Declining My First Gig & Why It Was The Right Decision
I can’t believe I actually declined a gig. If you had ever told me that I would turn down an opportunity to play, I would have laughed. I’m not at the level where I can pick and choose what I want, far from it. Things are growing for sure, but I still feel like I should be saying “yes” to everything. And yet, here I am, having said “no” for the first time.
It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary.
The inquiry came in like many others - someone looking for live violin music for their wedding ceremony. But then, they asked if I worked with a guitarist or pianist for a duet feel, or if I could team up with the church organist for the ceremony.
This was the first request of this nature since I started this platform. I sat paralyzed on my couch with the email open on my laptop, mentally battling myself on my next move. I could have made it work. It wouldn’t have been the worst gig. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that saying "yes" meant saying "no" to the act I’ve worked hard to build.
I started doing weddings again because I found a way to make them fun for me. Long gone are the days of playing a nine-minute rendition of Canon in D while my cello partner mentally checked out from boredom. No more playing Ave Maria for a room of people who don’t even recognize the tune. Weddings should be about joy, about celebration - not just about tradition for tradition’s sake. And that’s exactly what I set out to create with my act. I want to play gigs knowing I get to improvise a jazz solo over some Sinatra, or play an all Taylor Swift set because the couple is just that obsessed. I want to make weddings feel personal, fun, and full of life. Not just another run-through of the same old ceremony music.
Turning down this gig wasn’t about arrogance or exclusivity. It wasn’t about thinking I’m too good to play with others. It was about protecting what I’m building. My act is a solo violin experience; something different, something fresh, something that makes weddings feel less like a formal ceremony and more like a true celebration, without sacrificing the elegance.
Saying "yes" would have been the easy route. But if I keep saying "yes" to things that don’t align with what I’m creating, then what’s the point of building it at all? Declining my first gig taught me a few things:
Not every opportunity is the right one. Just because someone wants to hire me doesn’t mean I’m the right fit, or that I have to make myself fit.
Boundaries matter. I started this act to bring something unique to weddings and events. If I start bending to fit everyone else's vision, I lose the opportunity to show you what makes me special.
Growth isn't just about saying yes. Sometimes it’s about saying no. It feels counterintuitive, but not all growth comes from taking every gig that comes my way. Sometimes, it comes from knowing when to turn one down.
So… yeah. I declined my first gig. And you know what? I don’t regret it. Because if I stay true to what I love, the right bookings - the ones who want my kind of vibe - will find me.
And I can’t wait to play for them.
