Here's the question: Is your "artistic temperament" flaring up? It's on my mind because of Don Cheadle's mesmerizing portrayal of the great Miles Davis in the film Miles Ahead. An off-the-charts genius with a legendary short-fuzed temper, Miles Davis might just be the...
In working with musicians on expanding their freelance performance and teaching opportunities, the uncomfortable topic of networking inevitably comes up. My answer: map your network. Huh? Too often I hear musicians say, I don't know anybody who can refer work to me....
What transferable skills come from music studies? What skills have you gained? And if you teach, what skills do you see your students gaining? Like shadows on the wall, transferable skills are part of the effect of the learning: there's the concrete music we learn and...
MONDAY BYTES — October 13, 2014 This week I'm re-appreciating a great life lesson I received years ago from my good friend and colleague Michael Gaskins (that's him above). We used to work together at NEC, and he now runs the Alumni Affairs office at Berklee. Michael...
MONDAY BYTES — June 23, 2014 Last week my friend Florrie brought up the subject of deflecting compliments. It's a habit for many folks — particularly musicians. Let's say you've just given a performance, a talk, or a master class, and afterwards, people come up and...
MONDAY BYTES – May 12, 2014 I recently came across the work of Adam Grant, the Wharton School professor and author of the book Give and Take, which focuses on some of his surprising research: how some of the world's most successful business people are,...
MONDAY BYTES - January 14, 2013 It's conference season and many folks are finding themselves needing to schmooze. For some this is easy; for others, not so much. My best tip comes from a recent conversation I had with friend and colleague Janet Rarick (thank you,...
MONDAY BYTES - October 8, 2012 Colleen was in my kitchen and she asked, "Have your cabinet doors always been like this?" She was pointing out that the hinges were stiff and noisy. I had never noticed this and I'd been living with this for 12 years! Out came the WD-40...
MONDAY BYTES - September 10, 2012 My friend John Steinmetz reminded me recently—thank you, John!—about how changing your perspective can completely change your reality. John wrote that his "A-HA" moment with networking happened at a conference, observing someone...
MONDAY BYTES - September 3, 2012 Interpersonal skills are the ones that we all think we have plenty of. And yet there's much evidence to the contrary all around us. Which means that most of us could use a periodic check-up (the 30,000 mile oil change). Musicians spend...
