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Did you know it’s possible to be successful at all ages? — As a musician, I’m all too familiar with articles about child prodigies and “Top 30 Musicians Under 30" lists. All of these people essentially have the same life. They have extraordinary technical and musical ability on an instrument for their age and win many solo performance competitions. Technically, I’m still…

Maybe reverse psychology will work in my favour. — Chances are, you saw this headline and went, “Don’t do it, it’s a trap! They won’t pay you”. I’ve seen several posts on here about Vocal writers who had a viral article that earned hundreds or even thousands of dollars. …

“Sorry I haven’t been posting many articles lately” is getting a bit old. — Sorry I haven’t been posting many articles lately. I have a very small following and can barely call myself a content creator, but I still feel bad when I take extended absences from Medium. My posting schedule and frequency have been sporadic since August 2021. Abruptly returning to a full-time workload as a symphony musician after a long…

Here’s what happened. — Currently, we musicians are in the midst of what we call rejection letter season. Every day, we obsessively refresh our email to see if we got into the schools, festivals, and programs we applied to. I applied for summer programs almost every year while I was a student, and decided…

It’s a touchy subject. — On March 21st, 2022, Ontario removed its province-wide mask mandate. After all the drastic lockdowns and stay-at-home orders we’ve been subject to these past two years, I’m surprised that this happened so quickly. While no one will stop you from going maskless during your Wal-Mart run, my symphony orchestra is…

Here’s what they don’t tell you in music school. — Almost every professional musician teaches at some point in their life, whether it be private students or group classes. Often, it is assumed that music graduates will teach in some capacity when they graduate. Unfortunately, university music programs often give little guidance to help music students learn how to teach…

It’s hard work, but worth it in the long run. — Learning a musical instrument is an incredibly rewarding experience for all ages. Many of my fondest childhood memories involve musical experiences and performances. Now that I’m a professional musician, it’s my turn to create these formative experiences for the next generation of young musicians. If you’re at all interested in…

How would you like it if someone demanded you work for free? — A music career is a different lifestyle from the standard 9-5. It’s understandable to be confused or surprised that someone makes a living through music. You may have questions or concerns about this person’s well-being and financial stability. However, you need to respect that this person has chosen this lifestyle for themselves. They decided to pursue something that they’re passionate about…

Where does my money come from? — Tax season is approaching. I’ll be honest; this article is a convenient way for me to start collating my T4s, bank statements, and receipts to prepare for taxes. As a musician, you rarely have one job that can pay all of your expenses, especially for freelancers and those of us in small symphony orchestras. …