Does it mean less if we achieve our highest level of creativity and music making when we are older? Or maybe, does it mean something more, or at the very least something different if we reach that level alongside and through life milestones, times where it is challenging to retain our commitment to the art, seasons where the world would have us believe we are not cut out for all this?

I know this is the right word for my year because it ignites a sense of optimism in me. A functional curiosity and a feeling of looking forward.

Creating this type of clarity in my life and following through on it has the potential to be uncomfortable. It may mean pivoting away from things I have been doing or working toward for a long time. But on the other side of change lies great adventure. I’m ready.

I recently took a professional orchestra audition for the first time in five years, and although I’ve continue to grow and change as a musician, especially during those five years (job interviews, recorded competitions, recitals, orchestral freelancing, collegiate teaching, health and wellness certifications, etc.),  it was a rollercoaster of an experience, to say the least.

The walking contradiction of any performance art is that we grow skills that were at some point unfathomable to us, master the intricacies of the art, understand its ins and outs, and make it a part of ourselves mentally and physically, and yet…if we’re seeking, if we’re stretching…there always seems to be another intimidating milestone out there.

The key points if you want to keep your brain in check when you’re working on something really difficult. You’ll never know your true potential if you’re not fully present for the task at hand.

There is a tremendous amount to be learned from musicians, but as creatives we would do well to remember that any discipline can teach us the way toward trusting and growing our artistic instincts and coming closer to a true expression of what is in our minds and hearts.

Where our instinct is to be avoidant, the answer is not blind repetition or hope but detail. We find the detail through the process of solving as opposed to doing. Doing feeds the sense that something can still go wrong, that judgements will still be made by the audience we’re imagining. Solving, however, trains us in repeatable thoughts and actions - neural pathways we can strengthen and trust that are independent of how we feel.

What are you observing when you practice?

Understanding our skills of observation can be the key to unlocking confidence and musicianship.

Thoughtful Refresh Series: Check In 2. How it’s going, what I’m noticing, where I started…

If you follow along with me on Instagram or The B-List newsletter, you know that my big personal project for the summer is working on my routines.

Thoughtful Refresh Series: Check In 1. How it’s going, what I’m noticing, where I started…

If you follow along with me on Instagram or The B-List newsletter, you know that my big personal project for the summer is working on my routines.

The way being busy makes us feel and what we need to do to cope with high-demand periods of work will change as we get older and more experienced. Intentional planning can create success and prevent burnout.

Our lifetimes are long, and it’s absolutely worth the effort it takes to address the things that make us feel anxious. Because it’s so acceptable to discuss stress and anxiety now, there is also a comfort in relating to everyone having it rather than taking the sometimes tedious and mundane steps toward overcoming what stands in our way.

A warm up is the signal to your body and mind that it’s time to wake up and do what you have trained to do.  

The answer is the opposite of a hack. An anti-hack if you will. It lies in perspective.

How to prepare musically and mentally for big performances.

How do you create space to flow in your daily tasks?

Our culture pushes make-your-own schedules, self-employment, and autonomy as the ultimate freedoms, but we’re missing the mark thinking that everything should be unbound. Healthy structures help us achieve our goals and enjoy the time we spend in work and activities.

Being a musician who plays with good intonation looks a lot like being a human who plays well with others - both require us to learn to trust ourself and our ears fully but not blindly.

Much like practicing our instruments, practicing mindfulness can seem slow to progress and sometimes tedious, but the growth is always available to you if you are willing to stick with the practice.

What better way could there be to grow as a musician than to learn to mindfully teach ourself?