned her tenure with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.
I rate this book as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For the full version of my review including pictures and links please visit my blog at http://AmiesBookReviews.wordpress.com
~ I received a free ARC (Advance Review Copy) of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program.
February 3, 2018
This is one of those deceptively simple books that packs so much wisdom and entertainment between its pages that it’s hard to know where to start in describing it. In a way, Sticking It Out is like three intertwined books. The first, about the dedication and stamina it takes to become a professional musician, is the main event, and reading Niemi’s descriptions of her years at Julliard and later, her grueling preparation for auditions, really knocked me out. You feel her intense anxiety and desire to succeed and I came away with a newfound appreciation for what it takes to become a professional musician. The second major strand of this book involves sexual harassment and here, Niemi excels at describing the confusing and obscure ways in which women of my generation were often subject to unwanted sexual attention that we dared not acknowledge lest we somehow risk our own chances at success. I loved her attention to detail and her honesty and thought it was a more nuanced examination of sexual harassment than much of what is being written today as part of the current #metoo movement. Lastly, this is a love letter to New York City, or at least a version of NYC that no longer exists and I loved Niemi’s descriptions of the Upper West Side which are straightforward yet evocative. From page 110, for example, “Out on the street it was a beautiful night. I walked across 70th, passing the skinny trees that line all the side streets. In the suburbs, it was the houses that were surrounded by fences, here it was the trees. Each was its own concrete island.” In short, I loved so much about this book and even though I knew the ending before I started (Niemi has been a percussionist with the San Francisco Opera since 1992) I found myself eager to return to her memoir each night to hear the beautiful tenor of her words on the page. Her writing is pitch perfect.
September 14, 2023
The best and most inspiring book I’ve read in a long time, if not of all time! Patti writes with such honesty, genuineness and a conviction that draws you in and keeps you wanting more. She writes about important and gripping topics such as performance anxiety, abuse of power, medication and the ultimate joys and thrills of music making. A must-read!
January 10, 2024
Surprisingly relatable and heartbreaking memoir that reads like a novel
May 11, 2018
A fascinating, funny memoir about the percussionist's world and the process of getting a seat in a professional orchestra. This book is filled with anecdotes about a musician's life in Upstate New York, Juilliard and Florida and teaches all who will hear what a percussionist has to worry about. There is plenty of material here for a great book discussion.
August 3, 2019
Easily accessible memoir from a percussionist whose anxiety and perfectionism drove her through Juilliard in New York and the New World Symphony in Miami to landing a job with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.
It's as accurate a portrayal as any I've read of music conservatory culture, which I have sort-of experience of and no love for. The level of competitive brutality and technical obsession completely devours any sense of pursuing music for, ya know, fun or passion or enjoyment or uplift or expression, and all for just the low low cost of your entire human well-being. It's the type of music-as-sport attitude we all saw in Whiplash (a movie which will always haunt me, not by its merits as a film but by the eternal stream of people asking if I, a drummer, have seen it; yes I have, and no I didn't like it). Forgo your health, shred your life away in a practice room, audition for the rare orchestra job alongside thousands of your international peers, and either get the job or slink back to the Sisyphean grind of getting your xylophone runs cleaner, your double strokes faster, your thumb rolls smoother, under the heavy awareness that someone out there (or even next door) does it better. Hard pass.
Anyway, back to the book. She talks a lot about her reliance on Inderal to combat performance anxiety and how her neuroses pushed her to only focus on certain musical things within her sphere of control. Out of her control, however, were the proclamations of love from one of her private teachers, a complicated and sad relationship that she unfolds for us as it happened for her. It's one of the book's high marks – she relates it to the Anita Hill hearings, imagines herself in front of that sneering male committee, questions why she let it unfold the way it did and why she felt powerless to do otherwise. That particular plotline is a rough and important read.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone wanting to peek into the professional orchestral world or learn about the sacrifices you have to make to play at that level. I burned through it in just a few days and enjoyed it from start to finish.
It's as accurate a portrayal as any I've read of music conservatory culture, which I have sort-of experience of and no love for. The level of competitive brutality and technical obsession completely devours any sense of pursuing music for, ya know, fun or passion or enjoyment or uplift or expression, and all for just the low low cost of your entire human well-being. It's the type of music-as-sport attitude we all saw in Whiplash (a movie which will always haunt me, not by its merits as a film but by the eternal stream of people asking if I, a drummer, have seen it; yes I have, and no I didn't like it). Forgo your health, shred your life away in a practice room, audition for the rare orchestra job alongside thousands of your international peers, and either get the job or slink back to the Sisyphean grind of getting your xylophone runs cleaner, your double strokes faster, your thumb rolls smoother, under the heavy awareness that someone out there (or even next door) does it better. Hard pass.
Anyway, back to the book. She talks a lot about her reliance on Inderal to combat performance anxiety and how her neuroses pushed her to only focus on certain musical things within her sphere of control. Out of her control, however, were the proclamations of love from one of her private teachers, a complicated and sad relationship that she unfolds for us as it happened for her. It's one of the book's high marks – she relates it to the Anita Hill hearings, imagines herself in front of that sneering male committee, questions why she let it unfold the way it did and why she felt powerless to do otherwise. That particular plotline is a rough and important read.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone wanting to peek into the professional orchestral world or learn about the sacrifices you have to make to play at that level. I burned through it in just a few days and enjoyed it from start to finish.
September 28, 2023
I received this book several years ago as a Goodreads Giveaway. I started it three different times throughout the years, but it was never the right time. Finally, in September 2023, all of the pieces came together for me and Sticking It Out.
This memoir is about Patti Niemi and her experiences going through Juilliard and later competing for orchestral jobs in a male dominated, incredibly competitive and niche field. Although not overtly a feminist book, Niemi does spend some time speaking about her experiences as a female percussionist. I almost wish she had spent more time on this (thank you, inner feminist) topic, as I find it incredibly important for representation in the field of music.
As a band director, this type of memoir is so niche and right up my alley. Classical music is already pretty specialized, but add in the complexity of being a percussionist and this book becomes even more niche.
Although I didn’t attend a music school as prestigious as Juilliard, I found so much connection with Patti Niemi’s story. I found myself both validated that my experiences as a music major in college were not unusual or bizarre, and also a little disconcerted and resentful of how being a classically trained musician has impacted the way that I operate through my daily life. Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful for the life lessons I learned as a musician, and I will 100% advocate for the importance of music education (hello, job security!), but I’m constantly reminded of the dangers of being a perfectionist and how music perpetuates that. Although Niemi doesn’t outright mention this, there are underlying notes on how the expectation from the field of music that live performances/auditions be so incredibly detailed and perfect impact one’s mental health negatively. We are human and humans are not perfect. Having high standards is one thing, but beating yourself up over minute imperfections is toxic.
It reminds me that, as a music educator, I want my students to leave my classroom feeling a connection to music and the community that music brings, and not worry about being the most flawless musician.
I like a book that will make you think, and Sticking It Out has done that for me. Bravo, Patti Niemi!
This memoir is about Patti Niemi and her experiences going through Juilliard and later competing for orchestral jobs in a male dominated, incredibly competitive and niche field. Although not overtly a feminist book, Niemi does spend some time speaking about her experiences as a female percussionist. I almost wish she had spent more time on this (thank you, inner feminist) topic, as I find it incredibly important for representation in the field of music.
As a band director, this type of memoir is so niche and right up my alley. Classical music is already pretty specialized, but add in the complexity of being a percussionist and this book becomes even more niche.
Although I didn’t attend a music school as prestigious as Juilliard, I found so much connection with Patti Niemi’s story. I found myself both validated that my experiences as a music major in college were not unusual or bizarre, and also a little disconcerted and resentful of how being a classically trained musician has impacted the way that I operate through my daily life. Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful for the life lessons I learned as a musician, and I will 100% advocate for the importance of music education (hello, job security!), but I’m constantly reminded of the dangers of being a perfectionist and how music perpetuates that. Although Niemi doesn’t outright mention this, there are underlying notes on how the expectation from the field of music that live performances/auditions be so incredibly detailed and perfect impact one’s mental health negatively. We are human and humans are not perfect. Having high standards is one thing, but beating yourself up over minute imperfections is toxic.
It reminds me that, as a music educator, I want my students to leave my classroom feeling a connection to music and the community that music brings, and not worry about being the most flawless musician.
I like a book that will make you think, and Sticking It Out has done that for me. Bravo, Patti Niemi!
April 23, 2019
This is a well written memoir which I read quickly, not wanting to put it down. Ms. Niemi describes a process not unlike that of an athlete pursuing her sport's ultimate goal; a championship title or gold medal. In pursuing her goal to become a career full-time orchestra musician, she sets forth a rigid, highly disciplined, and exhaustive regime of practice, practice, and more practice. She medicates to help manage her nerves. If she has interests outside of music, we don't hear about them here. It's all very black and white. Either she lands a job in the percussion section of a major orchestra or she fails. And failure means a life working in retail.
Really?
There are countless musicians who make their living playing in less than full time orchestras, chamber groups, or Broadway/Regional Musical Theatre pits to name a few examples. They may have to supplement their income with teaching jobs at schools, universities, or private studios. God forbid some musicians actually choose teaching as a career path.
I got a little fed up with Ms. Niemi's sense of elitism throughout. She mentions playing in a summer orchestra festival in Colorado where most of the musicians were from the major conservatories and "even some from universities." She says she couldn't care less about her Julliard degree. She had no problem telling a percussion colleague in the New World Symphony that she had to choose between music and God, but couldn't devote time to both.
Really?
No doubt this single mindedness is exactly what's needed to succeed in Ms. Niemi's world. She won an audition and got a job. She's probably an incredible musician. But for me, the biggest thing missing from this memoir is any sense of heart. Where is her passion for music? Does she even like making music or does she simply enjoy the execution more like a sport? The arts require the heart and the head. I wish we had gotten more of a glimpse of this musician's soul.
Really?
There are countless musicians who make their living playing in less than full time orchestras, chamber groups, or Broadway/Regional Musical Theatre pits to name a few examples. They may have to supplement their income with teaching jobs at schools, universities, or private studios. God forbid some musicians actually choose teaching as a career path.
I got a little fed up with Ms. Niemi's sense of elitism throughout. She mentions playing in a summer orchestra festival in Colorado where most of the musicians were from the major conservatories and "even some from universities." She says she couldn't care less about her Julliard degree. She had no problem telling a percussion colleague in the New World Symphony that she had to choose between music and God, but couldn't devote time to both.
Really?
No doubt this single mindedness is exactly what's needed to succeed in Ms. Niemi's world. She won an audition and got a job. She's probably an incredible musician. But for me, the biggest thing missing from this memoir is any sense of heart. Where is her passion for music? Does she even like making music or does she simply enjoy the execution more like a sport? The arts require the heart and the head. I wish we had gotten more of a glimpse of this musician's soul.
February 25, 2019
A fascinating peak into the lives of people aspiring to be career musicians in orchestras. We follow the author from a young age when she starts playing drums to her audition and years at Juilliard and then beyond. The stress of the unknown comes through the pages well even though we have the comfort of knowing the outcome. The passion and perserverence portrayed is remarkable. As someone who played an instrument for about 2.5 years growing up, this books offers an intriguing look at a world about which I know little. There is a whole part to the story that sadly many women will relate to regardless of professional field, but to avoid any spoilers, I’ll leave it at that.
August 9, 2020
An intensely personal book that is compellingly written. On the surface it is the story of a percussionist trying to make it as a tenured orchestral performer but underneath it is a deeply intimate look into the life of someone dealing with immense pressure, expectations, anxiety, depression, struggles of power, failures, triumphs, etc. Highly recommended for both musicians and non-musicians. Niemi does a great job of putting into laymen's terms the odd worlds of both classical music and percussion. They are really just vehicles for some important and oft-tabooed topics of conversations.
January 7, 2023
Saw this book in a second hand book store, and thought it would be inspiring to read! Finished on the plane ride- tbh it’s a very good book for non-musicians to get to know the audition world, and I definitely admit that I learned many things in here buuuuuuuuuut it kinda derailed (quite a bit) from the music stuff. It was just too much romance content for me…and also I understand nerves are an important part but like 50% of the book is about taking pills (which I do not recommend for fighting stage anxiety) and it could go more into the actual audition content, personally thinking.
November 14, 2018
This book gives you a behind the scenes look at what it takes to become a professional musician in a symphony orchestra. Being a percussionist, I found it especially intriguing. However, anyone interested in this topic would enjoy this book.
May 18, 2020
This book was amazing! She did such a great job of describing the mental anguish so many of us artists go through, in an entertaining way. Her experiences of sexual assault from a teacher also need to be heard. I recommend it!
January 24, 2021
An insightful read for anyone interested in the world of classical music—musicians and audience members alike! For me as a (formerly professional) flutist, it was fascinating to read about the issues unique to percussionists. I'll watch and listen to them much more carefully now.
November 1, 2021
At first, I didn't think that I would enjoy this book, but once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I had never before thought about how how professional classical musicians develop and what they experienced. Reading this book was like immersing myself in a whole new world.
April 18, 2021
Fabulous memoir from a working musician. Thank-you Patti so much for telling us about your musical journey.
October 15, 2022
A must read for women in the orchestral world. I was amazed to see that my exact anxieties were mirrored by someone successful 30 years ago.
November 24, 2023
I would recommend this to any serious musician at any age. I tell people about this book all the time.
January 25, 2024
Great book about being a percussionist and the experiences around auditioning for national orchestras. A very personal story.
November 23, 2025
The anxiety oozes off the pages. An inside look at life as one of the best orchestral percussionists in the country. A must-read for women in music, but especially percussionists.
March 27, 2016
Patti Niemi’s Sticking It Out: From Julliard to the Orchestra Pit, A Percussionist’s Memoir is an insightful reportage of the performing arts’ “other 99%”—those who eat more than their share of dirt as they follow the simple American dream of supporting themselves by working in their chosen fields.
In an era of systemic corporatization of the definition of “success” in this country, the machine of performing arts education churns out a gross percentage of graduates beyond what can reasonably be subsumed by the number of jobs available to them. In so doing, even a school like Julliard bears a frightening resemblance to its sister trade-school machines fueling the “more practical” professions in our society like law and business. For this reason, among others, Sticking It Out speaks to a broad audience which specifically includes anyone who has experienced the disenfranchisement borne of overstated educational goals combined with an under-resourced market for their services.
As Niemi unwraps the story of her meteoric ascent to career purgatory, the reader comes quickly both to identifying with her as an Everyman underdog and to rooting for her as she chases the laser dot of her life’s dream around the kitchen floor and up the walls (and even occasionally onto the counters). Niemi writes with the familiarity of a longtime friend, inviting the reader into her inner sanctum to share her deepest thoughts and feelings, her secrets, her insecurities, and her everyday struggles to survive. Through her descent into pharmaceutically-redirected bouts with anxiety, she speaks with the voice of self-knowledge and -awareness (complete with DSM diagnoses) as she narrates her own fettered experience of utter devotion to her passion, her trade, and her ultimate “success” as defined by her profession.
But beyond being a behind-the-scenes recounting of the performance life (not unlike what we have experienced through such genre films as Fame (1980) and Whiplash (2014)), Sticking it Out adds the outlier’s perspective of a woman in the man’s world of percussion. Through Niemi, we share firsthand how encounters with sexual harassment and other forms of power plays can shape one’s career as a professional musician, not to mention one’s sense of self as a human struggling for survival in a dog-eat-dog world.
Whether or not you are a performer, know a performer, or know someone who aspires to a career in the performing arts, such a knowledge base is not prerequisite to finding this memoir an eye-opening (and gut-wrenching) insight into pursuing your own excellence in face of adversity.
In an era of systemic corporatization of the definition of “success” in this country, the machine of performing arts education churns out a gross percentage of graduates beyond what can reasonably be subsumed by the number of jobs available to them. In so doing, even a school like Julliard bears a frightening resemblance to its sister trade-school machines fueling the “more practical” professions in our society like law and business. For this reason, among others, Sticking It Out speaks to a broad audience which specifically includes anyone who has experienced the disenfranchisement borne of overstated educational goals combined with an under-resourced market for their services.
As Niemi unwraps the story of her meteoric ascent to career purgatory, the reader comes quickly both to identifying with her as an Everyman underdog and to rooting for her as she chases the laser dot of her life’s dream around the kitchen floor and up the walls (and even occasionally onto the counters). Niemi writes with the familiarity of a longtime friend, inviting the reader into her inner sanctum to share her deepest thoughts and feelings, her secrets, her insecurities, and her everyday struggles to survive. Through her descent into pharmaceutically-redirected bouts with anxiety, she speaks with the voice of self-knowledge and -awareness (complete with DSM diagnoses) as she narrates her own fettered experience of utter devotion to her passion, her trade, and her ultimate “success” as defined by her profession.
But beyond being a behind-the-scenes recounting of the performance life (not unlike what we have experienced through such genre films as Fame (1980) and Whiplash (2014)), Sticking it Out adds the outlier’s perspective of a woman in the man’s world of percussion. Through Niemi, we share firsthand how encounters with sexual harassment and other forms of power plays can shape one’s career as a professional musician, not to mention one’s sense of self as a human struggling for survival in a dog-eat-dog world.
Whether or not you are a performer, know a performer, or know someone who aspires to a career in the performing arts, such a knowledge base is not prerequisite to finding this memoir an eye-opening (and gut-wrenching) insight into pursuing your own excellence in face of adversity.
January 7, 2016
In this memoir, Patti shares her experiences of becoming a percussionist for an opera orchestra. She shares insights from her early memories including the high score she got on rhythm aptitude as a child and throughout her life. The cost of her obtaining greatness has not come easy. She experiences much stress and anxiety as she practices for hours on end at Julliard. At one point she is put on a beta blocker-Inderal. She copes with mental issues and an ulcer.
She talks about her experiences with the Colorado Phil, her relationships, time spent the New Symphony in Miami. In the end, she ends up with the San Fran Opera Orchestra.
I enjoyed this book very much. I love to read about real world experiences and this one was about dedication. She pushed herself incredibly hard to obtain her status and it shows you at what costs she was willing to take on to get there. The story was gripping and I enjoyed reading the entire story. This was an excellent read.
She talks about her experiences with the Colorado Phil, her relationships, time spent the New Symphony in Miami. In the end, she ends up with the San Fran Opera Orchestra.
I enjoyed this book very much. I love to read about real world experiences and this one was about dedication. She pushed herself incredibly hard to obtain her status and it shows you at what costs she was willing to take on to get there. The story was gripping and I enjoyed reading the entire story. This was an excellent read.
April 2, 2016
Here is a rich and suspenseful journey, from childhood to professional engagement, described so vividly by Patti Niemi! The perfectionism which is fundamental to the success of any musician is beautifully described - the hours of practice and sacrifice may be taken for granted, but Niemi takes the reader deep into the mindset of auditioning, competition between colleagues, learning from master teachers and on-the-job experience. To top it all off, Niemi may inspire every woman and girl with her heartbreakingly honest tale mirroring the struggles of Anita Hill. Niemi's memoir is honest, funny and genuine - a must-read for any music student!
August 15, 2016
This book is different from what I usually read, and I really enjoyed it – a very interesting story told with honesty & simplicity in a unique voice. Patti's personality and humor comes through in the writing style. I felt like I got a lot of insight into the tough, odd path that most classical musicians have to go through to be successful, which was rather fascinating. The aspect about her personal struggles was equally interesting in a different way – so many people have psychological challenges, but don't share them with others, and I believe this book probably helped a lot of people who could relate to what she went through. I've proposed it to my book group and they're loving it!
August 17, 2016
Well written about our orchestra players. That's about my story, I'm percussionist too. If you have watched concert or opera you might be think about how talented people they are. But there's untold stories in this book only our musicians know. Everyone believe we are living high class or driving a car like Porsche. The author, Patti Niemi explain our metal part that we won't say anything. If you are considering to read it it's time to go. And bring the book go to the theater where you can. The music is always close to you.
January 9, 2017
Ero and I have been immensely enjoying our jaunts to the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall, and I thought it might be nice to find out more about what it's actually like to be in an orchestra. I was hoping for a lot of scandal, but apparently it's mostly a lot of very neurotic and sometimes mean-spirited try-hards, although, to be fair, they are earnest try-hards doing something they love. Which I guess all makes sense. Further thoughts reserved for two-person bookclub with ero!
March 30, 2016
I couldn't put this book down! Niemi draws you into a world that so few of us get to see and she does so in a well-written narrative. I found myself rooting both personally and professionally for her the whole way through!
March 25, 2016
I received this as a first read. I really enjoy this look at the behind the scenes of a orchestra. This book had many interesting stories. The Author writes with a great style. This made the book fun and easy to read. A great read.
April 7, 2016
A beautiful, touching, brave, funny, inspiring memoir. Even if you are not a musician (as I am not), you will find much to relate to in this incredibly intimate and human story. A bonus: The writing is superb!
January 10, 2017
Terrific look behind the scenes at the life of a young musician.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews