Music has always been a part of my life. Since I was a child, music has always been a part of my life .I can remember being about three or four years old and my parents coming into my room at night and asking me to stop singing because they were trying to sleep! I sang about everything: the birds, the trees, my pets, taking a bath. You name it. I had a song for it. Music has always been a source of comfort and joy for me. And, over the years, I have come to realize that it has also taught me some of the most important lessons in life.
These lessons are not always easy to learn. But, they are definitely worth learning. And, I believe that music has helped me to learn them in a more effective way.
In this blog post, I will share with you some of the most important lessons that music has taught me. I hope that they will be of benefit to you as well.
Music has taught me how to be passionate and dedicated . Music has taught me that one must be willing to put in many hours of practice in order to become an excellent musician. It has shown me that developing a skill requires dedication and hard work.
Music has also taught me that there is always something to learn. There is always some element of music that you can improve and refine. This is something that is applicable to many aspects of life. No matter how much you know or how much experience you have, there is always something that can help you become better.
Finally, music has taught me to trust my instincts. It has taught me how to listen to what my heart and soul are saying and to go forward with confidence in my decisions. Music has trained me to trust my intuition, and to understand that the best outcomes often come from listening to our deepest desires.
Music has taught me the importance of hard work . It has shown me that one can become great in their craft if they are willing to consistently put in the time and effort that is necessary to improve. It has taught me that no matter how talented you may be, you still need to put in the necessary work and dedication in order to reach your goals.
Being a musician requires hard work and dedication. It is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires learning and practicing many hours a day, every day in order to progress. It also requires a commitment to developing one’s talent, which involves listening to others, no matter how critical they may be and learning from their experiences. Sometimes it is difficult to listen but you need to become better at not taking it too personally. The problem with singing is that your instrument is part of YOU.
Music has taught me that hard work can pay off if you are persistent and consistent. I have seen my own progress and growth as a musician through these many decades , and it has only been made possible by hard work and dedication. Music has also taught me to find motivation and drive when things get difficult, and to keep going despite setbacks. And there will be setbacks.
Music has taught me how to be resilient in my life and career. Singing and performing brings with it a lot of ups and downs, and it's important to remain flexible and persistent in the face of struggles. Being resilient is essential to a successful music career, as there will be plenty of hard times and obstacles to overcome.
I've seen many musicians succeed due to their resilience and strong perseverance. I went to school with people who are world renowned composers, conductors, performers and some of my own students who grew up in my voice studio and are in the profession today. Their lives have not been easy, nor was mine. They didn't give up no matter how tough things got, and they kept going despite failure and frustration. Being resilient doesn't mean never feeling frustration or sadness; it means that despite these feelings, you keep going without giving up.
Music has taught me to always remain strong in pursuit of my dreams. It is important to never give up, no matter how tough the situation is. Being resilient means being able to look back at failure and disappointment as valuable lessons and using them to move forward. Music has been a great teacher in this regard, and I will continue to use its lessons to stay resilient and pursue my dreams.
Music has taught me to be comfortable with myself and instilled confidence. As the kid in school who was bullied and picked on for being different I found peace and comfort hiding in the choral room of the music department with the rest of the "weirdos". We were all different in many ways yet we bonded over our musical gifts. We never laughed at each other but encouraged each other's attempts at success. We praised each other and accepted each other. Out of that grew a confidence in my own abilities and trust in my musical gifts. I was the only opera singer in high school yet these friends and classmates were there to tell me it was ok to be different. It was ok to have talent. It was ok not to fit in. It was ok to be a short, flaming redhead who sang Puccini during field trips. It was ok to be me!
Music has taught me to be grateful . Learning to sing and hone my specific skills is a lifelong task. You have to go through a lot of trial and error, and there are quite a few times when you feel stuck or overwhelmed and, let's face it, you feel devastated.
However, it’s important to be grateful for the journey of learning and the process of performing and/or creating music. I have come to realize that being grateful can lighten up a tough situation and help to find the silver lining even in the toughest of situations whether it be losing a musical role in La Boheme in New York at age 25 or dealing with infertility at age 39. There was a silver lining: I ended up performing in Europe, teaching in the New England area and eventually here in Tucson where I work having fun with students. many of whom feel different too. I have a great husband and two wonderful adoptive children. They wouldn't have been my kids if I wasn't grateful!
I’m grateful for the people I’ve connected with during my journey and the lessons they have taught me from my early years playing guitar and piano in the early grades to perfecting my craft in classical music as a singer in high school and college. As a voice teacher, vocal coach, voice rehabilitator and trans voice specialist the journey has taken decades and with each year I am more thankful.
Gratefulness helps ground me and keeps me from taking things for granted. It helps me to bring more appreciation and joy into teaching. Gratitude is an important lesson that music has taught me. I am grateful for the experience of learning and the joy of singing, playing, studying, composing and teaching music.
And finally the role of music in my life has been a transformative one. It helped a petite, introverted, self-conscious redhead accept that she had a big soprano voice that shook the rafters and It was ok to be me. Learning to sing and play musical instruments and teaching has been a rewarding experience. It has taught me valuable lessons about patience, perseverance, and resilience. Music has also helped open my heart to the joy of collaboration and connecting with all kinds of people. Furthermore, it has taught me to be grateful for the process of learning and growing.
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to approach music and life with an open-mind and the willingness to try new things. Music has opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. Most importantly, music has given me the confidence to be myself and throw caution to the wind.
Music made me who I am today. I did me. YOU do YOU!