What defines us? Often, I wonder how and why people recognize each other. As a professional musician, people often define me by what I do, not knowing much about who I am. It may be interesting that I play the drums for a living, but more interesting is how I got to this point. Where I came from, the daily struggles, the lifetime of different experiences. I suppose those things make me who I am more than what I do.

As I transformed my studio from one large percussion set up to another one this weekend, I also recognize how I myself have transformed from one work to another. When you look at what a soloist does, you see that we are often re-creating works over and over again. Some might think that this could get boring. But re-creation in performance is anything but that. I am not the same person I was last April when I performed Joseph Schwantner’s Percussion Concerto with the Lima Symphony Orchestra. And, when I performed the solo version of Tobias Brostrom’s Arena last week; it wasn’t the same as last summer with the Peninsula Festival Orchestra.

Indeed, the print of music remains the same. But, it is the performer which is constantly changing. This is what makes live performance more interesting and exciting than any recording or computer imitation. The music speaks through me, and I through the music. It contains all of what I’m going through, what I’ve been through, and where I’m going. The creativity lies within the performer, the artist. Without this, the notes are dead. They have no life on that page without performer–just as the paintbrush has no meaning without the painter. Listen deeply, and you will start to know not just the music, but also the person performing it.

If you happen to be around Charleston, WV in January, come hear me perform Joseph Schwantner’s Concerto for Percussion with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. I want to share its life, and mine with you.

See you soon,

Lisa P.