Tales From The Lane
Living Your Best Life as Creative Artist
Tag: Career
What if We Gave Ourselves Report Cards?
A few weeks ago, I was doing my morning pages, and there was a thought that kept popping up for me. “Everything in my life is at about 85%” Why is that? I thought about all of the various areas of my life–my health,… Continue Reading “What if We Gave Ourselves Report Cards?”
The Magic of New Ideas
Think of three BIG IDEAS that have occurred to you in your lifetime. Do you remember what it felt like? I can recall 3 of mine: Specifically, 1 idea I had when I was 11 to start a summer camp in my backyard.… Continue Reading “The Magic of New Ideas”
The One Question I Always Get Asked
And Why the Answer Makes Me Uncomfortable. It’s usually the 3rd or 4th question in a post-concert Q&A session. The first ones are always about how I chose my program, which of the pieces was my favorite, if I worked closely with the… Continue Reading “The One Question I Always Get Asked”
The Great Reframing: or, why I am suddenly grateful that all of my concerts this year have been canceled due to COVID-19.
One of the teaching jobs I had, while I was a freelancing cellist, was at a private school. I conducted the orchestra and string ensembles, ran the chamber music program, and taught cello lessons. After a few years of my poking my nose… Continue Reading “The Great Reframing: or, why I am suddenly grateful that all of my concerts this year have been canceled due to COVID-19.”
Canceled by Coronavirus: Will the Show Go On?
What do we musicians do when public health concerns shutter our performances and make travel risky? As I write this, the concern over contracting the COVID-19 virus has gone from “If you or someone close to you have traveled recently to China” to a… Continue Reading “Canceled by Coronavirus: Will the Show Go On?”
Why You Need to Stop Waiting for the Phone to Ring
It was that day that I stopped waiting for “someone” to call me up and I just started finding my own concerts. I researched them, I created them, I made them happen. Did I make mistakes along the way? Of course. Did I learn a lot about how to do it? Of course. That’s how it works.
Are You on the Wrong Train?
“Have you ever had a conversation that seemed innocent enough at the time, but with hindsight you realize was one of the most monumental moments of your life?” Years ago, when I was still living in Boston, I was living a double life. I… Continue Reading “Are You on the Wrong Train?”
Are You a City Mouse or Country Mouse At Heart?
The question of where one prefers to live is as old as Aesop himself. The City mouse scoffs at the simplicity of Country Mouse’s life but the Country Mouse prefers the safety of his quiet life (rather than be attacked by dogs in the… Continue Reading “Are You a City Mouse or Country Mouse At Heart?”
Spotlight Series: Aubrey Bergauer
If you’ve been following the news in the classical music world, you’ve probably heard the laundry list of orchestras going on strike or facing lock-outs (Chicago Lyric, Chicago Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, etc.). Add to that the dwindling ticket sales and disappearing audiences,… Continue Reading “Spotlight Series: Aubrey Bergauer”
The Musician’s Life: How I transition between my various professional roles (without losing my mind!)
I’ve been seeing a lot of talk in various chat groups, podcasts and musician’s facebook groups about the stress of balancing it all, and figuring out how to do it all without getting completely overwhelmed. I wanted to share a few tips that I have learned along the way on how best to transition between my various professional roles without getting stressed out