Here's the question: is your motivation crystal clear? If you're like most musicians, it's a little murky. To help, I've got a story for you plus a quick and easy Musician Motivation quiz so you can clarify your WHY. First, the story. Many years ago I met an American...
It's a topic that's rarely addressed: Artistry. Like talent and potential, most people think it can't be taught. We assume you either have it or you don't. And yet, as musicians we spend our whole lives attempting to work our way into it. Thinking about artistry...
Too many musicians are limited by the voices in their heads: the gremlins that seek to undermine our best efforts. So I ask you to . . . Imagine what a difference it would make to find freedom from negative self-talk What would that change do for you, for your...
What influences have shaped your artistic voice? I'm not asking about your teachers. This is something more holistic. I'm asking . . . What influences have shaped your aesthetic imagination? To help answer this, here's a fabulous exercise from author George Saunders....
How can we, in performance, access our best? It's a question of how to find the courage to bring our full selves to performances. Here are three favorite passages from Madeline Bruser's excellent The Art of Practicing, that speak to this question: On our inner...
Last year, Yo-Yo Ma released (as part of Audible's 'Words + Music' initiative) Beginner's Mind. It's 90 minutes of personal memoir and exclusive musical recordings. In it, Ma shares "four stories of beginnings" and the lessons he's gained over decades pursuing...
It’s taken me a LONG time to finally get clear on this. After working with hundreds of musicians to help them move forward in their careers, here’s my big-ass Music Career Secret Finally Revealed. What I discovered was this: No matter what practical music career...
Here's an unexpected resource I came across that has surprising relevance for musicians. It's a short FREE video course on how to reconnect with your body—and this is something that many musicians need help with. What does "Coming home to the body" actually mean? It's...
Here's an embarrassing "life lesson" from my past that I learned from. OUCH. A few years back I was a guest speaker at the Classical Singer Convention. It ended up being a wonderful experience but it sure didn't start out that way. What I mean is that immediately...
If you're a musician here's an important question: Are you also a Mensch? [An upstanding, worthy, honorable adult person regardless of gender identity.] It turns out being a mensch has a lot to do with people wanting to hire you. So, if you want more freelance work?...
