Q&A with Staff Sergeant Audrey Yu

Q: Were there any challenging moments during your career?

A: I remember I finished an audition that I really, really wanted, and I worked really hard for it, and I lost. I was depressed and I actually put my oboe away and didn't want to play again (this was before I won my current job). What got me out of it was Dr. Shewan. He posted this beautiful ballad and I had to take my oboe out to play it on my instrument for fun, and that helped me fall back in love with it. 

Q: What has contributed to your success?

A: There's always been so much support at Williamsville for the Arts, which is incredible. The community has been very supportive, which definitely helped me to continue playing music.  In most of the country music programs are the first thing to go, while the backing here has always been strong. The facilities here are better here than my band has, and that's a professional band. Seeing it from the school district is amazing, and I assume it's parents and teachers that decide to really advocate for it, so it's very special here.

Q: Would you have any tips for the younger students who want to continue music as a career?

A: There's going to be a lot of the time before you get to where you want to be, and also, a lot of the time you think there's only one destination; there's one job. For me, there was only one job you can only get in, and if you got the orchestra job then you made it. But what is making it? You could be a studio artist, you could be famous like John Stevens. There's a million things you could do. You could go on American Idol or write tunes and stuff like that. You could be a teacher and change literally thousands of lives, so there's many opportunities for you to cover your own path. 

Another thing is that there are going to be many, many years (especially if you're auditioning), where it's really hard emotionally, and it's really taxing. You may feel like you have to play a certain way for people to like you, and you're going to have to prove yourself. You're going to feel like your biggest critic. You could potentially say the meanest things you've ever heard to yourself, because it's just that kind of field, even though none of it really matters.

I think my biggest piece of advice would be to remember why you love the instrument and have fun with it. Also, try to be your own biggest supporter, as much as you can, because at the end of it, when you're on stage auditioning, you're the only one up there. You probably rock, so believe in yourself.