Hmmmm........I've been having some deep thoughts today. In particular, thoughts about some of my goals (dreams really) that have been rough-housed a bit (ok. "Flying High in April, Shot Down in May" so to speak.) I'm kinda in the clear right now---but believe me, I have had my share obstacles---and I want to share a little about what I have learned.
What I find is this---the music industry (no matter how you are involved--education, performance, recording, etc.) is an industry that makes many people feel wonderfully vulnerable to failure. I know that you already know this......I hear ya. But what I don't believe many people know is this--if you have the slightest emotional insecurity in any area, believe me--it will be found, and someone will expose it when you are not ready. A surprise attack. It's that kind of exposure that can be devastating, and generally people loose the passion for their music. The emotional strain is just too great.
Unfortunately, it's easy for the mind to make associations, ie. music=painful failure or music=embarrassment. It's really a shame when this happens to genuine musicians, in particular, because they tend to loose a large part of their joy. I've seen college students that get so beat up in music programs, that even after having successfully earned Performance degrees, they never pick up their instrument again.
Yesterday, I looked at the calender, and realized that it was the end of July. Fall is coming and school will be in session pretty soon. Interestingly, I had flash backs to my Freshman year at college---which for me was the roughest. Freshman college students, if you are signing up for a music program--think about what I am saying. Please understand going in, your weaknesses are going to be pointed out---maybe not so gracefully. You need to decide now-are you going to use criticism to help you make good and positive changes. If you do not capture criticism for good use---and you let negative thoughts "move in" upstairs--your insecurities will take over and you will probably loose your love for music. If not understood and dealt with, the "criticism" can turn into a monster--and then unfortunately, it seems, music can start to represent your fear.
I felt like this needed to be mentioned. I want you to know--I'm not trying to scare anyone out of a music career---I'm just trying to give you the truthful "heads up" that I needed at one point. Think about it though, prep your mind. I promise it will help.
What I find is this---the music industry (no matter how you are involved--education, performance, recording, etc.) is an industry that makes many people feel wonderfully vulnerable to failure. I know that you already know this......I hear ya. But what I don't believe many people know is this--if you have the slightest emotional insecurity in any area, believe me--it will be found, and someone will expose it when you are not ready. A surprise attack. It's that kind of exposure that can be devastating, and generally people loose the passion for their music. The emotional strain is just too great.
Unfortunately, it's easy for the mind to make associations, ie. music=painful failure or music=embarrassment. It's really a shame when this happens to genuine musicians, in particular, because they tend to loose a large part of their joy. I've seen college students that get so beat up in music programs, that even after having successfully earned Performance degrees, they never pick up their instrument again.
Yesterday, I looked at the calender, and realized that it was the end of July. Fall is coming and school will be in session pretty soon. Interestingly, I had flash backs to my Freshman year at college---which for me was the roughest. Freshman college students, if you are signing up for a music program--think about what I am saying. Please understand going in, your weaknesses are going to be pointed out---maybe not so gracefully. You need to decide now-are you going to use criticism to help you make good and positive changes. If you do not capture criticism for good use---and you let negative thoughts "move in" upstairs--your insecurities will take over and you will probably loose your love for music. If not understood and dealt with, the "criticism" can turn into a monster--and then unfortunately, it seems, music can start to represent your fear.
I felt like this needed to be mentioned. I want you to know--I'm not trying to scare anyone out of a music career---I'm just trying to give you the truthful "heads up" that I needed at one point. Think about it though, prep your mind. I promise it will help.
