Staying on task is HARD. Especially during an orchestra audition.

That's why we’re going to spend a lot of time talking about focus in the upcoming Audition Boot Camp next month.

Why is this so frustrating?

Because most musicians leave auditions to chance, and it doesn’t have to be this way.

Are summer festivals worth the time and money?

So you got into the summer music festival of your dreams. Awesome, right?

It depends. There are two main things going on at festivals. Both are equally important. But if you're not going to try and balance them, you might as well stay home.

You finally spotted an opening for your dream orchestra job and eagerly submitted your resume, already imagining what it would be like to actually win that position. You envisioned where you might live and what life would look like when you landed the job.

But then, the harsh reality hit - your resume didn't even make the cut.

Overcoming low self-confidence on the audition circuit can be tough, but trust us, you ARE good enough! Check out our five tips for investing in yourself and boosting your confidence today.

Are you gearing up for an audition but feeling the anxiety creeping in? Don't worry, you're not alone. Performance anxiety is something that every musician experiences at some point in their career. Trust me, this has happened to all of us.

But what about audition anxiety? How does it differ from the anxiety we feel before a concert? Let's dive into it.

Someone asked a great question on one of my posts today:

“Do you know the percentage of graduating musicians who actually win jobs in full-time professional orchestras?”

That’s a great question, and one that you should be asking yourself if you're considering a life in classical music.

I don't know the actual percentages, but here’s my guess…

Reframing Injury As Opportunity

I know that title is a trigger. It’s the type of heading that typically gets a “how dare she!” or “she doesn’t understand,” but give me 5 minutes and let’s investigate this.

Do You Have What it Takes to Make it in Music?

A client asked me this week, “Do you think I have what it takes to make it into an orchestra? Should I keep trying to do this?”

Ooof––big question! While it is certainly not up to me (or anybody else) to tell someone what they should do with their lives, I do have a few thoughts.

How to Get Better at Auditioning When You Can’t Audition

If you want to take an orchestra audition, you need a strong enough resume to get past the screening round. But to earn a great resume, you need to take and win auditions.

To a lot of young musicians, this seems like a catch-22: ”How am I supposed to get better at auditions if I'm never invited?”

Hey everybody. Today, we're going to tackle the myth of "peaking too soon” in your preparation.

I’m talking about the age-old fear that we'll give our all in practice, hit our peak, and then have nothing left to give when it really counts! It sounds serious, and I know a lot of people who worry about it. But fear not, my friends, for I'm here to tell you that this problem isn’t really a problem. It’s just a myth.

You wake up in the morning, ready to conquer your practice session with boundless energy and excitement. But as soon as you check your inbox, your momentum comes to a screeching halt. Before you know it, you're drowning in requests from others, and your mojo is gone.

But fear not, musicians! Here are some tips to help you protect your morning buzz and take control of your practice day:

I wish I could sneak you behind the curtain at the next LA Phil audition so you could hear exactly what happens at a professional orchestra audition. The actual experience is COMPLETELY different from what you expect.

In this blog, we'll explore some tips on how to balance practicing with other aspects of life to avoid frustration, burnout, or even wanting to give up completely.

It's important to remember that failure is an inevitable part of the learning process.

I admit it…I LOVE coffee. But how much is too much?

Confession time—I have had a really hard time getting motivated to practice during this insane year.

In an online universe, you have to be really, really specific about what you do and who you’re trying to reach.

What does Honesty Pill Coaching have in common with the Lardon Bacon Truck? And why does branding matter? Let’s find out…

When it became clear that the Los Angeles Philharmonic was not going back to work anytime soon, my first reaction was to panic.

For a long time, I thought it was just a hazard of putting myself out there, into the online universe.