I resigned from my position as a flute teacher in the public schools, and last week was my first week off. I had a lot of time to practice, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

In this video, I talk about what I’m working on, why I’m practicing it, and my thoughts. I hope you find it helpful and/or interesting.

Recently, I’ve been realizing how little most people understand about what a professional musician, especially a performer, does for work. When you watch a performance, that is not really the work, though that is when we tend to get paid.

A performance is the culmination of a lot of preparation- listening, practicing, studying, researching, etc. Being a performer is also living life as an artist. It’s gathering experiences and knowledge of the world- developing a perspective, a voice. You can get as deep into the music as you like. There is always more to learn.

I feel like there’s a disconnect between what we learn in school as a music major, and the skills necessary to earn a living as a musician. I remember the financial struggle, frustration, and post-graduation identity crisis very well. Only now, 10 years after graduating with a Master’s degree, do I feel like things are starting to take off.

But, I wasn’t sitting back and waiting for things to happen. I tried and tried. I pushed myself, and practiced as much as I could. I just kept trying. The process of trial and error made me better, and clarified my direction.

I started my YouTube channel during the pandemic, and most of the videos did not get many views. But for some reason, one video in particular, called “4 jobs I’ve gotten with a music degree” has gotten 12k views. I think that shows how curious people are about working as a musician.