Allow me to introduce myself…
What I bring to my musician coaching is my extensive training as a guitarist, drummer/percussionist, keyboardist, songwriter, and music theorist. Some of this training has been through formal channels, but most of it has come through lifelong experiences making music with others and through lessons on my instruments, songwriting partnerships, rehearsing in bands, and performing in solo and band projects.
Why Artist Development Coaching?
I think a lot of people have kept themselves off-stage. Perhaps this is because of a painful experience early in life or an unkind word shared by a peer. I know of someone, for example, who wanted to become a composer, but his father was unrelentingly dismissive. On one occasion, as they drove by a homeless man sleeping on a park bench, his father pointed to the man and commented, “oh, there’s a composer for you!” This damaging memory became etched in the heart of this aspiring artist.
We can all live with the burdensome fear that what we want to do is mere foolishness. How do we get the courage to take ourselves seriously and do this thing? Or, are we indeed being foolish? What are the true risks? And how would we address these? I can help you think through and feel through these issues and figure it all out.
I work best with people who find music to be deeply meaningful in their lives, people who want to explore the powerful side of music and art and how it can transform our lives and move us to think and feel beyond our daily grind.
My Approach to Musician Coaching
In addition to being a professional musician and songwriter, I’m a licensed psychotherapist. I use this background to help you address:
Instrument issues (How do I play this?)
Musical issues (Why does this song go like this?)
Career issues (What can I do with the skills I’m learning?)
Part of what I help you uncover is what you are genuinely driven to do. What excites you? What is the reason you want to learn this song, or this instrument? What are your fantasies, your hopes and dreams about what you would like to do in music? Are these realistic? How do you go about doing it? I help you identify and incorporate your true interests in music with what your day-to-day goals are in your current musical life.
You might be wondering why, given my training and experience as a licensed psychologist, do I do this work as a musician coach rather than as a psychologist? The reason is that growing as a musician is a practical problem which has to do with music (and all its related and essential components). Psychology (and emotions, and thinking, and behavior) are all important, but they aren’t THE central issue. These psychological aspects are a window onto the central issue, and the central issue is something like: “How do I become a better guitarist?” Sometimes the answer to this question may involve psychological components. For example, you need to stop being so self-critical so you can free yourself up to improvise better.
But even so, the answer also involves specific musical knowledge or practices, such as learning certain scales, or techniques (e.g., arpeggio runs), or chords that fit the particular musical context. I want to focus on your musical issues, your musical needs, your needs as a musician. These are what are central, and from that base, we can contextualize and address emotional and psychological issues as they arise.
Email me to discover how we can work together.
Click to learn about musician coaching to improve your playing, singing or songwriting