An Asheville Symphony bassist spends her days playing in the dirt.

by Olivia Springer . photos by Matt Rose

Playing a standup bass isn’t quite the same as playing in the dirt, but Sara Nichols feels lucky that she gets to do both. As a soil conservationist, the 28-year-old works by day with Madison County landowners and farmers. By night, she plays in several area orchestras, and she was one of the Asheville Symphony’s youngest members when she joined it in 2005 at age 25.

On a typical work day, Nichols drives around Madison County talking farming practices and watersheds. A bit of a tomboy, she was raised in Bradenton, Florida, and knew early on that she wanted to work in science. She moved to WNC and majored in biology at Mars Hill College. Now, she’s thrilled to put her skills to use drawing maps and testing air and water quality. She has even come to appreciate the looks she gets as a young woman (occasionally carrying an auger or a shovel) ambling onto a field to talk engineering.

For as keen as her scientific mind is, Nichols has always been a music-lover. She played the bass in jazz groups and school ensembles while studying environmental science. The upright bass, a large instrument with a low register, is often played by boys or men. The fact that a bass is so heavy and cumbersome to haul around is a deterrent enough for some women. But Nichols also liked mastering that, and now, she is one of only two female bass players in the Asheville Symphony. She is the only female bassist in the Brevard Philharmonic. Lately, she’s given lessons to (all male) high school players and bluegrass musicians. “It’s a great outlet for my creativity,” says Nichols, who will play with the Asheville Symphony in October. “Every show is a huge achievement because you’ve worked so hard to get there. It has not yet gotten old for me.”