Elevate your music and your life with the advice of these great musicians

No matter your level of fame or musical success, we all have to balance every aspect of our careers and our lives. Managing our calendars and our time use, meeting deadlines, avoiding perfectionism, keeping sight of the big picture, staying connected to our passion—these are the realities that confront us every day. Read what some of our greatest musicians have to say about keeping their careers going and keeping their heads above water.

There’s not enough time in the day

If we plan our day to include everything we want to do and everything we should do, there’s no way we can fit it all in. We have to make choices: should we practice or play with our kids? Should we work on expanding our network or do the dishes? 

Philip Glass said: “I go to work, and I take care of my family. And when I’m not working, I think about working, and when I’m not thinking about working, I work some more.”

That’s how it is with creative people: the creative process doesn’t stop at 5:00.

The urgency of “not enough time”

We are balancing so many things that often we can’t get to Project C because Project A’s deadline is tomorrow and Project B’s deadline is three days after that. But this condition alone can focus the mind. 

Leonard Bernstein asserted: “To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.”

The perfect is the enemy of the good

Many of us are perfectionists, which is to our own detriment. Hunting for that elusive perfect performance, perfect composition, or perfect anything can bog us down and prevent us from getting to the end and moving on to the next thing.

From film composer John Williams:“You never write a piece of music that you feel is perfect; there is always something more to achieve.”

You never really get there

Even if we are fortunate enough to land that big role or get that coveted commission, we are quickly confronted with how to keep moving forward. Being a musician is not a goal with an end. It’s a continual process.

Quincy Jones said: “The minute you think you’ve made it, you’re finished. The real work is about staying curious and continually challenging yourself.”

Staying connected to why you got into the music business

Performing musicians sometimes have so much music on the music stand to learn, or so many gigs to play, or even too many responsibilities at their other jobs or in their lives, that motivation to keep moving forward loses steam. The one thing that keeps every successful musician going is staying connected to their original passion.

As Yo-Yo Ma put it: “Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you’re passionate about something, then you’re more willing to take risks.”

See? You’re not alone with your struggles. Even the most famous musicians have to put one foot in front of the other and construct their lives every day. Welcome to the club!