Give Yourself Deadlines…and Avoid the Summer Slump

May 16, 2019 In: Sound Bits

Have you heard about the concept that a task will take as much time as you allot for that task? So if you give yourself a week for a task that you could complete in two days, it will probably take…a week. This is known as Parkinson’s law. We often hear stories of musicians, organizations, […]

What is Content Marketing and How Can it Help Us?

May 9, 2019 In: Sound Bits

Content marketing is, in a nutshell, developing free educational content (like a blog, article, video) that helps consumers, without any ask or sell involved. It’s just free, high quality content – plain and simple. It’s a different method of marketing from direct asks (“Check our our awesome product, and buy it here!”) or more overt […]

The Importance of Storytelling for Musicians

May 1, 2019 In: Sound Bits

Do you think of yourself as a good storyteller? Or maybe you know someone who you consider a good storyteller. What makes them (or you) good at it? I think sometimes we don’t even realize how often we are engaged in storytelling. For example: Pre-concert talks? Teaching? Writing an article about music? Program notes? Being […]

The Necessity of Risk

April 23, 2019 In: Sound Bits

You know how certain moments in time just stick with you? You remember every detail? One of those moments for me is when my grandfather explained risk and reward. In his usual calm demeanor, he explained that risk was a necessity if I was going to win or succeed at something. When you stop and […]

What are Your Revenue Streams?

April 17, 2019 In: Sound Bits

Here is a good exercise: take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side, write down all the ways you earn income now (you can even do this if you are a student). On the other side, write down all the ways you COULD be earning income. Sure, some […]

4 Tips to Increase Innovation and Creativity in Your Work This Spring

April 10, 2019 In: Sound Bits

Those of us with long winters (Upstate NY anyone??) know that this time of year you start to get cabin fever – you feel the need to get outside and break free from the hold of winter. By this time in the year we also tend to feel a bit worn out, needing something to […]

Book Review: The Freelancer’s Bible

March 28, 2019 In: Sound Bits

If you peruse lists of books for artists and freelancers, “The Freelancer’s Bible“ by Sara Horowitz pops up frequently, and for good reason. It’s a solid 474 pages of useful tips and perspectives for individuals (and groups) in all artistic sectors who are pursuing some amount of freelance work. There are many practical sections and […]

Innovate. Music. Lead. Magazine Issue 4

March 19, 2019 In: 2019, Innovate. Music. Lead.

Issue 4 features an article on starting your own musical business, a research article that focuses on the collaboration between the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and New Amsterdam Presents, and an article on ways to provide music students with opportunities to learn about and experiment with 21st century marketing technologies.

Resources for Performance Anxiety

March 13, 2019 In: Sound Bits

Many musicians struggle with varying degrees of performance anxiety. If you do, you are not alone. Much has been written on the topic, and fortunately there are a lot of resources out there to help. It takes time to explore the information and strategies that are out there, but if it helps you become a […]

Spotlight on Innovation: New World Symphony Hosts Innovative Competition Designed by Fellows

March 4, 2019 In: Ahead of the Beat

On January 5, the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy (NWS) presented Face Off: A Battle of the Instruments, an interactive contest-competition hybrid where sections of the orchestra competed head-to-head to see which instrument would win. Face Off: A Battle of the Instruments was designed by three NWS Fellows: Andrea Beyer (bass), Angelo Quail (clarinet) and […]