The Cost of Not Trying

"The tiny cost of failure is dwarfed by the huge cost of not trying."

-Seth Godin

Whether on the podium or in the practice room, we must fail, fail loudly, and fail often.  It will lead to our biggest successes.

Believing is the Key

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” - Anatole France

— Peter Olsen (@PeteOlsen) October 1, 2014

Getting a job as the director of a top high school band program or winning an audition at a major symphony orchestra requires countless hours of hard work and a carefully and diligently executed long-term plan.  There are no shortcuts.

But along with that must be an unflappable belief that you are meant for one of those jobs.  You must not only dream of great accomplishments but also believe that you are the man or woman for the job.

The Wisdom In Other People's Mistakes

"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself." — Groucho Marx

— daily zen (@dailyzen) September 21, 2014

Any time you are near a professional musician who is doing some version of what you'd like to do for a living, pick their brains.  I would strongly encourage you to ask them not just about their successes, but politely ask them about their missteps.  What assumptions did they make about themselves or the business that cost them opportunities, time, energy, or all three?

Learning from the mistakes of others is one trait that almost all successful people share - both in and out of the music business.

It's Not About You

A video went viral over the weekend of Mark Donnelly singing O Canada in front of a sold out hockey arena in Canada.  Donnelly, who has sang the Canadian National Anthem before games on many occasions, decided to sing this version while on ice skates.  You can probably already tell this isn't going to end well...

He begins skating around the rink while singing and shortly thereafter he ends up skating right at the ceremonial red carpet that was still on the ice from the opening ceremony.  Without any warning at all his feet stop while the rest of his body keeps going and he falls to the ice - hard.  But a magical thing happened.  HE KEPT SINGING.

He then stumbled to get up since the carpet was still underneath him and yet HE KEPT SINGING.  He finally got to his feet and continued to skate around the ice and finish the performance.  He didn't get angry.  He didn't get embarrassed.  He didn't even stop to look at the carpet.  He just kept right on doing the only thing he was charged with doing: singing the anthem.

In an interview the next day I saw him mention that the carpet was supposed to be up at that point.  Someone messed up.  And yet he wasn't even mad about it the next day.  His reaction is exactly what I strive to do as a performer.  The only thing that matters is the audience so when I get upset that a passage didn't go as it "should have" I am making it all about me.

(Previous Post: Abandon All Hope For a Better Past)

Donnelly's reaction was admirable, professional, and inspiring.  Never make it about yourself.  Always make it about the audience.

Deviation from the Norm

“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.” ― Frank Zappa

Are you in a practicing rut? If so, what can you change to promote progess? More frequent, shorter practice sessions? Starting earler in the day? More basics? More tools like decibel meters and video cameras for additional external feedback?

We all have a tendency to find “what works” and then stick to it. But we must not be scared to change what’s working in exchange for the possibility of a breakthrough.

We can always go back to what we were doing in the first place if our deviation doesn’t bear fruit.

Great Advice for Music Students from Eric Whitacre

The following is a quote from Eric Whitacre's Facebook Page that offers great advice for music students entering a new school year:

"Music students: as the semester grinds on you may feel intensely burnt-out.  You may even consider dropping out of music altogether.  If that happens, go back and listen to your favorite recordings, make music with your friends, do anything you can to remind yourself why you loved music before you started studying it.  An education in music can be a very good thing, but it can also squeeze the life out of any love you ever had for it.  Don't let it."

Now that is some great advice.

Are You Taking Enough Risks?

"People with a low tolerance for risk, whose behavior is guided by fear, have a low propensity for success." -Keith Ferrazzi from Never Eat Alone

Whether trying to become a band director or start a new chamber ensemble, the music business, like every other business, generally rewards those who take risks. And taking risks involves getting out of your comfort zone.

Are you taking enough risks today to succeed?

The sunsetting over Sebec Lake in Maine. © 2014 Andrew Hitz

Abandon All Hope For A Better Past

When performing, you must abandon all hope for a better past. Never focus on a previous note or phrase. Instead, always focus on the story you are telling in that very moment.

Words of Wisdom from Rex Martin

On my Facebook page recently, I posted the following quote:

"Playing soft with the same intensity as loud is difficult to master."

-Dan Neville

I think it's a great quote that puts a spotlight on the importance of playing softly.  But as usual, one of my mentors, Rex Martin, came in and put it in even better words.  The comment he left on that status was priceless:

"Not particularly difficult at all, but pretty time consuming."

-Rex Martin

Reminds me of the JJ Johnson quote from one of last month's Monday YouTube Fix's about taking shortcuts when learning an instrument.  Spoiler Alert: JJ couldn't find any.

JJ Johnson: Monday YouTube Fix

This interview clip is only 90 seconds long, but the very end of this interview with JJ Johnson gets right to the heart of the matter: "I wish that somebody, someday, would find a shortcut and I wish they'd tell me about it." One of the best instrumentalists of all-time talking about the secret to his success.

Enjoy!