For the relaunchers

Darling,

If you are one of those who find it hard to begin again with your singing, or acting, or dancing... if you are one of those who can't even start talking about it because there is so much disappointment, so much pain associated with the subject, please, please make an effort and stay here with me. Don't push the "X" of this browser's window.
I am here to encourage you and to make you believe in yourself again but let me tell you the biggest secret: I am hurt as much as you are. Maybe differently, but very much alike. I have my own disbelief, my failures, my hopes that were crushed and a lot of work that came to nothing because I didn't know someone who knew someone else, or didn't afford or choose to pay my place into anywhere. Also, because of a lot of defeat, I was unprepared some times and I failed. Is it OK for a teacher to tell her students that she failed? Well, I promise I will always be as honest as any good friend would be. Your voice cracks, you are off tone, your sweaty hands make the microphone a bit unsteady, you forget the choreography, the words, the next thing that you have to do. But it's OK, you know? It's normal. All of us go through it. The secret is how you manage to transform the moment. Make ridiculous become funny, make unacceptable become motivational, make awkward moments develop you into resourceful. Of course the fight is serious, of course you will want to crash all those walls before your eyes, of course you will get mad, frustrated, feel ashamed, not good enough. But you can rise above that. You know why? Because all those mixed up feelings show that you are so sensitive, so different than the grand majority of all the people you know, that you are special, that you want to make a difference. Yes, it's all about that, about who is capable and also willing to fight this special fight that needs your full commitment in all the fields you could imagine. Because once you start on this path, you can't really go on another one. You're a believer, a warrior, or you're not.
First of all, you were born to try. If you're gonna tell me that you already tried it all, you must try it again. It's a matter of not stopping to improve yourself in any possible way and also not stopping all the trying part. And the believing part.
Secondly, taking a break is also OK. Focusing on other activities for a while, maybe another talent that you've put on hold, or just making some peace with yourself. Nobody will tell you what to do when you are at a crossover, because everything will always be theoretical to others. So this would be the perfect time to use your intuition (which you most definitely have if you are reading this and resonating with it) and follow it as much and as brutish as you can. If it feels fine, it actually is. Always double check with your heart everything that your mind decides.
And one last thing: the best way to know if your voice is ready to relaunch itself, is when it starts singing again. The place and the audience doesn't matter; it might as well be your cat.

Yours faithfully,
Your music teacher

The sacred fire

Darling,

No, it's not make-believe. All the rush, the heartbreaking and at the same time heart-lifting passion, the craziness, the breathless moment that never stops from being grandiose, exhilarating and magnificent to you... no, you are imagining nothing. It's alive, and it's as much earthy at it is godlike. Sumptuously losing yourself in a note that has ended moments ago, stopping your breath in order to feel more, to touch the silence, to taste the vibration that it creates in the eyes of your public... it's not a shame, my darling, and it's alright to admit it: you live for these moments. They are opulent and modest simultaneously, they are your fountain water, your tropical fruits, your bread and your finest champagne. There is nothing to explain about it. There is everything to explain about it... But to begin with, let me tell you: I understand you. The excitement, the perfection of that dazzling excitement just puts the tip of its fingers on your purest corner of soul. That corner that is always in prayer and in levitation towards the sky. That corner that gives birth to all your instincts and that knows no touch of the ration. That corner that produces only love and knows no pain, but knows how to surrender to the most painful cry of the universe, if the music says so.
You live for the thrill and the struggle of being that corner of the soul only and nothing more.
That makes you an artist.
That makes you everything that you need to be.
Follow that, allow only that to shiver your existence.
Anything that is not that, is not your mission in life.
Maybe ego, maybe a moment of feeling lost, but not your highest mission.

Remember that I believe you. Because I feel the same way.
And if someone else doesn't believe you, it's because they don't have it in themselves.
Allow yourself to drown in it, no matter what.
Yours faithfully,
Your music teacher

Do you want to be a star?

Photo credits: Satine Diamond

Darling,

I wonder if being a Musician means to you being a Star. A music star, a movie star, a Hollywood, Bollywood, Broadway, Opera, Club, Rap, Hip-hop, Electronic, Rock, Metal, Folklore - star or any other example you wish. Being able to sing, and doing it really well - doesn't necessarily make you a star for others. Being able to sing and perform other things such as acting, dancing, etc. - doesn't make you one either. But what does being a star really mean?

The www.freedictionary.com offers the explanation.

    a. An artistic performer or athlete whose leading role or superior performance is acknowledged.
    b. One who is highly celebrated in a field or profession.

So if you are acknowledged or highly celebrated, you are a star. And what if you're not?

What if you are a terribly talented young person who is known only by friends who are completely in love with your skills and always ask you to lead the karaoke or campfire nights? What if you are the soul of every Christmas, because of your unique way of caroling like no other? What if you are part of a really cool band that succeeded in creating some personal songs, maybe a quite exquisite album and have some shows, but not many people know your name?

Often, good musicians are not very famous. They are not what today's business calls a star. They are nor on TV, neither on well-known, glittery and bombastic stages, in clubs or theaters that sell expensive (and they should be!) tickets that allow you to enjoy the show.

If I were to be honest, my true belief is that good musicians nowadays are not a good business. They don't sell. Not shocking at all, right?

Why don't real artists sell?

•     real artists can't be manipulated

•     real artists want their art to be unique, personal, and not "in line" with the "trends"

•     real artists want to have the space and time to think about, choose and implement their own resources and they don't need a lot of "helpers" to do the job for them (as opposed to some other "artists" that need a full-time team of everything-doers that are actually real artists that remain backstage everytime - and obviously, are underpaid)

•     real artists are ingenious, smart, informed, free-thinkers, creative and often a threat to those people who only copy and paste what they see that sells (those ones bring a lot of money though, so real artists are on queue)

•     real artists have integrity, they don't commit for money or for fame (talk about music full of Illuminati messages, nudity, vulgarity, superficial lyrics and common melody,etc)

•      & so many more reasons

Clearly, you already know that the biggest, most impressive painters you read about have been poor or undervalued at their times. Also have the composers, poets, sculptors, and so on. Vincent van Gogh has sold only one painting during his life, even if his entire work of more than 2000 paintings had a lot of success after his death. Edgar Allan Poe has been a starving artist all his life, and Franz Kafka earned his living only because he used to work as an insurance officer. Being a "Starving artist" is actually a concept and I've found quite an article about it here.

Also, wikipedia has a quite big vision upon it too:

    A starving artist is an artist who sacrifices material well-being in order to focus on their artwork. They typically live on minimum expenses, either for a lack of business or because all their disposable income goes toward art projects.

Taking all this into consideration, you might already be quite discouraged. I advise you not to! There are still a lot of real, fair and true opportunities for talented hearts that are in seek of their place in this big world. Myself, I have left the path of trying to be famous. Truth be told, I would rather be the best I can be as an artistic entity, than being famous for a short period of time or life-long famous but not able to keep up with the things that I must do in order to please everyone along the way. No one can tell you what you can or can't do for your own future: you decide for yourself every step of the way, while taking the journey. If you find something that you are not comfortable with, change it ! Step out of it ! Or see where pushing your limits brings you ! Research, try, experiment. It's your life. It's your art.

However, if you decide that fame is what you are looking for, be sure to have all your ingredients prepared for when the moment comes. I'm going to pour myself some fresh coffee and start a new letter for you ASAP. Is that OK?


I'm just around the corner of your voice...
Yours faithfully,
Your music teacher