The bond we have to our instrument or music itself won’t always be in the honeymoon phase.  Perhaps it is completely mandatory to have strife and eventually grow, forgive and move forward, instead of viewing turbulences as a sign to quit.  With a positive mindset there are many good things in store once we get over the hurdles, and it is a life skill to be able to work through problems instead of giving up. In this month’s newsletter, I would like to encourage all students to stick with it when things feel hard, and I would like to share some thoughts Quincy Jones has on this topic. 

My son’s childlike approach toward playing in front of an audience contrasts so starkly to the reality of high performers in the competitive world of entertainment. Maestro Christopher Parkening's career as a classical guitarist is a model example of this. In this month’s newsletter, I would like to explore this contrast further.