Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Young.
Abby, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a musical family in Southern Oregon, and my brother and I were given music lessons from a young age. My father, a guitarist, performed at all kinds of local venues throughout my life, and also had a wedding music business on the side. My brother and I joined his musician roster as kids and grew up playing gigs in addition to our regular music instruction. My musical training was primarily classical, though my parents made sure to supplement school orchestra and youth symphony during the school year with non-classical summer programs. I did multi-genre fiddle camps throughout the US, learned Celtic fiddling in Ireland, and drove all the way from Oregon to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, to study in my favorite Canadian fiddler’s hometown. Most importantly, throughout the year, we also played in my dad’s Klezmer band at home.
After high school, I moved a few hours north to begin college at the University of Oregon, where I was admitted as a music major. I wasn’t ready to devote myself entirely to music, so I also studied Spanish and Arts Administration. I decided to apply to graduate programs in music and was fortunate to receive a fellowship to the Henry Mancini Institute (HMI) at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. While in HMI, I got to perform with many giants of the music industry, such as the legendary Gloria Estefan, and was even able to start networking and working on the side while finishing my degrees. By the time I graduated with my Doctorate of Musical Arts in May of 2017, I had a full performance and teaching schedule lined up in Miami for the following fall.
In addition to traditional performances with many arts organizations in Miami, I also quickly entered the wedding and special event business when I moved here. I began working for many contractors and larger companies within the industry, and have now built my own music business for clients who come to me directly.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My biggest challenge was a physical injury I suffered a few years ago. The diagnostic process was scary, as some misdirected treatments made my pain increase, and also delayed my healing. Other diagnoses meant that I might not be able to play my violin again, or at least not at a high level. Ultimately, I had to stop playing my violin for a few months, which was terrifying, especially not knowing if I would even make a full recovery in the end. During this time, not only did I experience physical pain and uncertainty, but I dealt with a lot of emotional challenges as well. I realized that my entire identity was shaped by my life playing the violin and that my self-worth had been very dependent on my ability to provide for myself through my career in music. It was difficult to back out of all the work I had committed to, and also really hard to sit in the audience for performances I was supposed to be on stage for.
When I was eventually cleared to start playing violin again, I had to start slowly as not to reinjure myself. The rehab process was frustrating and at times excruciating, but it also taught me a lot about time management. If I committed to one project, that would mean less or no playing time left for another, and I realized how fearless I had been with my time prior to the injury. As many freelance musicians can attest to, it’s hard to avoid the “take everything you can get” mentality, since we never know if a drier month is coming. After my injury, I was more careful to count the hours I was playing my violin a day (at my peak in graduate school, I was often playing eight hours a day with rehearsals, practicing, gigs, etc.). I also learned to leave one day per week violin-free, in order to give my body time to rest and recover, since musicians don’t automatically get weekends free like much of the world with 9-5’s do. We generally rehearse (and teach lessons) during the week, and perform on the weekends, so we often work for weeks or months without a true day off.
Eventually, my injury began to heal, and I have been back to a full schedule of performing for a few years. I am careful to listen to my body if I feel pain and need to take a break, and overall I am able to work freely without lingering complications from my injury. I am grateful to the medical providers who helped me along the way and am quick to help fellow musicians who mention pain or are navigating an injury.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am thrilled to be on the rosters for the top orchestras in South Florida, such as the Naples Philharmonic, the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra, the Palm Beach Symphony, and the Atlantic Classical Orchestra. Other one-off shows or tours hire musicians locally in each city, so I have also had the opportunity to share the stage with Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bolton, José Feliciano, Natalie Cole, the Marley Brothers, KSHMR, and Shakira at the Superbowl LIV Halftime Show. Additionally, I have cultivated a private violin studio, and I give my students weekly lessons. And, finally, I serve as the Personnel Manager for Nu Deco Ensemble, in addition to playing violin in the group. Nu Deco, Miami’s 21st-Century Genre-Bending Orchestra, plays a multitude of musical genres at a very high level and is a perfect fit for the varied music training I’ve had throughout my life. It is an honor to be part of the leadership team, and an absolute thrill to help bring the music to life each show.
In addition to my work with other arts organizations, I have also established my own music company for private performances, such as weddings, corporate functions, and other special events. Having consistently performed at weddings and parties since childhood, I bring decades of experience to my business and feel right at home in the special event industry. I am also both a performer as well as the contractor for larger ensembles of musicians, so there is no middleman in my dealings with clients. More specifically, as a one-woman show, I communicate directly with clients in order to deliver exactly what they envision for their events. A larger music company, while able to produce events on a much larger scale, will often have one or more degrees of separation between the client and the actual musicians performing, so I am proud to offer a more intimate experience. And, because I am a small company (and also because of my commitment to so many local orchestras), I only take a limited number of private bookings around my other performances, and therefore am able to give my clients my full attention and dedication.
My most common offerings are solo violin or string ensemble (from a string duo up to a string octet or larger), and I offer a mix of classical and popular music, depending on the clients’ preference. I have also booked Klezmer bands for Bar Mitzvahs and performed Celtic music for St. Patrick’s Day, so I have developed a diverse portfolio. I am grateful to have built an extensive list of musicians whom I trust and work with regularly, so I am able to offer more than what I can perform myself. I am proud of these wonderful musicians that I know will take each client’s request as seriously as I do, and I’ve received nothing but positive feedback on their professionalism and performances.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m glad you asked! I am very grateful for the many blessings I’ve had in my life. As relates to my career in Miami, I was fortunate to move here right as a new colleague’s musical partner was leaving town. Not only did this colleague become a close friend, she quickly brought me on as her second violinist for weddings and other performances within a month of meeting each other. She also had a full roster of violin students at the time, so any time she got an inquiry that she didn’t have space for, she would recommend me in her place. The timing of my move and the speed of this new friendship launched me into the Miami wedding industry quickly, mainly due to her trust in me and from the relationship we built.
I am also grateful that I chose to come to Miami for graduate school for many reasons, especially due to the opportunities available in such a big, vibrant city. I received offers from other programs I was considering, all of which were in much smaller cities and towns. I can’t even imagine where I’d be now had I not been able to start working while I was studying, both in order to network and build a life for myself post-graduation, but also to get prior experience working professionally.
Along these lines, I am also grateful to the Henry Mancini Institute and the University of Miami Frost School of Music. In addition to providing a fellowship in order to make graduate school possible, the musical and professional opportunities within the program were of professional caliber and unmatched by any other program I had considered. I began my five years in the program filming a PBS special with Bobby McFerrin and Chick Corea and ended my time on stage with Kristin Chenoweth, John Williams, Quincy Jones, and Julie Andrews. It was an unbelievable ride that both strengthened my technical foundation as a classical violinist and also expanded my comfort in other genres and types of performances.
HMI also gave me my first position as an orchestra personnel manager, in addition to my responsibilities as a violinist. I am forever grateful for my mentor who saw the role as a natural fit for me before I ever knew it myself. Just one month after graduating, I was hired as the personnel manager for Nu Deco Ensemble, largely because of the experience I gained in the four years I spent as orchestra personnel manager at HMI. I couldn’t have asked for better timing for such an amazing organization to post a job opening, much less for the administrative role I’m best at and enjoy the most.
Finally, I was lucky to grow up in a supportive, musical family, who made sure I had traditional music instruction as well as a broad musical education. In addition to performing with my family all around our community, I also played at many weddings and special events through my dad’s business. I was fortunate to know a lot about weddings before even graduating high school, which later proved invaluable when entering the massive wedding industry of Miami. I would often ask my dad for professional guidance while beginning to establish myself in South Florida, and I still call him for advice to this day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.abbyyoung.com
- Email: ayoungviolinist@gmail.com
- Instagram: @abbyyoungmusic
Image Credit:
Headshot: Eric Eakes, KSHMR (red outfits): Altamira Film Co., Nu Deco: Alex Markow, Superbowl: Ruth Jáuregui, Recital: Stepan Rudenko, Beach wedding: Dotun Ayodeji
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