Believing in Oneself and Remaining Humble
Musicians face a lifetime of learning and being subject to others' opinions. How remaining humble and believing in oneself can prevent those opinions from becoming detrimental.
Here we are, February 2023! Time is flying… hope you’ll forgive the tardiness of this letter. Graduate school, practicing, and teaching are keeping me hopping, but I am so grateful for each of these opportunities. I have not felt this collectively happy with multiple different circumstances in my life in quite some time, and I certainly did not know that I could enjoy school so much! It is definitely challenging, but I am embracing the challenges: it is so exciting to see the growth that is already happening and feel a lot of hope and optimism for the growth that is yet to come!
We had an interesting discussion in class last week about the importance of believing in oneself and remaining humble. Unfortunately, we may occasionally be subject to opinions that crush us. Maybe someone harshly criticizes our technique or our artistic interpretation. Maybe someone flat out tells us that we are not good musicians. We are, unfortunately, prone to believing them. After investing so much time, heart, and soul into our art, those opinions can be devastating. Even if you feel deep down that they are incorrect, those words can still hurt. Especially if they deny you an opportunity you were hopeful for and worked hard to obtain! But that’s where your previous investments into your art will come to the forefront. You know what you have done to prepare yourself for these opportunities. The time and effort you have given is not- and will not be- wasted. Certainly there is always more to learn; that is what makes the pursuit of music so fulfilling. There is never a point where you will be as good as you can get. The horizon (or the mountain peak, depending on what visual appeals to you the most!) is always there, waiting for you to stretch for it! But if you know in your heart that you have tried to do everything you can to prepare yourself for an audition, competition, or other performance, then you will also know that you have come a long way and accomplished a lot. That is something to be celebrated. Believe that you have what it takes to succeed in your endeavors and that your efforts will continue to matter; opinions are subjective, anyway. While someone may be looking to criticize you and tear you down, another will be looking at your strengths and what your potential is. Those are the people who will want to help you learn, and their opinions are the only ones worth paying heed to.
On the flip side, because there is always more to learn, it is crucial to remain humble. Acknowledge and celebrate your strengths and accomplishments, but do not allow them to obstruct the development of your weaknesses. Nobody is ever going to be perfect in all aspects of their performance (even if it seems like it!), so one must always be willing to listen to the opinions and perspectives of those who matter (the musicians who have been here and done that and are therefore qualified to guide you; they must also have your best interests at heart). Do not allow others to tear down your confidence and decide for you whether you continue to succeed in music or not, but do not allow your ego to impede your journey and continued progress, either. It can be a fine line, but it is possible to balance!
Community thread prompt: How do you remain humble while also believing in yourself and your abilities?