Meet Susanna Wang | Freelance Harpist & Music Educator

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

Hi Susanna, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Over the past five years, my work life balance has shifted pretty dramatically. In my 20’s, I pushed myself to work a lot more and a lot harder. I think this is a common path for young professionals trying to make their way in the world. If there’s any time for putting in long hours and taking every bit of work that comes your way, it is while you are young and energetic. The fact that I enjoy my work does make it challenging to say no to good opportunities that come my way. Gradually, however, I was able to understand that taking care of myself is also important. I learned a lot about emotional health and self-care and started finding self worth beyond my work and accomplishments. It’s no coincidence that it was about five years ago that I met my now husband. We’ve been married for three years and are expecting our first baby this fall! These life changes have helped me re-evaluate priorities and adjust my expectations for the amount of work I can take while maintaining a healthy relationship with my husband and preparing for parenthood. I will always value the years devoted to building a career and driving all over TX to maintain teaching jobs at universities. Those opportunities have taught me valuable skills and placed me around wonderful musicians and colleagues. Now I find contentment in working closer to home, providing reliable and consistent instruction to my students, and enjoying meaningful jobs that perhaps aren’t as “glamorous” as I envisioned for myself at the start of my career. There’s no single right way to go about work life balance – there are different seasons of life for different roles and opportunities. In my current life stage, I am learning to lean into a more relaxed work life that doesn’t push me beyond my limits.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My first gig as a freelance harpist was for a Christmas Eve service at a local church. I was 11 years old and had been playing harp for about two years. As far as performances go, it was pretty much the easiest type. I was playing in the foyer for about 30 minutes while congregants entered the sanctuary for the service. Low-stress background music, and I still had the cuteness factor to cover a multitude of errors. This positive experience planted the gigging bug in me, and I have enjoyed gigging ever since. I had a lot of help getting my freelance career going. My teacher at the time referred me for gigs, my mom coached me on how to speak with clients over the phone, my oldest brother as a newly minted lawyer helped me craft a contract which I still use to this day. Not every gig since that Christmas Eve has been so smooth and stress-free, but I have loved having unique experiences at each one. The more complicated gigs have taught me to ask more questions up front, advocate for myself when the situation requires it, and remain calm in precarious or unexpected situations. Bumps in the road inevitably happen and how you handle it is what really matters.

While background music gigs are some of the most straightforward jobs I’ve had, I still find weddings to be some of the most rewarding gigs to play. It’s fun helping to bring a couple’s vision to life with their music selections, and there are so many gorgeous wedding venues in and around Houston. Because every wedding is different – even though the bones of the ceremony might have many similarities from one wedding to the next – I am always mentally stimulated by the challenge of navigating things like how the event planner operates, estimating timing for songs, figuring out the best ways to transition from one song to the next, finding the easiest exit afterwards, etc. I suppose I find those challenges invigorating in a way, and it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to successfully overcome each one while leaving another happy couple in my wake. That is what I’m most proud of in my freelance business – bringing joy, delight and beauty to every occasion, client and guest.

Even after 23 years of gigging, I don’t feel like weddings get old or stale. Maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic. Probably the strangest weddings I have played for were for Netflix’s Love Is Blind Season 5. It was wild not knowing if the couple would say “I do” and leave the room married or heartbroken. It was also one of the smoothest wedding gigs ever for a couple reasons. Having a professional film crew handling everything insured I would look and sound amazing on camera. Throughout the ceremonies, I had the director’s voice in my earpiece walking me through when to start playing and when to stop. Might I recommend this as standard practice for event coordinators and musicians? It makes communicating a dream! All in all, it was a fun experience, and I would definitely do it again. Fortunately, all of the other weddings I have played for have ended happily with both people saying “I do”.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would check out some of the parks and gardens in the city for sure. I love Hermann Park and catching a concert or show at Miller Outdoor Theater. Eastern Glades and other areas of Memorial Park are also beautiful as is the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. I still need to check out Houston Botanic Gardens, so maybe we would do that together! My husband and I enjoy the Museum of Fine Arts and visit their exhibits regularly, so we would check out the art exhibits and meander down to the cafe for a drink or bite to eat. Another lovely place to visit is Archway Gallery in Montrose. Not only do they showcase wonderful artwork by local artists, they have concerts regularly in their space. John Slaby and the other artists in the collective are the friendliest group of people you’ll ever meet.

The food and coffee shop scene in Houston is fabulous. Favorite coffee spots: Brass Tacks in EaDo, Tenfold in The Heights, and Blendin along Allen Parkway. Best ice cream hands down Milk + Sugar. Favorite brunch spot is Baby Barnaby’s. Order the green eggs with fresh orange juice, substitute homemade biscuits instead of toast. You won’t regret it. We also love Luna Pizzeria, same owners as Baby Barnaby’s. Paulie’s for fresh made pasta and delicious salads. For a fine dining experience, we love Uchi happy hour for sushi.

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?
My husband, Waiaka, has been a major source of encouragement, support, and wise advice for me. When we were in the early stages of dating, he helped me think through my answers to questions from the first interview of this kind that I did with Voyage Houston. In the intervening years, he has been by my side through many ups and downs of life and discouraging setbacks and disappointments in my career. He has always been my strongest cheerleader while keeping me down to earth when I get in a situation over my head and need a reality check. He has attended countless performances and offered his skills as photographer and videographer on many occasions. I would not be the person I am today without him, and I am forever grateful to have him in my life.

Website: https://www.harpandpiano.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanna.wang.harp/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-wang-83a961a7/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harpistsusanna

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWIvTd1Zr61zyVzOWUJw5oA

Image Credits
Waiaka Wang
Brian Smith
John Slaby