We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sophia Augustine. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sophia below.
Sophia, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I’ve never overcome imposter syndrome, I’m just learning how to not listen to all the voices that are telling me I shouldn’t be where I am. I used to be super anxious about being surrounded by professional musicians as well as young musicians like myself, and to be honest, I still do. But I’m learning that everyone is learning from everyone, regardless of their status. I think that’s what’s helped me get better at stopping the thoughts of “I’m not good enough” or “I shouldn’t be playing with these people” because it makes me feel more grounded knowing that a lot of people are in my position. Even the people that have been playing for decades longer that I have, they just mask it better than I do.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
This past two years specifically I’ve been playing jazz bass around bands in L.A and in that time, I’ve been able to be in a band called Lana Drincic and Friends, alongside Lana Drincic who is an amazing pianist as our bandleader. She is releasing a record of her’s that I had the chance to play on as well as a project called JIA with my brother Jake and I’s music. I’m super excited for both to come out because they really describe the differences in the style of music I love to play. Lana’s record is super fun because all of her songs have something completely different to say and it’s also the same for my brother and I’s record. There’s something for everyone on both and I’m really excited to have something that I can say is mine or that I got to be apart of. I’m also in my last semester at CSUN and debating on going to grad school or establishing more of my name here. Playing upright bass in a place like L.A. is exciting and daunting at the same time because there’s so much happening everywhere and all at once so I feel needed, but really small at the same time because there is so much music everywhere. But that’s also what’s really cool, there’s so much to listen to, so many people to play with, and so much to do.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities that have been the most impactful for me are being driven, being honest, and strong. There have been so many instances where I’ve wanted to quit, or not ask for help when I need it, but being driven and honest have been the qualities I’ve been trying to get better at when those situations come up. I’m not someone who naturally talks about what I’m going through so being honest about struggles, I’ve learned, are super important and that’s also where my toughness comes in handy. Advice I can give to people is to not hold in all your struggles from everyone else, especially if you have friends or people you can trust who want you to succeed. A lot of the time, I would feel like people don’t care what I have to say or how I’m doing/feeling, but that’s not true, that’s just something my brains made me feel like. And also surround yourself with people you can truly be honest with because the more honest you get to be with people, the more likely it’ll be that you’ll stay connected and close with them which is super important, especially in a field that can make you feel really small.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
“The Music Lesson” by Victor Wooten was and has been something I always look at when I need a boost in my confidence. Sometimes, I forget how fun it is to play music because I get lost in the stress and the weight of all of it, but when I started playing, I did it for fun, not because it was a job. So when I need that reminder, I read through a lot of quotes in that book because he really highlights that throughout it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Sophia.augusqween AND jakeandfiaequalsjia
