Sidney Hopson: Resilience through Music and Cultural Policy

Percussionist and arts policy consultant Sidney Hopson shares how he found strength and comfort in classical music as a young child struggling to care for his ailing parents. We discuss how Sidney's discovery of cultural policy, pinpointing how he could bring the transformative power of music to others through legislative action, enabled him to combat audition anxiety, a decade of depression, and the pervasive racism of the classical music industry. Lastly, Sidney unpacks why he's experiencing increased creativity and motivation during the pandemic and offers advice to those of us who may be struggling to produce creative work or take social action during this difficult period.

 

Sidney Hopson celebrates a diverse career spanning the music industry and public policy. As a percussionist, he has performed for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, Jacaranda Chamber Ensemble, Southeast Symphony, Ensemble FIRE (NYC), Los Angeles Master Chorale, Opera Santa Barbara, members of the Echo Society, and more. He is currently the principal percussionist of the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra. He has also performed and recorded with a wide range of commercial artists including Stevie Wonder, Danny Elfman, Rhianna, Burt Bacharach, the cast of "GLEE", Dionne Warwick, Lamont Dozier, Dave Koz, Patrice Rushen, David Benoit, and Brian Wilson. Sidney can be heard on over 100 film/tv soundtracks, from the cult horror film The Caretaker to Illumination's How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2018).

As an arts consultant, Hopson advises artists, arts institutions, and the public and private sectors on content development, strategy, and best practices to advance social justice and cultural equity, foster economic growth, prevent local crime and global terrorism, mitigate climate change, and support international development via the arts. 

 

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