Search your soul to balance what it is you dream of achieving with what it is you are
capable of achieving. Find the path dictated by your talent and ambition and follow it to the end--to contentment. Make your contribution to music, society and humanity. Shedding indulgence and bitterness, balance who you are, what you want and what you can do.

If your personal, financial, physical, spiritual, mental, relaxation, practice, study, rehearsal, performance and evaluation skills, techniques, needs or priorities are not mastered, defined, refined and perpetually balanced as your life changes you will not survive.

If you do not have, or if you lose, a sense of humor you will not survive.

If you take yourself too seriously you will not survive. If you don't take yourself
seriously enough you will not survive.

The world of music is small and symbiotic. Know the ways of all professions that come
into contact with yours. Learn the ways of conductors, instrumentalists, composers,
arrangers, singers, dancers, agents, managers, directors, presenters, executives, board members, recording engineers, secretaries, lighting designers, acousticians, critics, newspaper and magazine reporters, radio and television personnel, educators, administrators, historians, librarians, students, repairmen, stage hands, ushers, ticket
takers, box office personnel, telephone operators, salesmen, instrument dealers, instrument makers, teachers, theorists, publishers, publicists, philanthropists, arts councils, grants agencies, advertising designers, printers, editors, writers, and of course, listeners. Learn their responsibilities and capabilities; joys and frustrations; motivations and needs. Understand human nature and then act accordingly.

To be a performer is to know the heights of ecstasy, excitement, love, brilliance, light, knowledge, power, fulfillment, oneness, peace, certainty, confirmation, satisfaction, contentment and beauty.

To be a performer is to know the depths of isolation, loneliness, torment, darkness,
ugliness, suffering, pain, dullness, uncertainty, depression, dejection, despair, disappointment, desperation, hurt, misunderstanding, helplessness, frustration and yearning.

As a performer you will experience these emotions in cycles of moments, days, weeks,
months or years. At times you will experience some or all of these conflicting emotions at the same time and often seemingly without reason or explanation.

The emotional price of beauty is high for he who seeks it as well as for those whose
lives come into contact with him. Never take those who love you and support you for
granted.

And there is a dark side of being a performer that you must confront within yourself. The who, why, when, where, extent and duration of your personal relationships are sometimes determined by your service of the muse. Never lose your integrity, self-esteem or sense of self-worth.

To be a performer you must be flexible. You must have an artistic life-plan that
allows for flexibility.

To have a career as a performer is a matter of timing, balancing and prioritizing any
or all of the following factors: talent, intelligence, patience, determination, dedication, courage, perseverance, the right teacher at the right time, upbringing, experience, social skills, personality, individual needs, education, environment, location, age, personal
appearance, nerve, aesthetic values, moral values, spirit, health, learning to create your own opportunities, knowing when to stay and when to leave, love, help, trust, ambition, philosophy, ruthlessness, vision, tenderness, cultural exposure, equipment, sophistication, tact, toughness, knowing when to press on and when to back off, knowing when and where to speak out or not to speak, understanding human nature,
understanding the music industry, understanding yourself, understanding the public, understanding publicity and the media, power, thoughtfulness, sacrifice, advertising, salesmanship; the ability and willingness to handle ambiguity, insecurity, disappointment, frustration, poverty or uncertainty; creativity, analytical ability, evaluation skills, goal
orientation, charisma, having and using the right information, ego, stubbornness, friends, the willingness and ability to work day and night, to understand and meet all deadlines, humor, guts, the support of your loved ones, knowing what you want, knowing what you can do, the ability to play consistently like an artist, money and luck.

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