When opportunity Knocks: Our night on “Live! On Atlantic”

La Costa Strings during “Live on Atlantic” from left to right: Joshua Sierra-Delgado - Cello, Alex Takasugi - Viola, Johnathan Spence - Violin 2, Emilia Poirier-Molina - Violin1.

As classical and wedding musicians, we sometimes take for granted just how much fun playing in an ensemble can be. This past weekend, we had the privilege of stepping outside of our usual performance setting and doing something a little different—and it turned into such a memorable experience!

At the last minute, an opportunity opened up for us to take a spot at Live! On Atlantic, and we jumped at the chance.

What Is Live! On Atlantic?

For those who may not know, welcome to Live! On Atlantic (LOA)!

LOA is a fantastic arts festival sponsored by the City of Virginia Beach that brings music and the arts right to the heart of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Along the Atlantic Strip, each city block features a local musician or artist sharing their craft with passersby.

It’s one of the City of Virginia Beach’s initiatives to showcase the incredible talent we have right here in our local community—and the best part? It’s completely FREE for guests!

If you’ve never experienced Live! On Atlantic, I highly recommend checking it out. You can learn more about LOA [here].

A Last-Minute Call

La Costa Strings is a relatively new ensemble, but every member of the group has been performing throughout the Hampton Roads area for years. Thankfully, we already had several set lists prepared from previous events, which made saying “yes” to a last-minute opportunity a little easier.

There was just one problem.

We got the call one day before the event, Emilia and Alex were available, YES! BUT, one of our first-call violinists was unavailable.

So, naturally, the question became:

🫨Who is available at the last minute—and who is willing to jump in and sight-read more than 70 pieces of music?

Thankfully, I had someone in mind.

I reached out to my friend Johnathan Spence, who graciously agreed to sit in with us. Not only did he step in on incredibly short notice, but he approached the whole situation with the best attitude. He came prepared, flexible, and ready to make music.

Johnathan, 🙏🏼thank you for coming in and working so seamlessly with the group!

Because La Costa Strings is such a modular group, we hadn't necessarily played every piece on the set list before—and certainly hadn't played every piece together as this particular combination of musicians.

Somehow, though, Alex, Emilia, Johnathan, and I just ✨clicked✨.

And the night turned into a huge success!

Getting Out of the Classical Box

One of the things I love most about ensemble work is getting to experience music outside of the traditional classical sphere.

Our set covered everything from Pop to R&B and plenty in between. As classical musicians, it can sometimes be challenging to step outside of the style we grew up playing. There are certain instincts, sounds, and techniques that become like a second nature after years and years of classical training.

But once you make that shift?

It is SO much fun.😏

There’s something incredibly rewarding about taking the skills we've developed as classical musicians and applying them to completely different genres. It challenges us, keeps us on our toes, and reminds us why we love making music in the first place.

The Crowd Made It Even Better

The response from the crowd was amazing.

People stopped as they walked down the Oceanfront. Some sat on the grass and listened for a while, while others paused just long enough to hear a song or two. We had so many wonderful interactions with people passing by, and that engagement was one of my favorite parts of the evening.

It also taught me a lot about performing outdoors.

For starters, I learned that I am apparently very corny as a presenter. 😂

But, I'm embracing it.

We were performing on an outdoor stage with plenty of street noise surrounding us, so we also had to bring in sound equipment and manage our own audio. I've spent quite a bit of time learning more about mixing and working a soundboard over the last few days, so getting to put some of that knowledge into practice was incredibly useful. I’ve found there is always something new to learn in this business!

Say Yas to the Opportunity

Left to right, Josh, Emilia, Alex, Johnathan after a successful LIVE! On Atlantic Performance

Looking back, I think that's one of the biggest things I took away from this experience.

Sometimes an opportunity comes together at the very last minute. You don't have weeks to prepare. You don't have the perfect lineup. You don't have every detail figured out.

You just have to decide: Are we going to make it work?

And that we did.

We showed up, remained professional, trusted one another, adapted when we needed to, and—most importantly—had a great time making music together.

I'm incredibly thankful for the connections I've been able to build here in the Hampton Roads area and for the trust that my colleagues, fellow musicians, and clients continue to place in me.

Silly Musicians.

Every performance, every collaboration, and every new connection is another opportunity to grow, not just as a musician, but as a professional and as a member of this community.

So here's to saying yaaaasss to the unexpected opportunities, trusting the people around you, and making something beautiful along the way.

Thank you to everyone who came out to listen, to the City of Virginia Beach for creating opportunities like Live! On Atlantic, to my fellow La Costa Strings musicians, and especially to Johnathan for jumping in at the eleventh hour! I look forward to more nights like these— hopefully less last minute, though (lol).

We had an absolute blast.

As always, Stay tuned 🎻✨ -Celllist The Josh