I recently discovered a few of my students only practice with their piano on mute. They do not want to ‘bother’ other family members with the sound of works in progress. This reluctance to play for others started a valuable conversation about the role of performing in music study. Music is an interactive experience, so it is important to unmute ourselves and share our playing even when we feel like it can still improve. Here are three attitudes towards performing I learned to cultivate for my...
If you are a conservatory trained musician like me, then your coursework, lessons, and curriculum were designed to prepare you for an academic job. Of course, a musician’s life is rarely a straight line from graduation to tenure-track employment. In fact, a variety of factors have made securing a full-time academic position today more difficult than ever:
