I'm making a massive assumption that people don't get tired of you. But if you do identify one or two variances that might possibly suggest that this could be, take heart that I'd be stunned if NONE of this applied! We all experience little mom

Letting down the whole team by staying in our comfort zones – 030

Sep 28th, 2021 10m 19s

Playing or singing in a musical ensemble is the epitome of team activities. But many musicians let their teams down far more often than they realize, thinking they are doing good.Get stuck taking the lead or the bottomLetting the team and t

How our health really affects our ability to unleash spectacular performances – 029

Sep 21st, 2021 7m 55s

Our health may not be the most invigorating topic, and you might be as tired as I am of hearing about diets and exercise and obesity and... As always, clichés are born from grains of truth, no matter how much we don't want them to be.

How musicians are being held hostage by their limiting beliefs – 028

Sep 14th, 2021 8m 16s

Attention-grabbing headlines turn heads and sensationalize what might otherwise be just a strong, solid response to a problem, not an actual hostage situation.

Your uniqueness grows one feature at a time

Sep 11th, 2021 3m 51s

The way you play or sing, your posture, your sound quality, your sight-reading ability, your smile when you perform...Whatever you identify, pick one that makes your heart leap a little bit... that one thing you do in which you find joy, or t

No-one has experienced your life

Sep 9th, 2021 4m 44s

It remains by far the most thrilling part of my job as a conductor - seeing an ensemble accomplish far more than they thought possible, not because they were copying anyone else, but because they found their own way, individually AND collective

Cloning our heroes

Sep 7th, 2021 3m 25s

mes we start life by replicating others. Your master or role model hasn't lived the life you have, and therefore you should not expect to live their life, either.

Exploring one thing at a time – 024

Sep 4th, 2021 3m 57s

Probably two of the biggest problems we have in society are the need to appear busy, and multi-tasking.Perhaps the worst of society's social wannabes are those who do both!

We only know what we're exposed to

Sep 2nd, 2021 5m 36s

Our teachers have their own interests, and many times if we like that teacher or that had a strong impact on us, then we follow just what we have experienced from that perspective.Exposing our students to multiple styles and genres of music i

We choose what we study

Aug 31st, 2021 5m 55s

Because musicians focus so much on the technical aspect of performing, many of them get labelled and boxed into believing they are only good at that one thing.

Discover, share, humiliate, retreat

Aug 28th, 2021 5m 50s

When we constantly compete we develop really bad habits and attitudes.One consequence of this is how we grow into introverts and extroverts.

Always competing with each other

Aug 26th, 2021 3m 12s

Constantly competing against others to be the best performer is, quite literally, a futile distraction that will hold you back. Aim to be the best you, instead.

Nothing was ever good enough

Aug 24th, 2021 4m 41s

There might be truth in the Ali Krieger's approach "there's always room for improvement." The Corporate world is very fond of that phrase. I was always told someone else was doing it better, succeeding better, accomplishing more.

Labels eliminate individual uniqueness

Aug 21st, 2021 5m 50s

One of the most damaging aspects of boxing people into convenient labels is that they then begin to believe it themselves.

Labels Disregard Context

Aug 19th, 2021 4m 25s

belled that way. In fact, they might be an expert at something else altogether.

Labels Expose Judgment

Aug 17th, 2021 4m 40s

Usually we box things into what we like and don't like. We add opinion and judgment to a situation in order to remember it. Most of the time, we use negative responses to create labels under the mistaken belief that doing so helps us avoid unwa

Use a Method to Eliminate Madness

Aug 14th, 2021 4m 36s

Letting go of the worry over whether or not you know enough about a specific element of music will help eliminate the madness that can come from constantly being frustrated and feeling behind the 8 ball.

You Know You Can Do Better

Aug 12th, 2021 4m 13s

So performers spend much of their lives in frustration, because we are constantly discovering what we don't know.

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

Aug 10th, 2021 4m 12s

If you have not experienced something, how can you know about it? In fact, how do you know it even exists as an option?

Beyond the notes

Aug 7th, 2021 4m 30s

My pencils, t-shirts, mugs and website have been saying "There's more to music than music" for well over a decade. Why might that be?

Do we acknowledge emotions at all?

Aug 5th, 2021 4m 56s

The medical profession is woefully behind those who speak the language of emotions when it comes to recognizing they exist, they determine our behavior, and that they are directly influenced by music.

Musicians living in their heads

Aug 3rd, 2021 4m 13s

Everyone in society may be convicted of this behavior. Problem is, because of the constantly self-critical nature of being a musician, we can get lost. And that benefits just about no-one.

Why do public spaces play music?

Jul 31st, 2021 5m

Perhaps the science behind why music is piped into stations, malls and public restrooms has a more direct influence on live performers than we've previously considered.

Letting Go

Jul 29th, 2021 5m 39s

When you let go of a bird you've been cradling or a cat you've been caressing, who are you actually setting free? Musicians have exactly the same effect when they perform.

Space to process thoughts, emotions and feelings

Jul 27th, 2021 5m 4s

Musicians have a wonderful and tremendous responsibility, and have a much bigger impact on individuals and society as a whole than many of them realize.