narrative Archives

Using your fridge to improve your website?

Using your fridge to improve your website? Get 4 action steps for a compelling and authentic website.

Let me tell you a story about a musician . . .

Let me tell you a story about a musician . . . a terrific violinist I’ll call Chris, who came to me because her career had hit a plateau. She was doing OK: she played with some excellent new music ensembles and had a solid teaching job. But she was frustrated that her...

Story as Cure?

This seems like the right week to think about what we—as musicians and as citizens—can do to make the world a better place. In times of trouble, story can work as cure. We've got mind-boggling national and international events swirling around us. And the internet is...

Teaching Philosophy Countdown

MONDAY BYTES —March 14, 2016 If you're going to be in the Boston area, I really hope you'll grab one of the four remaining spots for the Musician's Teaching Philosophy Statement workshop this coming Saturday March 19. I'm so excited to be offering this...

Be Your Own Hero

OK, I admit it: I'm a bit of a groupie, a nerd who loves Star Wars. Not just for some escapist entertainment, but because there's special relevance for musicians. Like virtually every narrative dear to us—from the Wizard of Oz to the Magic Flute—the Star Wars...

Stories R Us?

MONDAY BYTES – October 21, 2013 We each have stories we tell about ourselves—these are anecdotes that reveal in a nutshell our perspective and approach to others and to the challenges we face. For example, in workshops I lead, I often tell the story of how I got into...

Got Story?

MONDAY BYTES - May 20, 2013 I've been thinking about the power of narrative for DIY musicians: we all need to be tuned in to stories.Essentially, readers need to care about a character (the "you" in your bio, press release, or grant proposal). To help us care, we need...

Got Motivation?

I often find folks are stumped when it comes to identifying and encapsulating what motivates them as musicians. Maybe the challenge lies in conveying one's overall motivation. After all, most musicians have been making music for the majority of their lives. Music may...

Stories We Tell

MONDAY BYTES - May 28, 2012 Memorial Day is a good time to think about our best memories of those we miss. It's the stories we tell that keep these memories and people vibrant in our imaginations. Stories make us human and connect us with our humanity. And then there...

What’s Your Story?

MONDAY BYTES - May 21, 2012 Creating promo materials that truly represent the real you and effectively introduce your music is a challenge. For this, it may be helpful to work with a mentor or coach to help you think through and "talk out" your story, to find the...

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