Create Space to Make Music
“In terms of shaping our own future, spaces are key. We need to make sure there are spaces to be free. To be ourselves. Literal spaces,...
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Build a Musical Life - Blog
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Michelle Monette
Jul 10, 20234 min
How to Fine-Tune Feedback
One of the most valuable tools we have for our musical and creative development is feedback—whether received from other people, or...
Michelle Monette
Jul 3, 20233 min
Where to Find Feedback
A substantial part of building a musical life is always moving forward and growing as artists and musicians. One of the most important...
Michelle Monette
Jun 26, 20233 min
Don't Fear Feedback
“No one likes to be found at fault. In fact, this is what many of us walk around fearing—that we’ll be exposed as imposters, we’ll be put...
Michelle Monette
Jun 19, 20233 min
You Can Do It Too
“Not to assume it’s impossible because you find it hard. But to recognize that if it’s humanly possible, you can do it too.” - Marcus...
Michelle Monette
May 29, 20233 min
Direct Learning
“The easiest way to learn directly is to simply spend a lot of time doing the thing you want to become good at.” - Scott Young One of our...
Michelle Monette
Apr 23, 20232 min
Focus on Fundamentals
“Fundamentals will save your [butt] every day, and twice on Sundays.” Bob Reynolds With the proliferation of videos and online courses...
Michelle Monette
Jan 29, 20232 min
Give Yourself Fewer Choices
One of the key characteristics of music is the wide variety of potential areas to focus on. There are multiple instruments to learn, many...
Michelle Monette
Jan 23, 20232 min
The Bright Side of Confusion
A substantial part of any musical journey is the quest for understanding. We recognize how beneficial music comprehension will be for us,...
Michelle Monette
Jan 16, 20232 min
The Value of Being a Teacher
“And when you say: ‘Give me also a share in these gifts which you have found so helpful,’ I reply that I am anxious to heap all these...
Michelle Monette
Jan 9, 20232 min
Leading and Lagging Indicators
“Nothing comes from nowhere. Not success. Not inspiration. Not the muses. Not writer’s block. Everything is a lagging indicator. Of...
Michelle Monette
Jan 2, 20232 min
Look For the Ingredients
When constructing our musical lives and identities, we often draw inspiration from our favourite musicians. Whether we resonate with the...
Michelle Monette
Nov 27, 20222 min
Our Role as Teachers
Teachers are an essential part of anyone’s musical life. Many of us begin our musical journeys by taking lessons with various...
Michelle Monette
Nov 13, 20222 min
Larks and Owls
Since we are all limited in how much time we have to spend on music, it becomes vital to optimize our musical lives so we are as...
Michelle Monette
Oct 30, 20222 min
Closing the Knowing-Doing Gap
Information is more abundant and easier to access than at any other time in history. Invaluable resources like websites, books, videos,...
Michelle Monette
Oct 10, 20222 min
Failure is Nothing to Fear
Ask someone what they fear, and a likely answer will be “failure.” Humans fear failure because of the distress we feel when we fall short...
Michelle Monette
Sep 14, 20222 min
There Is No "Key" to Unlocking Music
Advertisements targeted toward aspiring musicians often try to entice potential customers with an impossible promise: “This is the one...
Michelle Monette
Jul 13, 20221 min
Dancing With Difficulty
Every musician knows how challenging the art and craft of music can be. Learning and practicing something new will stretch you, often...
Michelle Monette
May 22, 20221 min
Mystery is Overrated
Over the years, I’ve often heard musicians explain their lack of desire to learn music in a deeper way as simply wanting to retain...
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