BEING A GOOD PERSON MAKES YOU A BETTER MUSICIAN

I’ve been going to the same Dunkin Donuts for a few weeks now fairly consistently. While only sometimes I get breakfast, I always get a medium coffee with a little milk and sugar. I always notice the exact three people working behind the counter: the franchise owner, a woman and a man. You can tell that the owner works a good person and a ridiculously hard worker.

One day I noticed he had the team working really smoothly and I simply said “you guys are a well-oiled machine”. He really appreciated the compliment. Not because it was a compliment, but it was specific and he knew I could relate to the difficulties of delegating. Now every single time he not only remembers my order, but he makes sure I’m out under two minutes. Something as simple as a genuine compliment can be great for you, and even better for someone else.

“A MUSICIAN IS A GOOD PERSON THAT TELLS GOOD STORIES ON STAGE.”

The story is not always about the music, but the performer playing the piece. Your beliefs, your personality and who you are will show through every performance. The audience can see what you believe in through your performance. As an artist I find myself asking questions:

Why am I playing this piece?

What do I want my audience to feel?

Who am I and why have I chosen music?

These big thinking questions align me with the music I’m performing. This type of emotional energy is infectious to an audience and is what ultimately makes black dots on a page come alive.

You’ve probably felt it before when you’re playing a gig for all the wrong reasons. You’re tired, the pay is barely enough for the gas to the venue, and the repertoire is not really speaking to you. Sometimes we’ve all had these experiences but you can feel the lack of energy and purpose behind each note. You’ve also probably experienced the opposite where everything that comes out of your horn is magical.

The only problem is that the feel good reasons to why we make music simply cannot be fabricated. They have to come from a genuine place and a deep love for music. The only reason I complimented the Dunkin Donuts owner was because I truly meant it. I believe that I have become somewhat of a good person and I truly believe that my good qualities are heard in my playing. Every time I step on stage, I graciously ask…

“What can I do with my music to make the lives of the audience members just that much better?”

What do you ask yourself before a performance?

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