Rising Stars: Meet Elsbeth Williams of Denver – Mayfair Neighborhood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elsbeth Williams

Hi Elsbeth, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in a vibrant musical community in Fort Collins, CO. My dad is a violinist, luthier, composer, piano tuner and instrument repairman and my mom is a gifted designer with a passion for playing the piano. While it would have been easy to join the world of string players, from a very young age I was always enamored by the winds. Many thanks to my grandma for encouraging me to select the clarinet and start lessons when I was in third grade. I always felt curious and challenged by music and playing an instrument gave me a sense of place and value. By the time I was ready for college, I was thrilled to be accepted to the University of Denver, Lamont School of Music. This time of my life was exceptionally formative for me. In addition to a degree in clarinet performance, I also pursued two International Studies degrees, which allowed me to travel all over the world. One of my favorite experiences was performing in Vienna at the Institute for European Studies. After graduation, I played for several seasons with the Colorado Wind Ensemble and I worked at the University of Denver Music Library. When Dr. Jeremy Reynolds joined the faculty at Lamont, I studied with him and was inspired to officially start my own professional career as a clarinetist. I founded the Williams Clarinet Studio in 2011 and I am grateful that it has grown steadily for nearly 15 years! I now play regularly as a freelance musician throughout the Colorado Front Range and I am proud to play Principal Clarinet with the Evergreen Chamber Orchestra, 2nd and Eb Clarinet with the Symphony of the Rockies, and Utility Clarinet with the Denver Philharmonic. I also have the immense privilege of being the Clarinet Guest Artist at the Denver School of the Arts. In this role, I get to work alongside some of the foremost musicians in Colorado and I have the joy of guiding the next generation of clarinetists – what an amazing experience!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being a musician can come with some really lame stereotypes. For example, the idea that band is just for kids – this is so limiting! Or, how many of us are susceptible to the crushing belief that music can realistically only be a hobby; something you might have the luxury to do when the “real work” is done? Granted, being a musician means you have to work really hard. You have to put in the time to learn your instrument, you have to know the building blocks of music and that includes a lot of music theory and history. Music is science, art, philosophy and it requires you to constantly grow. Not only that, you have to be willing to build your own business – I think this means teaching, collaborating, performing, recording, etc. These opportunities don’t just come knocking at your door. You have to put yourself out there and it might mean that you take another job to provide some consistency along the way. All of these things take time to learn – it’s a constant evolution and to be honest, this is why I love it! What would life be without challenges, right?

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a clarinetist, my primary focus has been on working with students at the pre-collegiate level. I teach five days/week and I coach at the Denver School of the Arts. While I love performing regularly, teaching is the most consistent part of my schedule, so it receives a lot of my attention. In my ideal work day, I have a balance of personal practice, performance, and teaching, but striking the right balance is always a challenge. That being said, one of the reasons I love working with pre-collegiate level students is that they are still figuring out what they want to do – this has always resonated with me. If you want to be a great musician, you have to be a strong person in a holistic way. This means knowing yourself – what are your strengths and weaknesses? How do you process information, what motivates you and how do you achieve your goals? In my opinion, if you are a strong musician as a young person, you’ll be able to succeed in absolutely any field. To empower young people is the most satisfying and rewarding part of my job. Playing great music along the way is pretty fantastic, too!

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
This is such a great question! Yes, I do think luck plays a big role in life. There is nothing worse than feeling like bad luck has knocked you out at the knees. I also think that in many ways, we do make our own luck. When opportunities come, you are either ready for them or you’re not. This is a matter of doing the work in advance. As a musician, there is always work to do, so I think we have to focus on what we actually enjoy and then pursue the goals that align with who we are and what we want to do. The good news is that bad luck doesn’t strike as often when you are prepared for whatever comes and you’re able to adapt. When bad luck strikes, don’t give up! Sometimes the things that knock us down actually lift us up down the road.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://williamsclarinetstudio.com
• Other: evergreenchamberorch.org, symphonyrockies.org, and https://madducksrecords.bandcamp.com/album/colour-spectrum

Image Credits