As performers, we’re expected to be 100% professional, and therefore reliable. This can cause us to feel compelled to be always on top form, even under huge pressure or adverse circumstances such as personal tragedy, illness or injury, terrible performing conditions, transport snafus, extreme heat, etc. This pressure starts with the expectations of others when […]
How Simone Biles saved her own life and you can too Read More »
Remember Lilith from last time? Reflecting on my disastrous experience from a safe distance, I’ve been exploring the difference between being aggressive versus being assertive. Learning to be assertive has been a huge transformation for me over the years. I’ve gone from being someone who was afraid to stand up for myself to someone who
Developing assertiveness as an artist Read More »
“Lilith”, the conductor began, “I’m afraid some of those pitches were a bit off- shall we try that again?” It was a tricky contemporary opera score, and everyone knew it would take some time to master. “I only got it wrong because of the pianist, “ Lilith retorted immediately, eying me with hostility, “she didn’t
Aggressive vs assertive- spot the difference! Read More »
The success of failure ‘A live donkey is better than a dead lion, isn’t it?’- -Shackleton, to his wife, upon returning from a failed polar expedition. It’s 1914 and you’re leading an expedition to be the first to cross Antarctica by ship when your vessel gets trapped by pack ice. Months go by and you
The success of failure Read More »
“Can I speak to you for a minute, Valerie?” Samuel (not his real name), an extremely bright and talented cellist, had started showing up to class late, looking suddenly much thinner, with dark circles under his eyes. I was concerned. One day he asked to speak with me after class. We went to find a
How I lost my career and found my calling Read More »
In part 1 and part 2 on this subject I’ve been looking at how tuning into your inner smart meter can really help you become more efficient, healthy and happy as an artist. How do you read the dial on your smart meter? To tune in to your energy levels, for example, you can assign
Reading the Dial, Part III Read More »
In the first part, I wrote about the idea of having an internal smart meter and how we can attune to it. For artists, who often work freelance or have unusual work schedules, this is particularly vital. On reading up about smart meters, it’s uncanny how far the metaphor extends, as you’ll see… Smart meters
Reading the Dial, Part II Read More »
The other morning, I woke up with an image before me – the tail-end of a dream. Someone had installed a meter next to me on my right-hand side. I knew it belonged to me now – in fact, it seemed to be part of me. “I know,” I said to myself, half asleep, “it’s
The author at six, already making soup. As a performer, do you find it hard to get down to practise? Or do you feel like you’ve never done enough? Or maybe both? As a kid, it was just compulsory- a set time for piano practice every day, with no discussion. I had hoops to jump
What’s in your mental soup? Read More »
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash Say you’re a singer going for auditions. If you’re only regarding the audition as a success if you get the job, then probably (considering the saturated marketplace) many of your auditions will be “failures”. It’s also possible that you’ll be so worried about making a good impression and pleasing
How do you define success as a performing artist? Read More »