Taking the Test Before Learning the Lesson

by Drew Holmes

Early in my career I witnessed something that has stuck with me to this day, something that taught me the true meaning of being a professional.

During my time as Principal Librarian of the Naples Philharmonic, the core percussion of the orchestra consisted of two people: Principal Timpani and Principal Percussion. The remainder of the section was composed of per-service players (frequently top-level conservatory students) who were brought in for concert weeks. If you were, for example, a student at the Curtis Institute of Music and hired for a show in Naples, instead of spending a week in the Philadelphia snow you could be in the Florida sun and get paid to do it. Nice work if you can get it.

One such student had so impressed our Principal Percussionist, Jim, on a previous pops concert with his mallet playing that on the next pops show he was hired specifically for those parts. Erich Kunzel was our pops conductor, so the expectations were high, and the concert hall was always packed. Jim chose to play the snare drum part, serving the dual purpose of giving himself a breather and letting the young up and comer show off for The Prince of Pops.

First rehearsal was a disaster. It was quickly evident that our mallet player had not prepared the parts or even looked at the music. Given his past success with the orchestra, Jim had counted on him showing up prepared, especially since the mallet book for that show was challenging.

Doing what needed to be done, Jim swapped his snare for the keyboards and took over mallets for the run of the show.

While his being ready to play the book was impressive enough, it was what he did after the final performance that has served as an example of true professionalism.

There is a saying in the music world: “You’re only as good as your last performance.” Before he left to go back north, Jim pulled the dejected percussionist aside for a heart to heart to review what had happened.

“I’m not calling you to play for us again,” he told the crestfallen youngster, “and I’ll tell you why. You did not show up prepared to play your part. Never let that happen again.”

I was awestruck. I had had my share of employment rejections and typically there was no feedback of any kind, leaving me to perpetually wonder what had gone wrong. Here was an example of a true professional — not the hotshot who thought he would coast on his part — but the mentor who was reviewing the lesson this failure was trying to teach. In the hyper competitive music world, rarely is constructive feedback like that given, with silence typically the only review of a less than stellar performance.

Life gives the test before teaching the lesson. Falling short of success is only a failure if the lesson is not learned. I do not know if the intended student of that lesson was able to learn and grow from it, but I do know It is one I will never forget.