Meet Sasha Ono

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

Sasha, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Such a cliché, but fake it until you make it! I had lots of practice, growing up in a predominantly wealthy and white neighborhood I experienced a lot of racism and other-isms. I went from trying to just blend into the background and aiming to be as invisible as possible, to developing enough confidence to be myself no matter what the circumstance. I still struggle with this from time to time, and I think of it more as a skill – something that needs consistent practice. From small social situations to bigger ones, I always remind myself that we’re all still people dealing with our individual obstacles and victories. Being able to connect with others on a basic human level while developing confidence in myself has helped me to feel more comfortable in situations where I am the only one in the room that looks like me. There have been many times where I have experienced being overlooked, talked over, mistaken for another person, etc. and I’ve learned it’s okay to be upset by this. Knowing how to assert myself and judging when it’s most beneficial for me to stay in a situation versus when it’s best for me to choose another route will continue to be an ongoing journey.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a freelance cellist, currently based in New York city. What does a freelance musician even do? The question I get asked most often is “Are you in the symphony?” and when the answer I have is “sometimes” it gets a little complicated. Every freelance musician chooses to balance their lives and income in different ways. I have a love for all genres of classical music and being a freelance musician allows me to constantly ask myself “What are my current and future artist goals and how can I get there”?. A week for me often looks like rehearsals for chamber music concerts, playing music for private events, taking calls with different artists for potential work, contracting musicians for recording sessions and events, and recording music for albums and TV shows. Being a musician has put me in spaces and places I used to dream about! I played for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, traveled across the world to play music, played solo in stadiums with over 10,000 people, met some of my artistic heroes, been on TV sets with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez. This month I will be at Carnegie Hall three times with different groups, playing very different kinds of music.

I love the variety in my schedule and work. I am particularly excited about a residency project I am working on for Camilo Godoy at The New Museum in February, where I will be playing cello in partially composed and improvised music with dancers. The project is called “renacemos a cada instante” – (we are reborn at every moment) and I feel deeply connected to the artistic core of this work.

My own two personal projects are “Lotus Chamber Music Collective”, a chamber music project focused on amplifying under-represented voices in classical music, and “Comfy Classical” a salon concert series that is explicitly inviting and comfy (think, everyone in PJs, sweats or comfy clothes – including the musicians). This year Lotus Chamber Music Collective is releasing an album “In Her Voice” featuring all women composers, supported by a grant from Chamber Music America.

Comfy Classical will be expanding to work with different businesses to bring in new audiences and provide a space for musicians to be comfortable and really enjoy the music we make, in a relaxed environment. We have worked with a clothing brand and community staple in Inwood, NY called “MRFU” and will continue to bring unique community events to various locations.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Eagerness to learn through observation, willingness to be the least skilled person in the room, and creating systems to work. When I first quit my full time job and started working as a freelance musician, I hit the ground running by finding every musician group on social media, got coffee or drinks with friends and colleagues, attended shows, and started putting myself out there musically. Online and in person I started learning the cultural norms of being a working musician and I observed musicians who I thought of as successful.

Noticing and even wanting to be the least skilled person in the room relatively often really helps me to continue to grow. It’s easy to get comfortable at a certain point and to feel like the work you’re doing is starting to become stale. In those moments, I start to reflect on what my own artistic goals are – not just where my gigs are starting to take me. I reach out to musicians and artists I admire and want to work with. I’m not afraid to be the least skilled person, and then challenge myself to rise to the occasion. This has really helped me grow and learn from my colleagues.

Being a freelance musician can be really hectic! You have a lot of people to answer to, different assignments and projects going on all at the same time. I spent a lot of time reading about, watching videos, and learning about various working systems. I started out reading a lot of Tim Ferris’ books and podcasts, which led me to James Clear’s work, and to learning about Notion. I think every freelance worker could gain so much from platforms like Notion or Asana for organization. Being able to do big brain dumps and creating systems of organization has allowed me to be more present and engage in the more creative parts of my work.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
In the last 12 months, I have really learned to take more time to reflect. At the end of 2023, I participated in a young women’s Buddhist group that regularly met, kind of part book club, part discussion group where we checked in with each other bi-weekly about challenges and goals. We talked about philosophy, personal struggles, personal victories, in a very beautifully vulnerable way. Participating in this club really encouraged me to reflect and connect on a deep level which is a practice I have been very intentional about continuing into 2024. It really helped me to clarify my own goals and even become aware of struggles that weren’t on my radar. I would encourage everyone to find a close group of friends you can deeply connect with and check-in regularly about all aspects of life.

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Image Credits
Miranda Suess, Liz Maney, Drew Bordeaux, Jimmy O’Connell

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