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...
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Michelle Monette
- Jan 23
- 2 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
- 2 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
- 2 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
- 2 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
- Dec 19, 2022
- 2 min
Practice Self-Compassion
"What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself." - Hecato quoted in Seneca's Letters from a Stoic...
Michelle Monette
- Dec 11, 2022
- 2 min
We Are All Built to Make Music
Music is a widely appreciated artform, and an important feature in many of our daily lives. It can connect people to themselves and...
Michelle Monette
- Dec 5, 2022
- 2 min
Play the Long Game
"Nearly everything awesome takes longer than you think. Get started and don't worry about the clock." - James Clear Getting good at music...
Michelle Monette
- Nov 21, 2022
- 2 min
Regain Your Rhythm
“When jarred, unavoidably, by circumstances, revert at once to yourself, and don’t lose the rhythm more than you can help. You’ll have a...
Michelle Monette
- Nov 6, 2022
- 2 min
Persist and Persevere
As musicians, we are required to constantly overcome challenges. We face those related directly to our music, like working through a...
Michelle Monette
- Oct 24, 2022
- 2 min
Do As You Say
“[T]here are many occasions when words are useless, and only deeds will make a man’s meaning plain; often enough, too, it is easy to...
Michelle Monette
- Oct 17, 2022
- 2 min
Do You Know Your "Why"?
Throughout my years of teaching music, I often felt an expectation from some of my students: That I should convince them of why they...
Michelle Monette
- Oct 10, 2022
- 2 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
- Oct 2, 2022
- 2 min
The Joys of Discipline
Jeff Goldblum was the featured guest on an episode of Gregory Porter’s podcast a few years ago. Though best known for his acting,...
Michelle Monette
- Sep 25, 2022
- 2 min
Work Hard, Rest Hard
Seasoned musicians understand the value of hard work. We spend years in the practice room diligently refining our craft by drilling...
Michelle Monette
- Sep 14, 2022
- 2 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, 2022
- 1 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
- Jun 22, 2022
- 2 min
Tradeoffs
Tradeoffs are an essential part of building a musical life. Being a musician requires a lot of time, focus, and effort, which means...
Michelle Monette
- May 22, 2022
- 1 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...
Michelle Monette
- May 11, 2022
- 2 min
Less But Better
I have long said my interest in pursuing so many musical endeavors has been both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I derive great...
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