Step 6-Take Risks

Nothing is a sure thing. In any career, there are no guarantees. Gone are the days of spending a lifetime doing one thing. If you want to have a career in music, go for it.

But don’t be timid. It’s too hard to begin with, and you need to be all in.  That goes for how you do everything. Practice as if you’re on stage with the committee behind a screen listening. Or the tape is rolling and you don’t know which take will be used.

Every show, every semester, every hour of practice. Every phrase, every note, every entrance, every release. Make it the best you can, in the moment. No one gets to the end of
a concert, career, or anything really, and says, “I wish I’d tried less.

You’re only get one trip around, might as well make it the best it can be and do what gives you joy. What makes you want to get up in the morning?  That’s what I want to do.

If you work hard, and are fortunate, you will have a chance to live your dreams. If you don’t make it happen, at least you’ll know you gave it your best shot. There’s no shame in that. You can walk away, head held high. Life is a risk anyway. Just getting out of bed involves risk.

The whole planet is a marvel, when you think about it. The fact that someone thought up these horns, how to write music, organize an orchestra, improvise a jazz solo, it’s all quite amazing! Being an artist is an honorable craft. And there’s always room for one more.  Why not give it a shot? The odds are never in your favor. But someone is going home happy. Why not you?