There are things you might assume about practicing, using a metronome, what progress is supposed to look like, and more that you'll only learn the truth about once you start practicing well. In this video, I'll remind you about what good practice looks like, and what you can actually expect to discover when you do.

Book a free trial lesson with me online for piano, music composition, or music theory.

If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. You can find all episodes of this podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit

You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1

About 5 years ago, I was fired from a music gig. It's the only time in nearly 30 years of being a professional musician, and I think about it a lot. There are definitely things I could have and should have done to reduce the chances of that happening, and there are lessons that I could have learned sooner after it happened to move on in a healthier way. This episode is my reflection on what happened in 2021, and what I've learned since then.

Book a free trial lesson with me online for piano, music composition, or music theory.

If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. You can find all episodes of this podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit

You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1

To become a well-rounded musician, it's worthwhile to engage in a variety of medium sized musical projects to give you new perspective and to help your growth. This episode offers 5 projects you can engage in over the next half year or so to help improve many aspects of your musicianship.

Book a free trial lesson with me online for piano, music composition, or music theory.

If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. You can find all episodes of this podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit

You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1

The label "professional" is misunderstood across many levels, including music. While the average professional will be more accomplished than the average amateur, the label isn't about skill itself. The term "amateur" can apply to musicians who are just getting started as well as those who have been at it for a while but for whom music is more of something to dabble in as time permits. Then there are the dedicated amateurs, who don't have all the advantages of professionals but do have some advantages of their own, and can have similar musicianship goals. This episode looks at the pros and cons of each approach and what's actually possible for the dedicated amateur.

Book a free trial lesson with me online for piano, music composition, or music theory.

If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. You can find all episodes of this podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit

You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1

I've discussed Dr. William Schirmer no less than 4 times on this podcast before. He was my music composition professor for 4 years as well as an extremely prolific composer in his own right. He sadly passed away very recently, and this episode is a chance to tell the world more about this bonafide musical genius as well as the lessons he taught me and my friends that still influence how we see the world of music today. Every great musician needs a great mentor, and this is the experience I had with mine!

Book a free trial lesson with me online for piano, music composition, or music theory.

If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. You can find all episodes of this podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit

You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1

When you get your first gigs for things like weddings, musical theatre, recording sessions, or even film scores and other opportunities, how do you make such a good impression that you rise to the top of the call list and stay there?

As someone who has worked to be top of mind in this area for many such gigs, and as a music director who has hired more than 100 musicians, it's understood that your musical skills need to be good enough for the gig. You don't have to play better than what's required, but you must be able to do that. However, those are minimum requirements. What gets you called back has nothing to do with your musical skill. In this episode, I share my 11 observations for what puts a musician top of mind when I'm looking to hire.

Book a free trial lesson with me online for piano, music composition, or music theory.

If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. You can find all episodes of this podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit

You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1

What do I wish I had done differently as a piano student? As I look back on my time studying music before I officially began my professional journey, there are several things I wish I had either done better or not avoided the way I did. I hope this video will help inspire you to maximize as well as enjoy the time you have as you study music.

Book a free trial lesson with me online for piano, music composition, or music theory.

If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. You can find all episodes of this podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit

You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1

What's one thing you can do to get better at playing music sooner? Most students wish they could progress faster, but don't feel the sense of urgency that they should to learn all of their technique, in every key, played as accurately and as fast as possible. Technique is treated as some bit of trivia that might come in handy sometime, when actually...it's EVERYTHING. Give me 20 minutes, and I'll do my best to persuade you why this needs to be your top priority as a music student, how to approach technique, and will use the piano as a means to demonstrate how you can progress through scales.

Book a free trial lesson with me online for piano, music composition, or music theory.

If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. You can find all episodes of this podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit

You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1