How do we solve the problem of attracting millennials to classical music events and building an audience for the future? My students at Mannes College of Music at the New School might have an answer! Through a class project that lasted less than a week, our students used the 5-step Design Thinking process to understand the needs of their millennial peers …
Fighting Your Way To The Top: 5 Ways to Manage Inner Conflicts
We live in a complicated, interesting world today where many in the classical music world are wringing their hands because of perceived lack of opportunities for making a successful career, while others (myself included) view our world today as one of tremendous possibility and opportunity.
This is one of the reasons that I am so passionate about teaching musicians how to look at the world as one of opportunity. One of my objectives is to help my students adopt a positive attitude towards their lives and their careers since I believe very strongly that happiness and optimism breed success and not vice-versa!
Optimism is also essential to the mindset of the music entrepreneur of the 21st Century.
In my class, we start by examining the different attitudes that one can bring to a music career. This attitude is formed by past experiences and perceptions and it translates into energy:
• stressful energy for things that make you feel hopeless, fearful, angry, or conflicted or
• motivating energy that makes you feel that you can manage your life, inspires you to keep moving forward, be of service and find opportunity.