I played a half-hour audition set for a Potbelly musician’s residency at the end of my freshman year, and I didn’t get the job. When I think of all the people I met and opportunities I’ve gotten in my last three years there, I’m glad I didn’t just accept this rejection. So, I set up another tryout, this time under a different name, and failed the audition again. I didn’t take it personally- I was 18, cocky, and I knew I was good enough for the job, I just didn’t know what to do to convince them of this. One of my favorite musicians, Harry Chapin, had a saying- “when in doubt, do something,” but ‘something’ is pretty vague, so I decided to bug the hell out of them. 9 days later I had the job.
I’ve had the same Wednesday night timeslot since I started. It has been literally the only thing in my life that’s remained constant through my college years. No matter what happened or how busy I was, I knew that I had a non-negotiable 2 hours every week dedicated to music.
After more than 100 performances, tonight was my last show. In a few weeks I’ll be a college graduate, so I thought now would be a good time for my last waltz. For everything that it was, my time there was more than just a job. It was a routine, an escape, a reward, and an emotional outlet.
I’m really going to miss it, but it’s time for that next cocky 18 year old to have his chance.
