Success Beyond The Score

No matter at what scale, life very rarely goes as planned. Some things are easier than we thought they'd be, many others are harder. Accidents and inconveniences dot our agendas, we get sudden ideas that we then have to fit in our day somehow. Mundanity gets in the way of greatness and viceversa. We're left juggling constantly while wishing there were more hours in the day.

For example, last year, my family and I finally got around to remodelling the kitchen. It was long overdue, and we were sure that the final result would be very good. However, doing it meant dust, noise, and a cramped house. My piano ended up blocked by a bunch of boxes. I had to keep an eye on what was going on during times I'd normally dedicate to practise. It hindered my creativity for some time, it made preparation for gigs more difficult, too. Yet life didn't stop. The expectations of my clients didn't change. I still had to show up and step firmly on the stage.

Although it was strenuous, discipline made it p...

As one of the best-selling jazz artists of all time, Kenny G is a widely known name in and out of the genre. His work is an essential reference of "smooth jazz", a radio-friendly type of jazz that crosses over to popular genres like pop and R&B. As it's unfortunately unavoidable, a sector of the jazz community sees Kenny's formidable commercial success as something negative, criticising him for not staying true to the genre, among other things.

This is what he had to say when asked about it during an interview with The Hang Podcast:

His words ring true and apply to the experience of all musicians, or in a wider sense, to all artists. There's always someone who won't like what you do, and a few more people who won't like that you're successful doing what you do. Part of growing as an artist is to learn from whom to accept criticism, and how to tell the difference between constructive and destructive criticism.

If you're visited by the "jazz police", the "rock" police, the "heels d...

It's no secret that the cost of living rises have affected everybody.  It may be that you have to cut back on the amount of holidays you take, or figure out how you will make £1 stretch to purchase necessary items.  Well, here are Millicent's 12 tips to help you manage your money worries.  Don't forget to do you due diligence and seek professional advice to see if these will work for you.  

1.  Sell stuff you no longer need!  Maybe you have an extra instrument, or two, or three, or four in the corner gathering dust.  Do you need it?  Could someone else benefit from it?

2. Cut back on ready meals and takeaways, and cook from raw ingredients.  

3. Call in any I.O.Us. 

4. Look through your insurances, utility bills, bank charges and see if you can switch to a provider who is offering a better deal.  Of course, read the small print!

5. Cancel any subscriptions for services you no longer need.

6. Become more energy efficient.  It takes more electricity to boil a full kettle when you o...