Patti 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.
"An eye-opening tale of demanding teachers, gruelling practice
schedules, severe performance anxiety and bias against 'girl
drummers' -- a funny, poignant first-person account of the fierce
commitment it takes to succeed in classical music." -- San Jose
Mercury
"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
"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
"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 of Practical Classics: 50
Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven't Touched Since High School
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