More Important than Talent, Training, Intellect, and Good Looks…

You gotta have talent. Great training can help.  Brains and vision are crucial. And do add some sizzle to the steak…   …But that’s not enough. These elements, alone, rarely work.  In fact, you’re missing the most important ingredient.   P E R S I S T E N C E We often give up far too easily, even when a potential winner is...

Classical Music with Shining Eyes

In the video below, Ben Zander (conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and author of the wonderful book The Art of Possibility) presents an engaging talk/performance to a crowd of 1600.  Very few in the audience are experienced classical music enthusiasts, yet he is celebrated with an enthusiastic standing ovationby the end of this 20...

Isn’t it Time You Became a Savvy Musician?

It’s clear. The evidence is indisputable.  You’re a talented musician.  Really talented.  And accomplished.  You work hard, and have a top notch education.  Heck, you’re even good looking!  A prosperous life in music is nearly guaranteed, no?    Unfortunately, no.  Not by a long shot.  But you surely realize this already.  Being...

How Do You Find the Time?

Practice those scales.  Work on sightreading. Draft grant proposal. Begin passion project. Be a good friend. Go to concerts. Take kids to the ballgame. Leave a legacy. Develop website. Improve tone. Read blogs. Market CD. Rewrite bio. Pay bills. Build brand. Meet spouse. Teach. Study. Network. Sleep. Think. Eat. Compose....

8451. And Shrinking…

“Eight-thousand-four-hundred-fifty-one. And Shrinking…” That was his response. After I asked if he’d be participating on some project in which (it turns out) he had no interest whatsoever. I returned a perplexed stare, as if to inquire “what on Earth?”  So he explained.  That’s how many days he has left to live. You see, he...

You Fail!!! But Are You Doing it Right?

Most musicians I know are terrified of failure. They beat themselves up for each mistake, and suffer bouts of depression with each rejection. Failure is viewed as the enemy, and one to be avoided at all costs. So they play it safe.  Really safe. But everyone fails. This is a simple fact of life, and there’s no way to avoid it. The important...

Do You “Play” Music?

In my experience, few things in life are more enjoyable than the act of making music. Music is fun!  How wonderful it is that we use the verb “play” to describe this endeavor! Yet for too many musicians, the activity pursued when singing or touching their instrument couldn’t be further from play. Instead they tense up, get nervous, or even...

What is Takes to Succeed

What does it take to succeed as a professional?  This is a question I’ve posed to several groups of young (college age and emerging professionals) gifted musicians from around the country. Some of the points they have identified...

Are Artists “Creative Professionals”?

I recently served on a panel focusing on Entrepreneurship “for Artists and Creative Professionals.”  During the discussion, we addressed various exciting ways that creative professionals solve problems in our communities, businesses, government, and schools. We celebrated their potential to lead, innovate, and serve as catalysts for change....

Music Entrepreneurship Helps Young Musicians Chart Careers in a Crowded Market

This article, by Andrew Druckenbrod, was published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on August 9, 2009. Overpopulation, poverty and stagnation: The way the classical music industry is described these days you’d think it’s a Third World country. The recession has made an already tough existence even tougher for music students and those already...