Schedule your practice sessions and put them in your calendar. The second part of that is the important part that most musicians skip. You should never leave the practice room without having your next session in your calendar. The final thing you should do in every practice session is either schedule the next one, or confirm when it is scheduled for if you've already put it into your calendar.…
Dr. Carol Dweck, author of the book Mindset , defines a fixed mindset this way: "Students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that's that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb." Having a fixed mindset means constantly having to prove yourself and your smarts. Even having a…
I am absolutely gutted to hear about the passing of Tom McCaslin - a beautiful soul who still had so much to say and give to this world. You know those people who every time you talk to them you leave in a better mood than when you started? Even when you were in a good mood to begin with? That was Tom. He had a gentleness about him and he always left people feeling seen. Just a gem of a human. And…
Standing out from a lot of contenders over the years, a famous quote that was shared with me is without a doubt the worst piece of advice I’ve ever received. It comes from Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi and there is a good chance you’ve heard it before: “Quitters never win and winners never quit.” There is one fundamental problem with this quote. Time is the most precious commodity any…
I haven’t done a very good job of posting episodes of The Entrepreneurial Musician here on my personal website and I am going to try to be better about that moving forward! This week’s episode is about why even well-intentioned advice can be wrong.
The world lost a real one yesterday. Bill Walton was not just a basketball superstar. He was one of the biggest music fans in the world and lived his life with an out loud passion that was contagious. TEM315 is about how he gave the world courage and how we can best utilize that as the creators of music that he idolized. When I see people acting courageously I can’t help but be more courageous…
Back in 2018 I had the good fortune to see Dr. Mallory Thompson in action at the Shenandoah Conducting Symposium. She is a dear friend and mentor and I surprised her by not only crashing the symposium but then playing in the ensemble while she worked with the conductors. I had my phone on my stand the entire time because I was frantically taking notes. She is a phenomenal musician and master…
“Dear Writer, The doubt never goes away, no matter how successful you are. So why not write anyway? Signed, Your Future Readers” — #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author Angie Thomas What a generous thing for Angie Thomas to say. We can all fall into the trap of thinking that the doubt we feel is because we aren't good enough or because our work isn't good enough. But the truth is that we have…
(The following originally appeared on the TEM Blog ) I stumbled onto this blog post and it has my head spinning! Here’s an excerpt: “If you look around your home, you might notice many possessions for which you’ve paid the first price but not the second. Unused memberships, unread books, unplayed games, unknitted yarns.” The author points out that there’s a first price (which is usually money) to…
Trombonist Dr. Zenas Kim-Banther shares a strategy for dealing with frustration in the practice room and generously shares that it took her a long time to get good at this strategy - even though you'd think it would be easy! Find her full interview here: TBJ211 "What about this passage is giving you the frustration? Is it the consistency? Getting the center of the notes? Is it the rhythm? Is it…
The music world lost a giant last month when Floyd Cooley, former Principal Tuba of the San Francisco Symphony, passed away. For the latest installment of the Brass Legacy Project I invited six former students of Floyd's to share stories of him as a player, teacher and person: Kevin Harrison - Axiom Brass Daryl Johnson - Louisville Symphony Orchestra (retired) Pete Link - Kyoto Symphony Orchestra…
For the first episode of the post-Lance LaDuke era (he stepped down after we hit Episode 200) I was joined by the Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic Chris Martin as my co-host. We interviewed trumpet superstar Joe Burgstaller. It was an incredible conversation. Joe is one of the most thoughtful players and humans I’ve had the privilege of knowing and he was generous throughout this…
Episode 280 of The Entrepreneurial Musician Podcast is all about embracing change. I get into all of the massive changes I am going through right now, both professionally and personally, and how I am attempting to cultivate a growth mindset to view all of it as an opportunity to grow. You can find the full show notes over at the TEM website: TEM280 show notes .
I’ve launched a YouTube channel for Hitz Academy! Subscribe to never miss a video about things like practicing tips, developing a growth mindset, preparing for auditions and more. Subscribe to the Hitz Academy YouTube Channel The very first video is a quick one: Two minutes on two ideas for getting the most out of the first 10 minutes of any practice session.
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Larry Rachleff. I only had the privilege of working him once but that experience had a profound impact on me as a musician and a human and I'd like to share the story. 30 years ago today marked the first day of the final rehearsal cycle for the Boston University Tanglewood Institute's Young Artists Orchestra and it was our first day under the baton…
Want to take your practicing to the next level? What better way to do that than by learning from the best players in the world exactly what they do day in and day out in the practice room. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear international tuba superstar Sergio Carolino do a deep dive into the practicing routine that made him a legend. Take Me Inside Sergio's Practice Room Use offer code “sergio”…
This conversation with Dr. Bethany Wiese, Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Appalachian State University, was incredibly engaging. We had a deep conversation about things like how applying restrictions to the creative process can actually free you up to be more creative, the value of being “intelligently unpredictable” and separating the output of you as a musician with you as a person. It’s a…
This short clip perfectly sums up why solfege is so important for brass players. And as an added bonus you get to enjoy a little 1984 fashion!
Sylvia Alimena is a gift to the brass world and the music world in general! As you will hear, she has an incredibly refreshing outlook on performing, teaching and on life. The work that she does with Brass of Peace will have a ripple effect on the world for many years to come. I’m so glad we were finally able to make this interview happen! You can watch the episode on YouTube below or head over to…
The musical storytelling is SCREAMING LOUD in this performance. That’s all I’m going to say. Make music with as much conviction as this and you will get traction and find an audience. Guaranteed. Enjoy!