We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amy Gabbitas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy below.
Amy, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My life has never been easy, but his has always been full of blessings. I think my resiliency comes from knowing that things will work out in the grand scheme of things. My faith gives me confidence that God has a plan for me and as I pay attention to spiritual promptings, I will always find good things to keep working towards and help to get me through hard things.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I knew that I was a musician from a very young age. My grandma gave me my first piano lessons when I was only three years old. Family time included a lot of singing and playing instruments. I didn’t discover my affinity towards the clarinet until the very end of 8th grade, which is a bit late for classical musicians. All of my foundational musicianship skills combined with my education at a performing arts high school combined to prepare me for college music auditions. I chose to be a music major when Brigham Young University offered me a combined music/academic scholarship. My time there included lessons from five different teachers, participation in several band, orchestras and chamber ensembles and the opportunity to tour the world playing music. I chose to complete my Bachelor of Music and Master of Music at BYU. After graduation, my playing career took a 15-year pause when I because a military wife and mother of five talented children. I was able to teach private piano and clarinet students while we moved around the country. In 2012, I met another fellow mother musician, Stephanie Simper, who was ready to start performing again. Our first recital was an oboe, clarinet, piano trio. About the same time, I auditioned and won the principal clarinet position for the newly formed Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra. Aspen Winds, my woodwind quintet, was founded in 2013. Running a brand new professional chamber ensemble was exciting and a bit overwhelming. My main goal was to create programs that educated, entertained and inspired audiences of all ages. In order to do that I had to find great musicians, book venues, put together programs, write grants, market, design, payroll, scheduling, etc. Luckily, those other great musicians bring incredible skills. Now we collaborate and divide tasks so that we all have time to focus on creating beautiful music. In 2014, I felt prompted to return to graduate school at the University of Utah. My husband had recently resigned from the Navy and we were settled in Springville, UT. Our children ranged in age from high school to kindergarten. I had just started working at BYU. Juggling everything for the next 4 1/2 years was a bit crazy. Working, teaching classes, raising children, performing frequently and commuting 1 1/2 hours each way was difficult, but we made it work. Two of my children graduated from high school and my husband decided to rejoin the military as a National Guard Chaplain during my final semester of school. Two weeks after graduating with my Doctorate of Musical Arts in December 2019, my husband left for military chaplain school. January – March 2020 were heavenly. I had free time again. My husband and children were happy and my professional life was full of so many positive and uplifting experiences. Then COVID hit and shut down the world. Our world got even darker than most when I learned that I had a large brain tumor that required a craniotomy and six weeks of radiation. That meant I couldn’t play clarinet for several months and it was a year before I could play without incredible pain. I was facing a very possible reality that I would not be able to continue my performing career. So I focused on what I could still do. I took a class on arranging and wrote a dozen hymn arrangements for woodwind trio. My teaching studio grew and I ended up being the woodwind coach at the local high school while still requiring the use of a cane to walk. Those high school kids gave me a reason to get out of bed a few days each week when just getting dressed was exhausting. Thankfully, I can play again, possibly better than before surgery. Recently I got to play one of my favorite clarinet concertos with the Timpanogos Symphony. Next month I’m playing one of my reed trio arrangements at the LDS military chaplain conference. My teaching studio is growing, I still love working with my marching band students, I got to perform at the International Clarinetfest with my two sons, and Aspen Winds is putting together some incredible programs. My newest endeavor will be teaching Music 1010 at Utah Valley University. Being a musician is an essential characteristic of who I am and I’m so grateful that I get to experience it so many different ways.
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?
When I help my students prepare for college music auditions I ask them to carefully consider if they are ready for music to become their job and not just something they enjoy doing. My high school band director had a similar conversation with me when he said, “If there is anything besides music you could do professionally in life, do that other thing, and keep music as your hobby”. I also encourage my students to take business classes. You need to know about marketing, branding, budgets, grant writing, recording, organization, and NETWORKING! Most jobs come because of who you know. I’m astounded by the number of times a pleasant conversation has resulted in future opportunities. Be nice to everyone, help when you can and always do your very best. When you have a bad performance, figure out why and do better next time. Never be the weakest link – in preparation or personality. Be easy to work with.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I was the oldest of six children and my dad didn’t finish his PhD until I was 12 years old, so money was tight. Providing a musical education was important for my parents, so they got creative on how to provide that for us. My dad fixed up old cars and sold them to earn extra money in graduate school. One time, he traded one of those cars for a room full of band instruments. When it came time for each of us to join band, we got to pick from that variety of instruments. We were promised that once we proved that we were serious about an instrument, they would buy us a nice one. Since I was the oldest, when it came time for me to obtain a nice horn, they really didn’t have the money. My dad helped me get a great high school job with his company building speakers and circuit boards for synthesizers. He then kept a close eye on the local classifieds for a solid used clarinet that I could afford. I played on that clarinet for 20 years. Eventually, my parents purchased my A clarinet as a master’s degree graduation present. I guess they realized that I was finally serious about my instrument. I’ve done similar things with my children and students. It means more to children when they have to invest some time, money and effort.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aspenwinds.org/amy-gabbitas
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspenwindsquintet/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAspenWinds/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAspenWinds
