- We're talking about a proactive environment of playing
and establishing that
this is something that's very important for those of you
in music school right now.
Remember that most degree programs
in music school require you to stand up twice
in an undergraduate program and be proactive.
Usually for your junior recital and your senior recital.
The rest of your musical experience is largely reactive.
In a grad program.
If it's a two-year grad program,
you have a master's recital
and a second master's recital,
maybe a mock audition.
Anyway you look at it
with 365 days of a year having only two
of those days be where you actually have
to stand up and be held accountable
in any sort of proactive sense.
I find falls far short of what will be required of you
If you want to win a job.
And for that reason,
I urge you to seek out performance opportunities
that will force you
into proactive playing for people.
You need to feel comfortable playing for bodies
and playing and understanding that what you're doing
isn't really about being judged.
It's about you sharing what you have
that this is your product.
You're proud of your product
and this is how you're selling your product.
And that means find opportunities in unlikely places
go to your hospitals,
find the children's ward
do a demonstration for them.
Go to the cancer ward,
do a demonstration,
go to a hospice
go to nursing homes,
go to assisted care facilities.
They love music and are happy to do it.
And it gives you easy access
to an audience that you can play for
and test your proactive skills,
churches,
synagogues.
The list goes on and on.
It's as limited as your creative imagination
and your desire and in the end,
it's that desire.
That's going to take you there.