Last week, we talked about figuring out the kind of location that best suits our individual nature and the idea that as classical musicians, we often just let inertia decide where we are going to live our lives. How we often end up either in the town we graduated in or leaped at the first orchestra or teaching job we won, without thinking about what kind of environment we would be putting ourselves in.
And while I DO feel (strongly) that musicians need to take back a little more control over their work circumstances and create the most amazing, true to themselves life they can, there ARE circumstances that call for us to go somewhere we might consider “less-than-ideal”.
A spouse gets offered their dream job, and it involves a big move, or you need to be closer to an ailing family member, or you yourself get offered a dream position, in a less than dreamy spot.
Enter a phrase that has always evoked a spirit of adventure for me:
“Bloom Where You’re Planted”
Like a seed blowing in the wind, sometimes life just lands us somewhere we never would have expected (or asked for!). What then?
We’ve all seen people who complain constantly about how miserable they are, and how they are “stuck” somewhere because of external circumstances. And we’ve all seen people who found themselves in new places without friends or contacts and then, the next thing we know, they’ve started community programs, or a new chamber ensemble, or are winning a Nobel Peace Prize or something amazing.
There is something to be said for being resourceful, and figuring out how to find happiness and fulfillment anywhere. This isn’t a dress rehearsal, folks. So, wherever you are, it would behoove you figure it out as soon as possible and start living that best life.
If you aren’t currently living in your ideal place and you can move, then move. If you aren’t living in your ideal place, and you can’t move, then here are 10 things you can try doing to increase the joy. I thought of these in about 5 minutes and I’m sure you could add another 10 to the list if you wanted to.
- Find some other players nearby and have a weekly Sunday night chamber music reading/potluck evening.
- Start a Music Festival.
- Teach online lessons
- Curate a concert series at a local art gallery-even if you’re the only one around who can play. (maybe especially if you’re the only one around who can play!).
- Write concert reviews for local performances and if the local paper doesn’t want them, just publish them on social media anyway
- Start a blog
- Take the time to learn music you haven’t had the time to learn before.
- Start a new hobby
- Book concerts for yourself-anywhere you can-retirement homes, libraries.
- If you have access to space and you’re in a beautiful place: start a musicians’ retreat.
I love to hear stories of people who moved somewhere unexpectedly and did incredible things. It doesn’t matter if it was due to inspiration or boredom. It’s the action that matters. So, if you ever had to move somewhere that you weren’t initially pleased about, and then figured out how to find a way to bloom there regardless, tell us all about it in the comments!
Cheers!