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How I Healed My Relationship With Music
Music is my calling, but I spent years deeply unhappy in my musical experience. This is how I healed my relationship with music.

Michelle Monette
Jul 8, 20246 min read


Clarity, Intention, Discipline
Conceptually, “Building a Musical Life” is the idea that if music is important to us, it’s worth structuring our lives to support a...

Michelle Monette
Jan 1, 20242 min read


Musical Support Groups
As we work hard to become the musicians and artists we aspire to be, it can be helpful to have the support of others who are on the same...

Michelle Monette
Jun 5, 20232 min read


Digital Minimalism for Musicians
With the ubiquity of digital tools like social media and YouTube, it’s easier than ever to share art, ideas, and ourselves with the...

Michelle Monette
May 22, 20233 min read


Musical Seasons
When designing our musical lives, there are many strategies we can deploy to help us reach our goals and make the most of our time. While...

Michelle Monette
May 15, 20232 min read


Our Musical Interconnectedness
“Keep reminding yourself of the way things are connected, of their relatedness. All things are implicated in one another and in sympathy...

Michelle Monette
Apr 17, 20232 min read


Don't Worry About What Other Musicians Are Doing
With the accessibility of the internet, it is easier than ever to know exactly what other musicians are doing, playing, and creating. We...

Michelle Monette
Apr 9, 20233 min read


The Role of Productivity in a Musical Life
A large part of being a musician is having lofty goals and ambitions. We might want to be the best player possible on our chosen...

Michelle Monette
Mar 27, 20233 min read


Develop Your Musical Voice
“It’s my failure to sound like my heroes that’s allowed me to sound like myself.” - John Mayer One of the most fulfilling parts of being...

Michelle Monette
Mar 13, 20232 min read


The Musical Life Isn't Only About Music
“Music can’t be everything.” - James Blake, “Meet You In The Maze” When we feel called to pursue music in any way, shape, or form, it’s...

Michelle Monette
Mar 6, 20232 min read


The Best Time to Start
“The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what is in Fortune's control...

Michelle Monette
Feb 27, 20232 min read


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
Jan 2, 20232 min read


Reflect and Redirect
Deliberate planning is essential to building our ideal musical life. We want to be clear about what we’re aiming for, and have a concrete...

Michelle Monette
Dec 27, 20222 min read


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 19, 20222 min read


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 11, 20222 min read


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
Dec 5, 20222 min read


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 21, 20222 min read


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
Nov 6, 20222 min read


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 24, 20222 min read


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 17, 20222 min read
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