Have you ever thought that you shouldn’t take music lessons because you didn’t make a mistake? Have you avoided playing music because you might play some weird sounding notes? Although it can be scary, musicians have to take risks sometimes and make mistakes. When working on a difficult piece of music or practicing a part over and over again, we can become hard on ourselves when we make mistakes. Instead, being a successful musician is not about avoiding mistakes or risks, but taking risks, having fun, and persevering as you grow.
One great example of a famous musician that took risks was Jazz Trumpet player Miles Davis. Take jazz for an example: Miles Davis, in 1959, brought together a band of 5 other musicians that were given minimal musical information before recording a song at the Columbia Records. Miles knew that the genre jazz was based on improvisation and he wanted his band to be ready to play any moment. His record, Kind of Blue, continues to sell today 60 years later, which held this same standard of being ready on the spot. Miles continued to stay motivated even when faced with challenges!
Why should we be inspired by this and how do we take Miles’s advice today? What we can take away from Miles was his determination to not base music off of how perfect it sounds, but the passion of the players and their ability to take risks. One tip that Miles teaches musicians is that to provide good music for your audience, you must keep practicing! If you practice enough, you can come close to a “musically perfect” performance, but mistakes are inevitable. Keeping this mindset will encourage musicians to think more positively about their performances and give them the courage to share their talents to their full potential! We should choose to let go of our mistakes and prepare ourselves for them, not fear them. So, keep on practicing, take note of your improvements and achievements, and stay motivated!
The Jerry Evans School of Music loves being a safe place that teaches students to take risks, and accomplish amazing things in music. If you are new to music and don’t know where to start, check out the awesome programs the Jerry Evans School of Music has. Call us at 630.359.7725 and we will help you get started with music lessons today! We are more than happy to help you on your journey as a musician and look forward to hearing from you.
