Here on EasyEarTraining.com we tend to focus very specifically on the listening skills of music and how you can train your ears. However, there’s a lot more that goes into being a capable, confident musician, and over at the Musical U blog we’ve been exploring some of these other essential topics like goal-setting, planning and gaining musical confidence.
Today I wanted to share some of the recent blog posts from Musical U. If you’re on this website then the chances are you’re a musician, singer or audio professional (or would like to be) and I know these topics are going to resonate with you and the tips offered will be very useful to you.
4 Musician Emotions
The road to becoming a great musician can be a rocky one, full of ups and downs. Along the way you’re sure to encounter 4 emotions in particular.
Knowing about these emotions and that they’re a normal part of being a musician can help you cope. But more importantly, two of them are good and two are bad and if you’re going to stay on track in your musical growth you need to know how to react appropriately to each one. Learn how here.
The Talent Myth
This is one of the concerns we hear most often here at Easy Ear Training: people worrying that they’re not talented enough to achieve what they want to in music. Musicians wanting to play by ear but thinking that only “gifted” musicians can do that. Instrumentalists who wish they could improvise freely but who never try because they don’t think they have the natural skill for it. Singers who wish they could perform confidently but are scared that because they don’t have that “X-Factor” they’ll never be good enough.
All of these concerns are natural and understandable – but they are all nonsense! Find out the truth about musical talent here.
No Age Limit on Musicianship
This is another worry we hear often from aspiring musicians – that they’re too old. You might be thinking that it’s just retirees who have this concern, but believe it or not we’ve heard it from people who aren’t even in their 20s yet!
Related to the talent myth, many musicians have the false belief that if you aren’t a breakaway phenomenon early on in life that hope is lost for your musical success. Again, this belief is incorrect! Many people who take up music for the first time later in life (or return to it once again) go on to become fantastic musicians and have a whale of a time doing it.
So never let age hold you back from your musical potential. Learn the 4 reasons why you’re never too old for music.
5 Steps to Your Musical Goals
Now for some more specific practical advice: here’s a simple 5-step plan to start really succeeding in reaching your musical goals.
Too many musicians start out with great intentions and enthusiasm but then stall out before they achieve what they wished too. And it’s not their fault – it’s a problem with their process.
Learn how to set and reach your goals with this simple 5-step process.
Musical Progress Journals
Once you’ve set your goal with the 5-step process there’s one thing you can do to jump-start your training and double your chances of reaching that goal: start a progress journal.
You might have heard of a practice journal before – and that’s relevant, but not the same thing. A Progress Journal is about tracking your progress and improvement, helping you to stay on course and motivated throughout your musical journey.
Learn more about the benefits of keeping a progress journal and how to do it.
I hope one or more of these blog posts caught your attention and will be useful to you in your musical training. If you’d like to learn more, be sure to Like the Musical U Facebook page for regular updates!
