Thirty years will teach you things no conservatory will.
Hey, it's Chris from Honesty Pill Coaching. I've played trumpet in the Los Angeles Philharmonic for nearly twenty years. Before that, I was the one on the other side of the curtain — auditioning, getting cut, going home, and doing it again.
One of the things you learn sitting in that room is that talent isn't the differentiator people think it is. Nobody mediocre wins a job. What separates the players who do win is their ability to actually deliver under pressure — and that's a completely different skill from being good.
I've watched brilliant players fall apart on stage — not because they weren't good enough, but because their delivery system failed them. The notes were there. Everything else wasn't.
In 2017, I started Honesty Pill because I was tired of watching talented people spin their wheels on the wrong problems. Practicing harder. Tweaking fingerings. Taking one more masterclass. Meanwhile the real issue — the thing between their ears — stayed completely untouched.
The music world will give you plenty of encouragement. I'll give you something more useful: the truth.
Thirty years will teach you things no conservatory will.
Hey, it's Chris from Honesty Pill Coaching. I've played trumpet in the Los Angeles Philharmonic for nearly twenty years. Before that, I was the one on the other side of the curtain — auditioning, getting cut, going home, and doing it again.
One of the things you learn sitting in that room is that talent isn't the differentiator people think it is. Nobody mediocre wins a job. What separates the players who do win is their ability to actually deliver under pressure — and that's a completely different skill from being good.
I've watched brilliant players fall apart on stage — not because they weren't good enough, but because their delivery system failed them. The notes were there. Everything else wasn't.
In 2017, I started Honesty Pill because I was tired of watching talented people spin their wheels on the wrong problems. Practicing harder. Tweaking fingerings. One more masterclass. Meanwhile the real issue — the thing between their ears — stayed completely untouched.
The music world will give you plenty of encouragement. I'll give you something more useful: the truth.
Talent is not the bottleneck. You are.
Honesty is the fastest path to improvement.
The mental game and the musical game are the same game.
Community isn't optional. You need people who get it.
Talent is not the bottleneck. You are.
Honesty is the fastest path to improvement.
The mental game and the musical game are the same game.
Community isn't optional. You need people who get it.
If any of this resonates, you're in the right place. The best next step is HPAC — the Honesty Pill Audition Community — a group of serious musicians who are done doing this alone. $35/month. No fluff. Just real people doing real work.
Find Your People →If any of this resonates, you're in the right place. The best next step is HPAC — the Honesty Pill Audition Community — a group of serious musicians who are done doing this alone. $35/month. No fluff. Just real people doing real work.
Find Your People →About Christopher Still
Pressure isn't a concept I teach. It's a Tuesday night.
Second Trumpet, LA Philharmonic. Founder, Honesty Pill Coaching. 40+ auditions before I won my seat.
Who is Christopher Still?
More Than a Win — It Finally Clicked
40+ auditions. A lot of failure. One dream job.
I'm a trumpet player with the LA Phil. But what got me here wasn't talent — it was learning to perform under pressure, think clearly under stress, and close the gap between knowing and doing.
In 2017 I founded Honesty Pill. Since then I've coached hundreds of musicians, executives, athletes, and creatives through the same work. Talent is only part of the equation. The rest is strategy, mindset, and delivery.
I'm not here to tell you what you want to hear. I'm here to help you hear yourself think.
Chris @ Honesty Pill | Performance Coaching