I’m trying to become as authentic a communicator onstage as I possibly can—and therefore to find the most direct way to serve the music and get to the heart of its message. Related to that is my continual quest to be a good colleague… this means not only coming to rehearsal prepared and able to discuss the music, but being able to work with all different sorts of personalities without feeling like I’m being pulled in different directions. I guess that’s intertwined with getting to know oneself, which comes from building experiences over time and learning from them… a skill necessary for any station in life.
The biggest underlying issue is to find a way to keep music, the arts, and the humanities relevant and important to the popular mindset in an increasingly STEM-focused world. To me, this has to be achieved through exposure in general public education from the very earliest stages. But education is a two-way street. I think musicians desperately need to be more broadly educated in areas outside the practice room. Like that famous saying goes, all true daring starts from within: just reading widely and staying curious and aware about the world will make us all better artists going forward.
