Be honest

quick update - off to Lincoln Nebraska this week to conduct an honor band, looking forward to one more week of guest conducting.  After this week, I'll be spending a few weeks performing as an orchestral percussionist and chamber musician.  Looking forward to returning to the back of the orchestra, and sharing the stage with some terrific performers - more to come on that

I was thinking today about what students worry about - often students see professional musicians at a certain point in our careers and think "if I don't do that by a certain time....I'm a failure"  They see fancy websites, podcasts, concert performances, tours and audition success -  What they don't see, unless we tell them, are our own failures.  

They didn't see us shedding for auditions at 2AM, or getting our resume's rejected from auditions, or loosing competitions, or cold calling contractors/players in town to get gigs - or teaching 20-30 or 40 lessons a week to pay the bills.  They were not there when you first started your program, had to beg for students, or struggled to pay the bills.  Every "successful" musician has a story to tell the next generation - it isn't always easy to tell, and you certainly don't pull the curtain back all together at once - but being honest about the business and the work it takes to do well - that matters.