Saturday, May 19, 2012

Fearless Thoughts from the Road


Hi from Salt Lake City the site of our latest Mirari Tour:)  We are on our last day, concluding with a concert tonight in a cathedral!  YAY!

Touring with the Mirari Brass is one of my most favorite things to do.  I get to travel to great places and meet and perform with great people!  This tour has certainly been no exception.  We've had a myriad of opportunities to work and perform with fantastic and inspiring students and musicians, like those at BYU-I, Blackfoot, Century, Herriman, Preston, and West High Schools.  It is also a great opportunity for me to continue my Fearless work.

One of the things I am most grateful for is the fact I get to work in a safe, supportive environment.  My brass colleagues are some of the most supportive, encouraging people I know.  Going on tour is an opportunity to get out of the bubble we create for ourselves and into a diverse world of people, traditions, cultures, and ways of thinking.  Although this can be a very enlightening and inspiring aspect of touring, it can also be a challenging one, as well.

I've always prided myself on being comfortable with whom I am as a person.  Having gone through (and still going through:) Jeff Nelsen's Fearless training I have become more comfortable with my musician.  This is a great achievement for me and certainly a welcomed success.  YAY!  Having said that, I have been challenged many times on this tour to stick to whom I am and what I have to say musically.  How do you stay true to yourself when that definition of whom you are is being challenged?  I'm sure this is something many people face so I thought I would take a few minutes to write down my own experience.

1.  Be proud of who you are.  
I've spent a lot of time and energy developing myself.  It's something I'll continue to do - move forward.  Although others may not agree and/or subscribe to my way of thinking doesn't mean we can't learn from each other.  In fact, I often find new perspectives and am reminded that we all want to get to that place of excellence.  Whether the path to get there is the same or not is irrelevant (as long as I'm not hurting anyone:).

2.  Focus on YOUR product.
I've spent many years getting to a place where I can tell stories and share experiences through music.  Those stories are my stories and as such are worthwhile.

3.  See the best in everyone.
As stated previously, everyone gets to excellence in their own way.  Trust that everyone has the best of intentions.  See the positive, or take the time to get to a point where you can see the positive, in every interaction and experience.  Take what you need to move forward and leave the rest.  That way, every experience can be a positive, learning one.

4.  Trust yourself.
This has been a long process for me.  Trusting my thoughts and perceptions over other's.  I can learn from other people's perceptions but don't need to define myself by them. It's my job to do that. It's my responsibility.

5.  Surrender.
This has always been a hard one for me.  I always felt like surrendering to something was being weak or it bruised my ego.  Not the case:)  Surrendering to what you can and can't control is being smart.  Take the information you have and make choices that work for you.

6.  It's Music.
Trust in the music.  That's ultimately why I'm here to begin with....from ever since I can remember, I knew I wanted to be immersed in music - to have it be my life's work.  Well, it is now and I made that happen. 

7.  I am my own ultimate resource - remember this.  Always.

Finally, HAVE FUN.  Always trust in what you know to be true while being open to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences.  My life has ALWAYS been richer thinking this way.

To be clear, most of the things I have mentioned in this post are my own doing.  Someone doesn't make me feel one way or another, I do.  Trusting in my path and story makes me a more effective person and a unique voice amongst many voices.

As I prepare for our final concert of this tour I am reminded of a sentiment a really, smart, caring teacher once shared with me - BE FEARLESS.

Thanks for reading and until next time..... YAY!


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