What courageous decision are you avoiding, that you know will change your life?
So most of the time, I like to talk about composing on this site, and for good reason… it’s called Art of Composing. But today I thought I would venture into a little more of the motivational side. In the end, it will probably help your composing in one way or another.
Life Directions
When I started this site back in 2011, I wasn’t sure where it was going to take me. I knew I wanted to improve my composing, and I knew I wanted to teach others what I was learning, but I wasn’t sure about anything after that.
So I got to work, composing and writing… writing and composing. I learned a lot, got some great feedback from the readers, and really started improving. But something has been missing for me. You see, creating a small world online is great, and you can really meet some great people and do great things, but it doesn’t replace in person interaction. We are all people, and we are all designed to be with other people. When those other people share your interests, it takes the interaction to a whole new level.
So recently I’ve made a few decisions that I think will have far reaching consequences for my life and for this site.
Film Scoring
First, I am lucky enough to have full 9/11 GI Bill Benefits. Without getting into details, I can basically go back to school for free. And just a few days ago I decided that I would go through the UCLA Extension Film Scoring Certificate Program. I am extremely excited about this, but it will also reduce my income significantly. I have plans for this, but just something to think about.
Church Band
Second, I’ve decided to audition for the church band. I’ve played in church bands in the past, but my current church has a great group of players and I am really excited to play. This will give me an opportunity to do some arranging for other players as well as an opportunity to play some jazz piano and trumpet (and maybe sax and guitar as well… what can I say, I am an instrument hoarder).
I plan on playing a great piece for the audition by the jazz group, The Yellowjackets. It is probably a bit of a stretch for me to pull off on solo piano, but that is all part of the courageous decision stuff anyway… right?
My Brother and Cousins
I also have to give a shout out to my brother and cousins for their courageous decisions. We have all decided to compete in the Malibu Spartan Race this December. Beyond being a 4-5 mile obstacle course, it is going to be cold. I know, I know, it’s California, which means that it is going to be California cold (like 50 degrees F), but for us Californians, that’s cold.
We are all being sponsored by my grandmother, who has spent her life as a Calligrapher, so our team name is the “Calligraphers”. Here is our logo designed by my cousin Tim. Tim is a great graphic designer and videographer. It’s supposed to look “300-esque”.
The Effects of Making Courageous Decisions
The effects of making these decisions have been nothing short of amazing. You can set all the goals you want, dream big, or practice your but off… but it takes risk to truly achieve what you want to achieve. I feel great right now and I have more motivation than ever to compose, practice, learn, teach, and just enjoy life.
Maybe you are thinking, both of those decisions don’t sound that courageous. All I can say is that it all depends on your situation. When I went off to war, it was an easier decision for me than deciding to go to film scoring school. The main reason being that when I went to war, I was young and single. Now I have a family to take care of, and decisions like these effect them just as much as they effect me.
Upcoming Online Course
I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I will very shortly in the future be creating my first online course. This course will be focused solely on melody and will cover the basics through advanced techniques, as well as instrumentation.
This is only the first of hopefully many courses, including:
- Harmony
- Counterpoint
- Form
- Orchestration
I also hope to put out some stuff on composing Jazz.
So What Courageous Decisions Do You Have to Make?
Look long and look hard. I know there is something. And I know you know what it is.
You just have to take the first step and make the tough decision – the rest will take care of itself.
PS. I ended up having to just sit down at the piano real quick and do an impromptu audition at church. I didn’t play nearly as well as I hoped I would have, but it was probably a much better reflection of my real abilities on piano. None the less, I am still looking forward to being a part of the worship team, even if I just make coffee 🙂
As usual, your posts are perfectly timed! I was trying to work up the nerve to tell my family that I want to change my major (I’m an incoming first-year at a small liberal arts school in ME) to music, with a specialty in composition. Before, I said physics to make my many mentors happy. However, after going for a six-week science program, and that’s after going to a very heavily STEM-based high school where I did science and medicine based internships every summer, I’ve realized how utterly burnt out I am with the sciences, and, at the very least, I want to explore my options in music. I’ve loved it for a very long time, and this post has made me realize that even though it will take a lot of courage to tell my family and mentors about my desire to major in music, it’s better to tell than to just foolishly become a physicist who hates his job. Thank you.
Thanks Jeremy. Life is too short to do something you hate. You will never know where the decisions you make will lead you, but if you approach them with humility and an open mind, always as a professional and a beginner, then you will have something to offer regardless of your chosen field. You may just end up becoming an expert in the physics of music. There are plenty of books about music and math, or music and cognition. But there is no replacement for doing something you love. Good luck.