We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Abby Monroe. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Abby below.

Hi Abby, thanks for joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

The biggest unexpected setback that I ever faced came towards the end of my time in undergrad. I went to college in San Francisco, which is a notoriously expensive place to live, so all throughout college, I had to work a series of non-musical jobs to get by. I worked mainly in a coffee shop, which was a lot of fun for a college side-hustle. However, as I started to get more established in the Bay Area as a working musician, having the coffee shop job on top of playing gigs and performing was incredibly hectic. There was a turning point right before my last year of college where I realized that my music schedule was becoming too unpredictable, and I was making enough money doing it enough to get by, so I decided to quit the coffee shop and focus on music entirely.

The first several months were incredible, I was still finishing up my performance degree, but I was playing gigs every weekend and admittedly even missing some classes during the week to go to gigs, but I figured “Hey, this is what I’m in school to learn how to do, and I’m actually doing it!” and it was very exciting to me. I was set to graduate in May of 2020, so unfortunately by March of that year, everything had taken an unfortunate turn. I had spent so much time anticipating what life as a freelance musician was going to be once I finished school and could focus on it full time, but everything shut down because of the pandemic before I had even gotten that far.

For a while, it felt to me like the lifetime of work that I had put into this craft was about to get thrown away. I, like many musicians, was unsure the next time I would get to perform again. I ended up getting my degree in May, but everything was still shut down, there was no live music. The world that I spent a lifetime fantasizing about no longer felt real. It was painful to feel like I was on the cusp of the career I wanted to have, just to have it taken away.

When I was finishing my degree, I used to joke around and say “The world would have to end before I ever go back to school again…” and in the spirit of honesty and fear of the unknown, I did end up going back to school in 2020.

While the pandemic was a major setback at the time, I look at it now as something that ended up positively changing the course of my life. While I was pursuing the diploma that I went back to school for, I saw an opportunity to audition for an orchestra in the Midwest, which at the time definitely felt like a long shot to me. I always enjoyed the idea of playing in an orchestra, which was the kind of performing that I seldom did in the Bay Area. I was mostly performing for weddings, recording sessions, and other events, but the orchestra always held a special place to me. I ended up sending in an audition tape and winning the job!

Until 2020, I had this vision of staying and establishing my career in the Bay Area as a working musician. Now, I am based out of Chicago, and while I do find myself working in California very often, I have a lot of opportunities in and around Chicago that years ago I could have never dreamed of. While I know that the musical life I’ve dreamt of is still a work in progress, to say that I’m immensely grateful for the career that I’ve established so far would be an understatement.

Abby, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Abby Monroe, and I work as a freelance cellist.

My career is very exciting and also very hectic. No two days are ever truly the same, and my days of resting are few and far between. One day I may be sitting in rehearsal with an orchestra, and the next, I may be driving all over the Midwest hopping from gig to gig. I spend a lot of time on the road, in hotels, and on couches, all over the place while I’m traveling. I’m currently based out of Chicago, and yet I spend close to no time in Chicago. I even joke around and call my apartment “an expensive storage unit” because it’s where I keep everything I own, but I’m never there.

I know that the busy lifestyle that I’ve established isn’t appealing to everyone. I am a first generation classical musician who comes from a working class background, so I’ve always held the understanding that nothing would ever simply be handed to me in this life. The value of having a strong work ethic has always felt inherent, and has certainly informed the trajectory of my career. Classical training in itself requires an abundance of hard work, and to be making a career out of it truly feels like the reward for a lifetime of practice and self improvement to make it happen.

As a freelance musician, staying busy means that you’re in demand and people enjoy working with you. The belief that I have that often fuels me is that being a musician is really about more than just showing up and playing the notes. When I was in school, I remember hearing a mentor say something along the lines of “music school will teach you to be a good musician, and life will teach you to be a good person…”. I’ve found that so much of the mindset I have comes from trying to find a balance of both great musicianship and professionalism, and being the kind of person that people enjoy the company of and want to be around. This comes not just from spending the necessary time in the practice room learning the music, but also giving myself space from the instrument when time allows, to consume as much of the human experience as I can.

To me, music isn’t just an industry, it’s a community. I think that inspiration in my career is often fueled by my colleagues and those in my community. Seeing friends and colleagues achieve their musical and career goals is very exciting. I have several friends that are at incredible turning points in their careers where they’re getting wonderful opportunities and winning big jobs, and it’s inspiring to see. Watching my colleagues achieve their goals makes me deeply appreciate working in a community that inspires me to work hard for mine as well, and I do hope to be the same inspiration to others in return.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

As I navigate this point in my career as a classical musician, I’m reminded constantly of the value of the musician community as my greatest resource.

Oftentimes, I find myself consumed in the process of doing the technical work, practicing orchestra excerpts and scales with only myself to pass judgment. Occasionally when I’ve practiced myself into a rut, I will approach a highly respected and experienced musician for a lesson. However, at this point in life, consistent musical mentorship can become a serious expense. What I admire about the community that I exist in is the abundance of well-trained ears that are willing to listen and offer advice.

When I was in school, I was always captivated by the success of my classmates and studio mates. That respect has certainly manifested itself in my working life. I find myself deeply inspired by seeing my colleagues achieve success and reach their goals. Additionally, listening to great live performances by friends and colleagues is exciting. I find that listening to performances by those that I know personally gives music a necessary humanity, which can sometimes be forgotten when I’m lost in the void of doing technical work.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I often find the dreams that I have for my life changing as I continue to obtain more meaningful experiences. One of the really beautiful things about a career in music is that it has the potential to lead to so many different paths. When I was younger, I remember thinking that I never wanted to perform, and all that I wanted to do was teach music. I idolized my music teachers so much at an early age, and I always believed that I wanted to inspire others in the ways that they had inspired me to pursue music. While that desire to inspire music into others certainly hasn’t changed, I can’t imagine life without performing.

I find that every single person that I meet and every experience that I’ve had in my career has made an impact on the dreams that I have for the future. I’m constantly meeting new musicians and artists who despite us all being unified by our work, lead very different lives. I’ve met musicians who specialize in teaching, chamber music, orchestral playing, recording, you name it! For me, the opportunity to be surrounded by music in every form and as often as I have has been incredibly fulfilling, and there’s no end goal in a musical life that I haven’t considered. However, I find that my dreams always lead me to the desire to play full time in an orchestra.

I think that the desire for a job in an orchestra developed over time. I’ve always adored not just the music, but the orchestra experience. I speak often about the value of being surrounded by a community, and the orchestra really is just that. I remember when I was growing up, Sunday night youth orchestra rehearsals were the highlight of my week, not just because I adored the opportunity to play my cello, but I really enjoyed seeing my friends as well. I’ve found that this feeling has certainly manifested itself in my career. Perhaps I’m a people person, or perhaps it’s the joy of a room full of people working together to create something beautiful, but the orchestra has truly become my great love, and the goal I continue to strive for.

Right now, my end goal is still a work in progress of course. The journey is tough, but ultimately very fulfilling. If I can wake up every day and find at least one moment that brings me joy along the way, then I figure I’m doing something right.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gigsalad.com/abigail_monroe-_cello_san_francisco
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whoisabby/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abby.monroe.92?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-monroe-42110518a
• Other: https://soundcloud.com/abby-monroe https://westmichigansymphony.org/staff/abigail-monroe/

Image Credits
Colby Bond, Peter Dervin