Meet Shiri Wolman

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shiri Wolman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shiri, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I picked up the clarinet when I was 10 and started classical training pretty soon after. That became my world for years- etudes, solo pieces, orchestras. For a long time, I thought I knew exactly where I was headed. My dream was to study at Juilliard and pursue a career in classical performance.
But during high school, something started to shift. I began to feel less connected to classical music, like I was going through the motions but not really connecting with what I was playing. That’s when I started listening to jazz, and everything changed. Suddenly, the focus wasn’t on playing something perfectly; it was about listening deeply and telling a personal story.It was exciting, but also really intimidating. I was used to structure, and jazz felt like stepping into the unknown.
That transition wasn’t easy. I didn’t sound the way I wanted to, and I constantly felt like I was behind. But I kept going, and looking back, I think that experience of starting over is where my resilience really began to take shape. It taught me how to stay curious and patient even when things felt uncomfortable or uncertain.
Eventually, I let go of the Juilliard path and set my sights on Berklee. I’m now a dual major in Performance and Electronic Production & Sound Design, studying on a full-tuition scholarship. The production side of my degree is still very new to me; it feels like learning a new instrument. It can be really overwhelming at times, but I’m slowly finding my way into it. Electronic music has always inspired me, and my goal is to create original work that brings it into conversation with my jazz background.
Being a dual major comes with a lot of pressure. There are definitely days when I feel completely unsure of myself. But I think my resilience comes from the fact that I care deeply about what I do. I genuinely love music, and even when things get hard, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
I’m also lucky to have people in my life- especially my friends and family, who remind me of what I’m capable of when I forget. For me, resilience isn’t about pushing through everything perfectly. It’s more about staying connected to what matters, not giving up, and learning to trust that it’s okay to still be figuring things out.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a jazz clarinetist and aspiring producer originally from Israel, now based in Boston, where I study at Berklee College of Music. I still perform in various classical settings and feel deeply connected to that tradition, but artistically, my main focus is jazz.
At Berklee, I also started diving deeper into electronic production and sound design. That world had always fascinated me, and now I’m exploring how to bring all these influences into conversation with one another.
I think something that sets me apart is that I’m building fluency in very different musical languages, and I’m excited by the ways they can inform and expand each other. It’s not always easy to hold space for all of them at once, but that’s part of the creative challenge, and it’s what keeps me curious.
Outside of performing, I also teach private clarinet lessons. Teaching has been a really meaningful way to stay connected to my roots, and it’s helped me grow as both a player and a listener.
These days, I perform regularly in various shows and gigs, and I’m always looking for opportunities to collaborate. One of my biggest goals is to connect with as many artists as I can and create together. I love being around people who think differently and learn from their perspectives.
Looking ahead, I hope to create and perform original work that weaves together jazz and electronic music in a way that feels personal and real.

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?

Looking back, I’d say the three most important things that shaped and still shape my journey are versatility as a performer, curiosity, and adaptability.
Versatility is something I’ve come to really value- not just as a mindset, but as a skill I’ve actively worked to develop. I regularly perform in jazz gigs, but I also play in classical orchestras and pit orchestras for musical theater productions. I’ve learned how to adapt to different rehearsal environments, ensemble styles, and musical expectations. Being able to move between genres and roles has made me a more open, creative, and reliable musician.
Curiosity is what got me here in the first place. I started out in classical music and spent years focusing entirely on that tradition. But I was always asking questions, exploring sounds outside of what I knew, and eventually found myself drawn to jazz, and later, to electronic production and sound design. That curiosity helped me keep expanding without feeling like I had to give something up.
Adaptability has been essential through every transition. Moving between different musical worlds, whether stylistically, socially, or technically, requires a kind of flexibility and humility that takes time to build. Whether it was learning to improvise, figuring out a new DAW, or jumping into a completely unfamiliar gig, I’ve had to get comfortable being uncomfortable. And I believe that’s where the biggest growth happens.
If you’re at the start of your journey, I’d say: build your versatility like a skill set. Say yes to every opportunity, even if it’s out of your comfort zone. Stay curious, and don’t let uncertainty stop you from moving forward. Every experience adds something to your voice, even if you don’t see how it fits yet.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Right now, the biggest challenge I’m facing is finding balance between all the different parts of my artistic life, while also navigating the self-doubt that sometimes comes with it. I’m passionate about performing and producing, and I’m constantly inspired by new ideas and collaborations. But trying to keep all of those things going at once, while also being a student and a person, can feel overwhelming.
Along with that, I’ve dealt with imposter syndrome, especially when stepping into new spaces or taking creative risks. It can be hard to feel like you “belong” when you’re still figuring things out, or when you’re moving between very different musical communities like classical and jazz. Sometimes I put pressure on myself to be excellent in everything all the time, which isn’t realistic or sustainable.
What I’m doing to work through it is learning to prioritize more intentionally and to give myself grace when I’m learning or growing through something. I’ve been carving out clearer time for focused practice, creative experimentation, and rest, trying not to treat every task like an emergency.
Imposter syndrome doesn’t go away overnight, but I’m learning to recognize it without letting it define me. And I’m realizing that balance isn’t about doing everything perfectly, it’s about staying grounded in why I love making music in the first place.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiri.wolman?igsh=MThnMGN0cmt5b2F3eQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@shiriwolman?si=vDenp9w8yuhvhFaV

Image Credits

Yogev Toby
Devon Xu
Makka Dukka