21 Inspirational Quotes for the 21st Century Musician
Editor’s Note: Read an updated version of this post here.
What does it mean to be a musician in the 21st century?
Steve and I talk about this often (in fact, we started a whole website devoted to this topic! Check out Musician & Co.). From where we stand, the 21st century requires musicians to be flexible, creative, and versatile, possessing a wide variety of skills that can be used in many types of settings.
Instead of doing just one thing, we (and many of our friends) have built careers doing many different things — teaching, performing, writing/blogging, presenting, directing, and working in arts administration.
Some call it freelancing, others call it music entrepreneurship, or being a portfolio musician or musicpreneur.
Regardless of the label, we feel being a musician in the 21st century means you are your own business.
It's more than just playing your instrument or landing a dream job. It's more than just "being the best."
Being your own business means curating great opportunities, managing your time well, and adding value through several types of work. This gives you creative liberty to use your unique skills and experiences in meaningful ways.
Whether you're just getting started or you've built a successful music career, here are 21 inspirational music quotes for you, the 21st-century musician. Plus, grab my free Resource Guide for Musicpreneurs below!
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Inside this 10-page guide, you’ll find 30+ of our best recommendations for services, platforms, software, apps, tools + media (e.g. the things we actually use in our businesses) to help you grow and run your business.
21 Music Quotes to Inspire You As a 21st-Century Musician
"An artist’s musical experience is as unique as his or her life experience; finding a way of capturing that unique set of experiences and using one’s skills to turn them into meaningful art is the path to being an extraordinary musician in the 21st century." - Judd Greenstein
“Don’t listen to what people say, watch what they do." - Jed Carlson, ReverbNation co-founder
"To be extraordinary is to create work of exceptional quality that only you can make." - Judd Greenstein
"Curiosity is the most important skill an entrepreneur can have. No matter where you are in a business you have to constantly challenge your assumptions and ask questions of your customers, your team, your partners, and most importantly yourself. Question your wins, losses, and everything in between." - Joe Conyers, Songtrust
"Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear." - George Addair
"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein
"By staying true to your art, your vision, you can create something that did not exist otherwise, something beautiful, joyful, powerful and draped in meaning." - Mark Rabideau
"Always deliver more than expected." - Larry Page, Google co-founder
"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." - Maya Angelou
"You have to give to get. Establish a networking group, and help others advance their careers, and yours will advance." - Dick Huey, Founder, Toolshed
"Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice." – Peter Drucker
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." -Steve Jobs
"Think strategically and lead by providing value. Being an entrepreneur is an honor that carries with it a major responsibility to create opportunities for others. Trust your instincts, go with what feels right, and MAKE IT HAPPEN!" - Ben Maitland-Lewis, Presskit.to
"Part of being a great musician is to know your limitations." - Kevin Dean, The Kevin Dean Quintet
"Meaningful change begins by feeding your curiosity about the world around you and asking yourself what impact you hope to make." - Mark Rabideau
"Focusing on one thing and doing it really, really well can get you very far." - Kevin Systrom, Instagram
"Learn something today, tomorrow, and the day after that will develop your knowledge in your area of expertise — and learn it as if you had to teach it." - Marcus Taylor, Venture Harbour
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing." - Aristotle
"You shouldn’t focus on why you can’t do something, which is what most people do. You should focus on why perhaps you can, and be one of the exceptions." - Steve Case, AOL co-founder
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
Step into the role of CEO and design a music career on your terms.
The Musicpreneur Model is the only online program + template suite designed specifically for self-employed classical musicians and music freelancers that teaches you how to build a diversified portfolio career in music (that supports you financially and artistically) + develop the skills you need to be a small business owner.
I’d love to hear from you:
What does being a 21st century musician mean to you?
More reading:
Entrepreneurship and the Artist: Revolutionary
We lack a strong enough workforce of professional 'portfolio' musicians
The Extraordinary Musician
If you’re a music student, you probably have anywhere from 2-6 hours a day to practice your instrument. Maybe more. Though certainly an intense time with many early mornings and late nights, most music professionals see that kind of practice time as a luxury.
Once you begin your music career, you may find your days otherwise occupied with gigs, teaching, traveling to gigs or lessons, writing, emailing, coordinating, marketing, networking, and other miscellaneous admin tasks.
When is there time to practice?
The secret is in the margins—those pockets of time you have in your schedule in between things, even if it’s only 30 minutes.
Copyright.
It's a sticky subject and one not often taught in music school.
Copyright law protects anything with intellectual property rights. This includes poetry, books, photographs, art, song lyrics, music, and more.
How does it affect what you do as a musician, teacher, freelancer, artist, or small business owner? What do you need to know?
Ten years ago, Steve and I finished our master’s degrees at the Eastman School of Music and set out to build careers in music.
We decided to make a move that was less common in our field at the time: Instead of heading to a big city with lots of opportunities to begin a freelance career, we moved to a small town in rural Massachusetts.
That became the impetus for everything that followed.
In today’s digital age, there are a number of software programs, hosting platforms, apps, and tools designed to help you do your best work.
Some are designed to simplify things or take the guesswork out of decision-making. Others are designed to save you time and help you focus more on creating than organizing or getting set up.
I'm always curious about what tools and resources others use to organize and run their creative businesses (and life in general), so today, I thought I’d give you a peek behind-the-scenes into my own life and business and the tools I use on a daily and weekly basis.
I always knew I wanted to be a freelancer. I liked the variety of doing different kinds of work: teaching, accompanying, writing, creating, designing.
But I didn’t really know what it meant (from a practical standpoint) to be a music entrepreneur (musicpreneur for short) until I was in grad school.
As a musicpreneur, you wear two hats:
You’re the CEO — the money person, the one making big decisions about your brand and values and the work you’ll do, the one paying quarterly taxes and reading about SEO and conversion rates.
And you’re the artist — the creative one, the dreamer, the idea person, the one seeking inspiration and doing the work, the one learning the music and planning the lessons and exploring the bounds of creativity.
We’ve heard it all before: the lore of work-life balance. Of doing it all, and doing it all well. And so we set out in search of the magical formula that will keep us in perfect balance, the solution to all our problems.
But secretly, we kind of wonder: is it real? Can it be achieved?
There’s been some debate recently as to whether or not this idea of balance between work and life is actually attainable. The thing is, the word balance makes it feel precarious: the feeling we have when learning to ride a bicycle, that we might lose our balance and fall over at any moment.
Not a great visual for life, just saying.
It’s an age-old paradox:
How to get more done in less time.
We buy new planners. We sign up for new digital task organizers. We keep a notepad handy at all times and have a running to-do list on our phones, in our inboxes, and in our heads pretty much all the time.
And yet, we’re still trying to find ways to be more productive. To stay on top of everything and keep all the plates spinning.
One thing I’ve found to be helpful in the past few years is batching.
In music school, we learn about performance style and theory, analysis and history. We study and read and listen and write. We soak up rich musical experiences and learn to dedicate ourselves to practicing our instrument and refining our musical skill set.
And if we're lucky, we learn about music careers and the business side of things: arts leadership and advocacy and community engagement, taxes and finances and grant-writing, websites and social media and marketing yourself: the extra-musical skills needed to make it in the 21st century music world.
Will you graduate and land one of the coveted symphony jobs? Will you join the ranks of academia and start down the tenure track?
Some of you may. Some of you did.
But what if you want to do a few different things? What if you want to teach and have a podcast? What if you want to perform in a professional chamber music ensemble and run a YouTube channel?
The beginning of a new career is an exciting time, full of energy, motivation, and possibility.
Maybe you’re taking that first step from music student to music professional, newly-printed diploma in hand (or in the mail - sometimes these things take a while).
Or maybe you’ve been working for a few years and are ready to make a change and set off in a new direction.
Maybe you’re in between things: trying to figure out what you want to do and what kind of musician you want to become, or maybe you’re beginning a second career later in life.
Wherever you are today, and wherever you hope to be in the next few months, here are 5 helpful tips for getting started:
Dear Creative,
Life as a musician is beautiful, messy, deeply fulfilling, and complex work.
It starts within—a desire to do work that matters, to make a difference; a yearning for beauty; a spark of creativity. It requires you to take risks, listen, adapt, and live with abandon.
It’s what all artists do, really. We dream, we try, we create, we innovate.
There will be good days, times when you feel like you are making a difference, creating something beautiful, and truly serving people.
And, like anything in life, there will be hard days mixed in, as well.
Every spring, my husband Steve and I set aside a few days for a work retreat.
We’re both music freelancers, so this is a time for us to take a step back from our businesses, reflect on the successes and challenges of the past year, evaluate what’s going well and what could be improved, and do some creative planning for the year ahead.
Often, we try to tie this in with a short getaway (because by March or April, we usually have a pretty bad case of cabin fever). In the past, we’ve found affordable rentals on Airbnb (a business expense!) within an hour’s drive and bring our dog Rory, our laptops, a few books, and food and snacks for a few days.
Music ministry can be fulfilling, demanding, meaningful, challenging, and deeply rewarding work - sometimes, all at the same time! It’s an opportunity to use your musical skills and experience in service to others; inspire and encourage others in their musical development; help people and nurture them in their faith; and participate in something greater than yourself.
It’s an opportunity to teach, create, inspire, dream, give, grow, and serve.
One thing I hear over and over from church musicians and music educators (well, everyone, really) is that there never seems to be enough time to get it all done.
Time to teach
Time to rehearse
Time to write
Time to practice
Time to be with family
Time to be a good friend
Time to read
Time to exercise
Time to learn
A résumé is a professional document representing who you are and what you’ve done in your career.
It shows your qualifications, skills, education, and experience, but it also demonstrates other less-obvious things, like attention to detail, organizational skills, commitment, and even creativity and innovation.
Your résumé tells the story of who you are and what you do.
Now, in terms of look and feel, résumés often follow some sort of template. This varies by industry: some use color blocks and bold fonts, even photos or icons to showcase their work and experience.
8 a.m. theory classes, 1-credit ensembles, concerts, performances, listening exams, and 10 p.m. practice sessions.
Ah, music school.
I’ve spent my fair share of time in music school: from my undergraduate degree in Piano and Organ Performance to a Master’s and Ph.D. in Music Education, I think it all adds up to 10 years (but who’s really counting?).
And yet, despite all that schooling (and all those recitals and term papers), there were still many things I didn’t know when I started building my career; things I had to figure out on my own and learn with time and practical experience.
Creativity is one of those elusive things that’s hard to wrap your mind around sometimes. What is it? Does everyone have it? Can it be developed?
One of the big things I’ve learned about creativity over the past few years is that, more than anything else, creativity is a way of thinking. It’s a way of looking at the world, interacting with it, challenging it; studying things, testing things, and a relentless desire to explore new territory.
Some people naturally tend to think this way, but that doesn’t mean creativity is limited to certain individuals. Creative thinking is a strategy; it’s a skill that can be developed.
Let’s delve into theory for just a minute:
Creative thinking (in any context) has four main components: Flexibility, Fluency, Originality, and Elaboration (source).
Whether you work part-time or full-time, one job or four, in an office or at home, creating a structure for your work day is important to your productivity, creativity, and ultimately, how you feel about your work.
And for those of you who work for yourself and work from home (at least part of the time), boundaries become a necessary part of structuring your day.
Are you prone to burnout?
Do you work until late at night, on the weekends, and even on vacation?
Do you struggle to follow-through on certain projects?
Do you lose motivation easily?
Setting a few boundaries, blocking your time, and figuring out what time of day you do your best work can help set you up for success each and every day.
Today, I’m walking you through my own process for structuring my work days.
Like many of you, I wear many hats during the week: church musician, worship planner, piano teacher, blogger, small business owner. Sometimes, it feels like I’m just keeping the plates spinning, not necessarily making any progress (how many of you can relate to that?).
But, with the help of time-blocking and being intentional about how I use my working hours, I’m beginning to reap the rewards of a more focused, productive work-week.
The years I spent in music school were some of the most challenging, rewarding, and inspiring years of my career so far.
My technique was in the best shape it's ever been, I knew all the rules of augmented sixth chords (I need to brush up on these!), and I felt very connected to the music world and my network of music peers.
In the months following graduation, I realized the crucial need to stay connected to music as I developed my professional career as a church musician, teacher, and arts administrator.
In music school, we're automatically connected; outside of school, we have to work at it. But, the rewards are great.
By staying connected, you'll continue developing your musicianship throughout your career, have access to more opportunities, grow and change with society, and be better prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century music world.
Here are a few ways to stay connected - to music, music-making, and the music world, in general - as a music professional:
Paper clutter. Even in our modern, digital world, paper clutter is still a problem. There's that note a parent left on your desk last week. That receipt from your most recent music purchase. That Post-It you wrote to yourself reminding you to call the piano tuner. A draft of Sunday's bulletin. Unopened mail.
The problem is that paper clutter equals mental clutter.
Researchers suggest that when your home or work space is cluttered, it hinders your ability to focus. It also limits your ability to take in and process new information (source).
Though it might seem innocent enough, clutter can become a distraction, overwhelming your brain with visual and tactile stimuli, and may lead to feelings of guilt, anxiety, and frustration (source).
Sherrie Bourg Carter of Psychology Today noted: "Clutter inhibits creativity and productivity by invading the open spaces that allow most people to think, brainstorm, and problem solve."
What if I told you there was an easy, free way to save papers, notes, photos, business cards, receipts, Post-Its, and even web clips in one convenient location? Stay on top of projects. Keep everything organized. Make collaboration a breeze. Keep good records. Never lose a piece of paper on your desk again.
What does it mean to be a musician in the 21st century?
Steve and I talk about this often. From where we stand, the 21st century requires musicians to be flexible, creative, and versatile, possessing a wide variety of skills that can be used in a wide variety of settings.
Instead of doing just one thing, we (and many of our friends) have built careers doing many different things - teaching, performing, writing/blogging, presenting, directing, and working in arts administration.
Some call it freelancing, others call it music entrepreneurship, or being a portfolio musician or musicpreneur.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your to-do list? Ever have trouble knowing where to start?
Do you feel like you spend your time flitting from one activity to the next just trying to get everything done and keep all those plates spinning? I feel you. Being a freelancer is tough work and the balancing act of working on many projects at once is no joke.
The solution? Batching.
Described in the book, Getting Things Done, batching is a process of grouping like tasks together and doing them at the same time (source). Batching is great for emails, phone calls, social media, errands, paying bills, planning, cooking, cleaning, and much more.
Think about it: If you need to run to the Post Office, deposit a few checks at the bank, and pick up something quick at the grocery store, would you make three separate trips during the day, or try to run all three errands while you're out? If possible, it probably makes sense to try to get all your errands done in one trip.
Similarly, if you're cooking dinner, would you start sautéing, then file a few loose receipts, then go check the mail? I hope not! When you're cooking, you chop, sauté, stir, serve, and eat, without stopping in the middle to change gears and do something else.
Want to know a few secrets? Here's why batching is the way to go:
We talk a lot about our ideal day as if it was a dream world we sometimes like to escape to where there are no alarms, the sun is always shining, you have time to sip your coffee and read in the morning, and you seem to float through the day without cares or obligations or stress.
Sounds too good to be true, right? But really, what makes a day ideal instead of just ordinary?
My answer would probably be time: Time to do the things I want to do, time for things I enjoy, and time to spend with people I love. Feeling like I have time helps me feel more relaxed and rested, it helps me feel in control. And having space in my day makes me feel better about what I do. I'm more engaged and focused and inspired and driven. It all comes back to time management, doesn't it? We all have the same 24 hours in a day - it's all about how we choose to spend it.
There's a lot to running a small business/online shop, and though I feel I've only scratched the surface, I learned a few things in my first year of running the shop that I thought might be helpful to those of you just starting out. Here are five things I've learned:
Act Like a Business
Be honest, be fair, and work with integrity. Be kind to others. Support other small businesses when you can (packaging, collaborations, raw materials, shipping materials, etc.). This all reflects back on your business. If the products you're selling involve fonts (and really, even if it's only your business logo), do the right thing and buy a commercial license from the creator (if it's for personal use only). These may range from a few dollars to $20+, but it's a one-time fee and it's worth the investment to know you are doing the right thing and supporting the original maker.
Preparing for an interview? Wondering where to start?
The interview process is never easy, but preparing in advance can help you feel more confident and relaxed and help you give more thoughtful responses.
Having recently gone through a church interview (and gotten the job - yay!), I thought it might be helpful to share a bit of my process - how I prepared, questions I asked, responses I thought through, and things I reminded myself about in the moment.
Everyone's process is a little different, but here are a few things that helped me:
Buying a home is a huge step in life, and though they make it look so simple on TV, it is no easy feat. Especially if you're a freelancer. Since SD and I are both freelancers, this meant our home-buying process was a little more complicated and drawn out than "normal." For those of you who are thinking about and planning for buying a home at some point, here is an inside look at our process, with a few helpful tips thrown in for good measure!
Gather Financial Documents
The first step in our mortgage application process was to pull together several documents:
- Tax returns (last two years)
- W-2s (last year)
- Pay stubs (current year)
- All bank statements
- checking, savings (last two months)
- Investment accounts
- Roth, IRAs (last quarter)
Summer days (in my opinion) are for good books, long walks, freshly-picked berries, and tall glasses of sweet tea on the porch, so I'll keep this post short so you can get back to what matters. :-)
We've come a long way since the first of the year, so I like to think of July as a checkpoint for my personal and business goals and a time to set new goals for my teaching in the Fall.
Whether you're planning for your private studio or the start of a new choir year, prepare for success by setting accessible, achievable, and action-oriented goals.
Here is my process:
We've all given presentations at one time or another. From classes to conferences, workshops to concert settings, presentations are a proven method for sharing information, knowledge, and resources in a succinct, interesting, and engaging way. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking about that time you sat through a presentation that was so boring, you thought your head might explode. Really? Presentations are interesting and engaging?
Hear me out. Presentations don't have to be stale or boring or by the book - mix it up! Make your presentation style unique and engaging by adding in your own personality and by thinking about it from your audience's perspective. Here are 10 stellar strategies for making your next presentation the best ever:
As any professional musician will tell you, a career in music is more than just artistry and performance; the business side of music is a crucial component of a successful career in the arts.
The business side of things may include managing gig contracts, paying estimated taxes, sending studio invoices, setting rates, sending emails, professional networking, and attending conferences.
Many professional musicians do more than one thing - performing, teaching, gigging, writing, etc. You are your own small business and tending to the things that keep your business running is an important part of building a successful career. You don't need a degree in business to manage everything I outlined above, but you should take steps to be informed.
There are lots of helpful books, articles, and blogs out there to help get you started. Here are a few of my recent favorites:
As any freelancer or small business owner will tell you, managing your finances is a huge part of the job.
From the ebbs and flows of self-employment income to keeping track of all your deductible expenses to paying quarterly estimated taxes, managing your personal and business finances is no small feat.
But, having a clear, organized system for keeping track of everything is a great place to start.
As two freelancers and musicpreneurs, Steve and I have found that sorting our money into different places helps us manage multiple income streams and work toward our savings goals.
It also makes paying quarterly taxes much easier.
As a musician, your work demands creativity, focus, and energy—sometimes all at once.
From teaching to practicing, performing to dealing with all the behind-the-scenes admin work, it’s easy to feel burnt out creatively, lose focus, and lack motivation.
You’re balancing multiple jobs and projects at any given time. But it’s not just about being productive—it’s learning how to find clarity and reset your focus.
Pushing through when your attention starts to wane isn’t always the best strategy. Instead, what if the key to doing better work was knowing when to take a step back, when to take a break?