One thing I’ve noticed throughout this pandemic is the emphasis on physical health and well-being.

Rightfully so.

And there’s even been cursory mention about behavioral health, too.

Good.

But nada, diddly-squat, niente about our emotional health.

There have been suggestions that because we have been isolated from each other and our loved ones and NOT dealing with our emotional status, that our responses to all the bad news, bad politics, bad violence has become far more exaggerated than it otherwise might have been.

As Pinellas County Commissioner Gerard said in a public COVID-19 response meeting this morning, “emotions are running high.”

This issue is fascinating to me because, if you have followed me for any length of time, you’ll know how much I respect Ravi Zacharias’ statement that music is the “language of the soul,” but that most of us see it more as the “language of emotions.”

So why does society continue to neglect it so much?

Especially now.

And here’s the kicker:

Music is the #2 increased activity

Also this morning Culture Track released the preliminary results of a survey they ran throughout the USA mid-April to mid-May, which attracted 124,000 respondents (making it probably the largest formal survey about culture, ever).*

Are you ready for their findings?

Interestingly, 653 arts organizations were represented by the 1/4 mil. respondents, the most coming from museums (336) and the performing arts (285). Only 25 arts schools or services were represented, 4 visual arts organizations, and 3 film, radio & TV orgs.

Nevertheless, 45% of respondents indicated they felt ‘bored’ or ‘less connected’ than before the pandemic began, and 54% wanted more connection and fun, with 53% miss ‘having fun’ the most.

During the 30 days previous to completing the survey, the NUMBER ONE ACTIVITY respondents were doing more of, was cooking.

The NUMBER TWO activity was music.

Yes, music.

More music – especially singing. Be it alone, with others online, or even with others while social distancing.

More people participated in more music activities than they did visual art, knitting, physical exercise, and so on.

60-68% of respondents had found value in online activity, too, including watching performances from before the pandemic, as well as live streamed performances.

Online workshops are most valued

But 68% (the top response) found value in online workshops, because they generated community, intimacy, connection, and learning, all together at the same time.

Thank goodness one of the organizations I work with has been delivering weekly and monthly workshops since March!

While 96% of respondents are looking to cultural organizations for emotional help, it’s fascinating that they observe only 1 in every 3 arts organizations actually doing any activity since events began to be cancelled.

But while almost everyone expects some help, only 13% have paid for digital content.

WHAT?!

And I have to agree – it’s a problem.

Our own workshops have been free. Oh, sure – we’ve asked for donations, and one online festival we produced attracted over 5,000 viewers, but we received barely over a hundred bucks.

Overall, 31% of boomer respondents say they’ve lost income during the pandemic, whereas 44% of Gen Xers and Millennials have lost income. That’s nothing compared to 70% of the Gen Zers who say they’ve lost their income. But then again, that’s age 8-23 according to the survey, so I’ve no doubt their parents have lost pocket money income, or their part-time college temp jobs have disappeared.

How does THAT work?

So, if 96% of 124,000 people surveyed are looking to cultural organizations for emotional support (to laugh, relax, distract, escape and get a break, according to comments in the survey), yet only 13% are willing to pay for it, how does that work?

How are the organizations and the people who work for them who actually create and curate the content supposed to pay their bills?

It’s nice to think that arts for all might mean arts free for all, but no landlord or electricity company cares about that – they want their money because they have their own bills to pay, or they’ve already paid out and need to recoup.

I say, we musicians – pro and amateur – should stop giving away our direct emotional health and well-being services, in a similar way most behavioral health and physical health providers don’t provide their services for free, and CHARGE for how we help our society.

96% of society, it seems.

You are invited to share your own thoughts about music, the arts, and emotional health & well-being, but I expect you to retain dignity and integrity.

Might I suggest you take a look at my comments policy first…?

*Culture Track “Culture + Community in a Time of Crisis” published and accessed 7/7/2020 https://culturetrack.com/research/reports/

There is much to worry about right now…

• The spreading of a virus we have no treatment for or protection against, 
• Economic upheaval,
• Societal unrest,
• Political alienation,
• Unbelievable (literally) news and social media,
• Coordinated violence against our own neighbors.

But what I want to share with you today is, actually, not much.

There are days I believe the world wants to hear my voice, my global perspective as an immigrant who has lived and performed in multiple cultures on multiple continents, my empathetic “gentle strength,” perhaps even advice.

But today is not one of those days. At least, not in any sort of upbeat, energetic, positivity-spinning “here’s a solution!” sort of way.

Why not?

Because I don’t have a solution right now.

I have plenty of ideas, certainly, and some confidence in ways we might overcome our current fears and concerns.

However, sometimes the voice we need is the one that simply says, “I’m here, and I’m listening.”

When I think about it carefully, that’s what my nearest and dearest have been saying to me over and over again, for decades. Close friends, loved ones, mentors, my really good business and performance coaches I come back to time and again.

These are the people who have enough space and strength to let me be who I am and let me do what I’m going to do, without interfering, without trying to change me, without quashing my own dreams and desires to help musicians ignite their passion and find the confidence to unleash spectacular performances.

And I want to reflect their precedent and say the same to you, to anyone who may be struggling or afraid or downright confused at this time:

I’m here. I’m listening.

Tell me your worries, your concerns, your fears, as well as your celebrations, in confidence. 

Let’s enjoy a virtual pot of tea, and send me an email. I’ll get back to you in a few days, just letting you know you’ve been heard, if that’s all that is needed.

We each contribute to making our community what it is. Let’s not let go of that responsibility. Together, let’s keep our community strong.

I do hope you continue to be cautious, caring, and optimistic as our society transitions from one crisis to another.

Be well, deliberately.

Have you found yourself visiting the fridge a little more often than usual, now you are stuck at home at lot more?

There are enough folk telling us what not to do… “Don’t this!” and “Don’t that!”

And there are lots of cartoons and memes making light of it.

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But what if you could embrace those visits to grab a boredom snack instead?

Here are my top 5 reasons to exploit your extra visits to the kitchen:

1 – Enjoy one meal a day

That’s right. Instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner, how about just having a big breakfast? Or, as in the case today, Easter Monday, a large lunch of leftovers? The rest of the time you can snack. Your metabolism will thank you. The problem comes when we eat like we normally do AND throw in a few extra visits. One meal a day also means less cooking, prep, and washing up, too.

2 – Mix it up

One thing I’ve found is that denial sets in really quickly. Pretending that our bodies don’t need or crave sweet things, or the occasional manufactured food, is unrealistic. So, among the plums and pears, little bowls of blueberries and walnuts, it’s OK to grab half a cup of Life cereal (with or without milk), or some chocolate cookies. As my doc says: eat what you want, as long as you didn’t eat it yesterday.

3 – Walk it off

How many times did you walk up and down the stairs yesterday? Add two more trips today. Honestly, stairs provide the most amazing and easiest cardio exercise you could want, without needing a mask. No stairs? Walk around the house or the block once. Just once! Not because it’s healthy, but because you want to make room for that cup of tea and little snack you’re going to head for when you get back… as a reward. Actually, you might find yourself forgetting that particular trip to the fridge, so well done you!

4 – What’s new?

When approaching your fridge or pantry, keep your eyes open for something that’s new. Look for the sell-by date on everything you can get your hands on easily. If it’s at least next month, put that item at the back of the shelf and bring something else forward. That way, you get to use stuff up and also avoid having to throw away food you’d [conveniently] forgotten about.

5 – Give it a good scrub down

When was the last time that shelf had a good clean? On your next visit, just start taking everything out as you consider what’s immediately snack-worthy. Only leave it out until the shelf is absolutely empty! And while it’s got your attention, get one of those nearby handy disinfectant wipes and give it a good clean. Perhaps even change the liner if you have one. Then put everything back by sell-by date order.

There… you’ve actually EARNED a snack, now!

Happy exploiting those fridge visits 🙂

The biggest expense in your performing career is the gigs you are not getting.

I know – it’s difficult to appreciate that sometimes.

We all get so focused on the bills and money flowing out of our bank accounts that it’s hard to focus on the money that’s NOT coming IN! Am I right? Of course.

But unless you learn to focus on the money you’re not making, you will probably struggle to reach a six figure income as a performing classical musician. 

And even struggle to hit lower goals than that, too.

Why?

The time you spend practicing your craft still feels right. It’s what you know to do, and you can do it well. What doesn’t feel real is the $1,000 gig that would have come your way had you spent a little of that practice time calling venues, or reaching out to your audience members.

Those actions don’t feel real to you, because they haven’t happened.

But, as the owner of your own performing career – and therefore business – you have to learn to ask yourself “Can I imagine?”

• Can I imagine what life would be like if I booked three or even five $1,000 gigs a week?
• Can I imagine what it would feel like to pick and choose which students I teach, i.e. just the advanced seniors preparing for college?
• Can I imagine being surrounded and supported by a caring community instead of trying to make this work alone? 

You can’t see those gigs that slip through the cracks…but that is where the money is. That’s where your freedom is. That is where your impact is.

There are lives that need to be changed, and you can change them with your music. There are people who are suffering, struggling, and you could have helped them cope. But they didn’t find you, they didn’t attend one of your gigs, and now they are lost to live classical music.

Every time someone books a Breakthrough Session with the Concert University, I know their lives are on the line, their business is crumbling at best – probably non-existent, even. 

It’s the same with you and your gigs.

Every time you book a gig, you know there are people near that venue whose lives are devoid of live classical music. Someone’s life is on the line. Or their own business. Their marriage. So much of life gets in the way and if we can’t help them experience a little light through our music, then we’ve blown it… we’ve let them down. 

And every missed paid performance opportunity adds up to a lot of people sliding further and further away from classical music – that incredible form of communication, the language of emotions that helps our world become a much better place.

Imagine speaking to three venues this week but they all say ‘no thanks.’ That’s $3,000 lost… not to mention the impact you could have had on the hundreds of lives in those audiences. Those three missed gigs are your income goal – does that make sense?

All I did to go from broke and teaching in a classroom full-time to over six figures a year from performing, is to stop missing out on decently paid performance opportunities. 

That’s it!

But to capture those opportunities, you have to see them. And then you have to do what it takes to seize them, too. 

Otherwise, you might as well keep practicing for that elusive big break that’ll never come (remember: every overnight success takes about 20-30 years to happen) and constantly miss your income goals, your performing goals, and your impact goals. And it’s your audience members and the communities you operate in that will pay the price. 

But what happens when you start seeing AND seizing those extra opportunities? 

A few more gigs booked. 

A spike in the number of people you get to perform for.

And then, all of a sudden, your monthly income goal from performing seems remarkably within reach – you realize you’re going to hit it much sooner than you ever dreamed!

That’s why I want you on the inside of Concert University.

How many gigs did you miss this week? This month? Over the past 12 months?

If you had booked five or more gigs a week for the past year, what would that have been worth?

And what would be the lifetime value of those audiences that you could have owned a year ago?

Here’s the truth: If the answer to those questions is more than the investment for enrolling in Concert University, then it’s a very simple solution… you need to enroll!

My coaching program was designed from the ground up to help you avoid making the really obvious mistakes everyone still makes (that I made two and three decades ago), and it combines all the years of toil, trial and error that we see the majority of classical musicians making time and time again. We want you to see every performing opportunity you are currently missing so you can finally stop leaving money on the table and start being a winner at your career, not just your craft. 

AND, you get to do it surrounded by people who love you, support you, and want you to succeed. Most of all, people who understand you and your dream…even when everyone else around you doesn’t really get it.

If you’ve been stuck, leaving opportunities on the table, or not hitting your goals, Concert University will snap you out of it and get you back where you belong.

Book a 45-minute Breakthrough Session now, and find out if we can help you pick up some of those opportunities you’ve been leaving on the table every month:

http://ConcertUniversity.com/talk

Book your call now. 

Registration closes when you close your mind to the urgency to overcome what’s still holding you back.

If you are like most classical musicians, you can delay no more. You can ‘think about it’ no more. It’s either time to get on with life as a performer, or you’ll continue juggling plates in a trendy but unsustainable portfolio career forever… nothing will change unless you decide to change your decisions and actions. 

Get on a call with us now so we can all make this world of ours a better place through live classical music.

The team and I look forward to seeing you on the inside…