The popular thinking is that New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time and while I don’t fully agree, I understand the reason. Resolutions are usually constructed to fail. In fact, while more than 55% of people believe they will keep their resolutions, less than 10% of people (and some studies say as little as 4%) actually do.

The problem is that although we feel motivated, even...

Success is an elusive concept. We know that success doesn’t have to be defined in terms of a bank balance or superstardom or awards. However, convincing ourselves that we are indeed successful can be difficult.

This is particularly true in music, when we can feel accomplished one day and feel like we are back at square one the next day. Even when we understand that this is a necessary...

When was the last time you felt like you really finished a piece of music you were learning?

Look at the music on your stand right now. I’m guessing that somewhere in that stack is a piece of music that you've been playing for longer than you care to think about. It’s a piece you love and really want to play. You started it in a burst of energy and worked through challenge...