Jane Little was born in 1929 into a musical family. Her mother was a pianist who worked at her aunt’s dance studio. While they couldn’t afford a piano at home, Jane taught herself to play the piano using one at a neighbor’s home. Jane had hoped to become a ballerina but was told she didn’t have the right feet for ballet.
When she attended high school, she took a music aptitude test, which revealed her musical potential. She was selected for the high school orchestra although she played no instrument. She had hoped to play the flute, but the flute section was already full. Instead, she was asked to play the double bass.
The irony of Jane playing the bass was one of size. She was 4’11” and weighed 98 pounds. The bass was over six feet in height and one-third of Jane’s weight. But the size differential didn’t defer Jane. In fact, after just two years, she became one of the charter members of the Atlanta Youth Symphony. Atlanta previously had an adult symphony, but it had failed during the Depression. Jane made her orchestral debut in 1945.
The little woman playing the largest instrument in the orchestra soon became a favorite of Atlanta’s music lovers. Although small in size, Jane stood out for her stylish (and often outlandish) fashion sense. Jane continued with the orchestra when it began admitting adults and became the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
She married the orchestra’s principal flutist in 1953. He was over six feet tall and would carry her double bass while she carried his flute. Over the years, Jane continued with the orchestra although she had several physical challenges, including a broken shoulder, elbow, pelvis, and cracked vertebra. Her longevity and perseverance became an inspiration for her colleagues and symphony patrons. The little woman with the big instrument became a symbol of the orchestra. So too did her fashion sense. She was sent home at one time because her blouse was too revealing. She was 70 years old at the time.
When Jane realized she was nearing the record for the longest tenure with a single orchestra, she decided to continue playing, even though she was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. She was successful and passed the record of 71 years in February 2016. In May of that same year, Jane died while playing a concert. She was 87 years old.
What do people like Jane leave as a legacy for the rest of us?
- Retirement should not be a reason to quit what you love.
- Whining about what life gives you isn’t a cure for overcoming your challenges.
- Make the most of every opportunity. First impressions can often be misleading.
- You are never too old to set goals for yourself.
- You inspire by being there, not by standing on the sidelines.
Can you imagine a better ending for Jane’s life?
* * *
“Nothing has ever been accomplished in any walk of life without enthusiasm, without motivation and without perseverance.”-Jim Valvano (basketball coach)