Beyond the Lecture Hall

A good life, is a eudaemonic life - one of flourishing and fulfillment. That’s why we choose a life in music, because it fills us, we can’t live without or outside of it, because it makes us flourish and it makes us grow. And yet, when it comes to finding our place in music, it can feel disheartening - like being lost in a metropolis, or as intimidating as staring at a mountain top. I have worked as a professor of piano and now am an administrator in higher ed. A music critic once called me a T-Rex in a review, and when my friends and colleagues need to get things done, they call the Party Secretary. These names didn’t come up by accident, and it took a while to embrace them.

Being a professional musician is as fulfilling as it is all-consuming, and even more - expansive and enduring. When my piano teacher first brought me to my instrument, I did not know that it was going to shape who I would grow up to be, and in turn who I was inside, would light my path in music and in life. My personal energy, translated into the passion on stage and authority in the lecture hall, sometimes even intimidating - in stark contrast to my small stature. At the same time, this immigrant’s drive to break through all barriers large and small, made it crystal clear that most problems can be solved, and even transformed into something beautiful and awesome.

While we can’t run away from ourselves, to succeed, we must discover our selves in music and beyond. When we acknowledge the impact of our own history and embrace our intrinsic energy, our path in life and in our art will come into sharper focus. Let’s start the conversation to illuminate your journey to success.