Meet Marcelina Suchocka | Percussionist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marcelina Suchocka and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marcelina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was driven to become a musician ever since I can remember. I don’t know exactly what drove me to want to learn an instrument other than being surrounded by music from a young age. My mother worked at the philharmonic in Bialystok, our hometown, and I often came along with her as she performed and taught piano lessons. Ever since I first saw a percussion instrument, I was drawn to them all and very curious. There was no going back from there.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being a percussionist is a thrilling job because we get to play many different instruments, in different genres, on all sorts of different stages with different people! It truly helps keep things fresh. I am so honored to join the Sarasota Orchestra in the 2022 season after a successful audition process. It was not my first audition so I had to go through some heartbreaks to finally get the “big break” and land my first orchestral job. The audition process for orchestras can be grueling. Often times we prepare for many hours every day, alone in a room, and then we travel to play what we have been preparing for a panel behind a screen- not being able to make any extraneous sound or speak- it’s quite a cold process and very much unlike regular performing. It is good that these processes are anonymous, however, and I am grateful for that. Looking at my resume, one might assume I have had nothing but successes but the reality of the journey includes many rejections and hard times. These were equally if not more important than the successes, however, because they help shape you, teach you what you need to improve, and provide you with the grit it takes to do this as a career. It hasn’t always been easy living the life of an orchestral musician but the memorable performances I have had make it worth it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I enjoy being outside as much as possible in Sarasota – the nature is beautiful here! I particularly enjoy strolling on Lido Beach at sunset, or checking out the Ringling Museum Gardens. I have taken up golfing and paddle boarding which there is plenty of around Sarasota!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to all of the teachers that have helped shape me to be the player I am today. My teachers across all the years I’ve played music have pushed me to be my very best and without their guidance, I would not have become a professional percussionist. Some of these people are Chris Lamb, Duncan Patton, She-e Wu, Patsy Dash, Douglas Waddell, David Herbert, my primary teachers, and also the help of many others professionals that have guided me through lessons, classes, or even through encouragement, which is so necessary in a difficult field such as classical music.

Website: marcelinasuchocka.com

Instagram: marcelinasuchocka

Youtube: youtube.com/marimbamarcy

Image Credits
Scott Jackson Photography