CM Interview Series: Noreen Murdock
The Composed Musician’s Interview Series highlights passionate, purposeful musicians with entrepreneurial + creative mojo. Today, I’m stoked to interview the amazing Noreen Murdock, one of the youngest orchestra directors in America. She’s the Executive Director of Salem Chamber Orchestra in Salem, Oregon and a collaborative pianist. She has a BA in Music from Willamette University and a [...]
Love + Genius. A Valentine’s Wish For You.
Photo by: s58y In an interview on Radiolab, the brilliant Malcolm Gladwell put forth a revolutionary idea, “So-called ‘geniuses’ are not, in fact, more talented, more evolved, more intelligent or more genetically-gifted than ‘regular folks’, but rather, they are actively in love with the object of their (vocational) affection. And they stay in love. For [...]
The Family + Friends Discount. To give or not to give?
Photo by: Asenat29 Entrepreneurship guru, Marie Forleo, released another brilliant Q&A video this week: The Friends and Family Discount Dilemma. The video got me thinking about the dilemma from the lens of being a musician. As musicians, we’re often asked to give, even expected to give free & discounted services to our family and friends. The question [...]
Have you become instrument-centric?
Schoenberg playing ping-pong. Source: unknown. At different points in my life I’ve been instrument-centric. Two big instances come to mind: from the age of 13-17 and my first year of my masters program. During these times of my life, hardly anything else mattered beyond the piano. I had relationships, but the piano took precedence. Hobbies [...]
Composed Musician Facebook Giveaway
You want it? I’m doing a fun giveaway that’s super easy to enter into. (Don’t you hate giveaways that require 4 or 5 steps?) On February 7, 2012 I’ll be giving away a brand new copy of: “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” is a straight-shooter book [...]
2 Powerful Questions to Jumpstart Your Future
One of my favorite things to do in life, and I recognize it as a way I can be of service to others, is instigating dreams and unraveling potentiality. Here are two of my most powerful questions for excavating your purpose + dreams: 1) What would your ideal scenario look like on a Wednesday, 5 [...]
Collaborative Piano Blog Guest Post
I’m excited about my guest post on the Collaborative Piano Blog. If you haven’t checked it out yet, here’s the link. And if you are a collaborative pianist and haven’t stopped by the Dr. Chris Foley’s blog before, I highly recommend doing so. It’s a great resource for all collaborative pianists, established and upcoming. If [...]
The Dark Side of Actualization: Going Out Not In.
I’ve experienced the dark side of actualization many times. Over the years I’ve become better at recognizing that that’s where I’m headed and turn it around instantaneously. But the urge is often still there. And I often see others, especially those new to self-actualization, do themselves and others a disservice by going outwards, not inwards. [...]
Action Without Attachment to a Reward
“Doing your best is taking the action because you love it, not because you’re expecting a reward. Most people do exactly the opposite: They only take action when they expect a reward, and they don’t enjoy the action.” – Don Miguel Ruiz in The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom [...]
What To Do if You Don’t Know What You Want To Do.
I spent a good chunk of my 20′s not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. The feeling can be tortuous and frustrating. It can also feel isolating because it feels like something’s wrong with you or at least most everyone else is all figured out. Take heart. You’re not alone. It’s a [...]
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