"[Career Planning for Music Entrepreneurs] was a fantastic workshop. In many ways, I wish that the topics covered in your seminar were part of the core curriculum for conservatory training. For musicians, self-esteem is closely related to artistic success which is in turn deeply intertwined with successful artistic endeavors. Goal-setting strategies, project planning, asking the key questions which help to unlock hidden information--- these are the skills necessary for building a platform of success.
I thought your seminar was a fresh look at how artists, and specifically musicians can do this. I was particularly interested how you were able to blend aspects of the disciplined-black-and-white corporate world with the artistic needs of musicians. Your advice was direct and pertinent, without being harsh and cold. It created a sense of possibility and enablement, which surprisingly started an ebb and flow of ideas in my mind, even while you were speaking. I was compelled to start jotting down ideas as the seminar was going on.
I look forward to working with you in the future, this is exactly the kind of devil's advocate, brain-picking, and support I need to see my upcoming projects into reality."
— John-Morgan B, New York, NY
legal analyst at major nyc financial institution
Where can I even begin to describe how much Astrid has helped me. I met her when I was beginning my final semester of college. I was unsure of what I wanted out of the next few years; she talked me through each thought I had until I knew exactly what I wanted. I was unsure of how to get what I wanted; she talked me through how to best present myself to potential employers and prepped me for every question I might be asked. Because of my sessions with Astrid, I was able to walk into every interview prepared and confident.
By providing a calming, judgment-free environment for me to reflect on what my hopes and dreams were, Astrid allowed me to focus on my future in a way I had not been able to before. It wasn’t always easy but she stuck with me until I knew exactly what I wanted for my future: two years from now, five years from now, ten years from now, and twenty years from now. My goals may very well change, but because of the skills I have learned from Astrid I know I will be able to apply myself to recognize what I want and go after it.
Not only was she so instrumental in helping me discover a career path that worked for me, I left every meeting with her feeling more in control and more hopeful about my future; in short feeling much happier. Astrid is a wonderful woman and every one she works with is the better for it – I know I am.
— Kate K., New York, NY
Composer
Astrid has turned around the way I look at my career in the most extraordinary way. I used to think that the professional part of what I do was very separate from the creative and deeply personal aspects of being a composer. Going after professional opportunities to get my music out there felt to me like a very daunting task--one that I found a little distasteful because it felt like "selling myself." Astrid really helped me realize that building a career has to come from the most genuine part of myself--in the same way as building a piece. With this understanding, the professional world looks much less scary to me now, and I'm able to reach out to my professional network with the courage of my conviction, and with the kind of personal investment and care that makes professional experiences deeply meaningful. Career building is about believing in what you do, and its validity; it is about communication and courage. It only works if it feels true to who you are.
With her supportive and positive attitude combined with her incredible sensitivity and intelligence, Astrid has created for me a wonderful safe space to discover how I want to develop my goals from the inside out. I have found in her a true kindred spirit as well as a powerful ally and coach.
—Hannah L,. New York, NY
publicist
I chose to work with Astrid because of her background in both the arts and business worlds. After our consultation meeting, it became clear to me that she works with her clients to help them achieve success that rings true for each individual, and doesn't just follow the same formula with everyone. She is also a terrific listener and very easy to talk to. There was nothing about the coaching process with Astrid that felt fake or empty -- we got down to nuts and bolts, and took a good look at the motivations behind my current habits as a means of changing those habits when necessary. As a result of working with her, I have reached a new level of balance in my life, and I have more confidence than before about my business decisions. Though it wasn't my main goal going into coaching, I also have found I am doing better financially than in the past. I am now able to approach new situations and apply what I discovered with Astrid, so the benefits of coaching with her have extended beyond the time we were actively working together. It was an invaluable experience.
If you happened to wander by my classroom at Yale recently, you would have seen and heard my students and their professor (that would be me!) moving their arms, doing knee bends, rolling their lip, singing scales to the tune of “mi mi mi” and reciting tongue twisters under the tutelage of Violinist and Professor Brian Lewis who came to my class to help us learn more about public speaking and overcome “glossophobia”(the fear of public speaking).
In fact, in some surveys, fear of public speaking is the number one common phobia, ranking even higher than the fear of death! So Professor Lewis was there to give us some valuable tips on how to get comfortable with public speaking since he adn I both believe that this is an essential skill for today's musicians. Here is a summary of his remarks, together with my own observations on how to speak in public with power and confidence.
One of the goals of my entrepreneurship class at the Yale School of Music is to help my students develop a mindset of positivity and project confidence since this is at the heart of being a successful entrepreneur. My students have learned two great tools for boosting their confidence—strengths and Flow. These are more than “feel-good props”. Both originate from positive psychology, the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive and whose mission includes “find[ing]and nurture[ing] genius and talent".
What’s not to like?
So here is how strengths and Flow can help you to become confident in your professional and your personal endeavors.
Spring Break is here. My students are on overload. They have been performing a lot, as well as auditioning for DMA programs, summer festivals and orchestra jobs, interviewing for internships and jobs on top of all their schoolwork. We began our last class before Spring Break with a check-in on what’s working.
The short answer is be authentic, be unique, and master the skills that will enable you to create big dreams and make them happen. Not surprisingly, this list reflects the topics that I will be covering in my class next semester at YSM on Creating Sustainable Careers in the Arts.
Here are my top 10 tips for musicians who are committed to creating and sustaining authentic success:
In my work as a career coach for young professional musicians, I often come across people who are thrown by having too many choices. These are the passionate folks who want to try everything and find themselves confused and exhausted by having too much on their plates! That passion is a wonderful thing and it is an essential element in creating career success but a haphazard approach can be exhausting and time consuming.
If you find yourself saying yes to a lot of opportunities because you do not want to miss out on “all that cool stuff” or because you are afraid of making the “wrong” choice, chances are that you do not know what direction to take. [You may also have trouble saying no for fear of disappointing others. If that’s your situation, it’s time to learn how to set boundaries so that you can start saying no to them and yes to yourself!]
Here are a few thoughts on how to focus your direction and begin to make choices that feel right for you.
One of the hallmarks of a music entrepreneur is having a vision and taking action to make that vision happen. In my role as Coordinator of Career Strategies at the Yale School of Music, I have the privilege of working with an extraordinarily talented group of musicians, all of whom have worked hard to get to where they are. Yet many of these students do not have a vision for where they want to take their careers. Since having a vision is a powerful motivator for creating career success, how do you create such a vision for yourself?
In my experience, many successful musicians got their career inspiration from listening to other people and paying attention when they got excited about something that someone else was doing. In other words, they met someone and realize, “That’s what I want to do.” Then, they put their personal spin on the idea and that became their vision.
The start of the academic year is a great time to reflect on strengths since it is my belief that knowing and developing your strengths is one of the basic elements of creating success.
Moreover, for musicians, knowing your strengths is key to creating your brand—the message that sets you apart from others—as well as a beacon of light when your confidence is flagging and you need a boost to remember what your talents really are.
There is a strength called Input. It comes from the Gallup Strengths Assessment called StrengthsFinder 2.0.
Input is the way someone learns and uses knowledge and information. People who are strong in input collect information and call it up when they need it. Input people enjoy learning in order to use the information. They will read enough to get the idea and store it away, as opposed to learners who are fascinated with the process of learning and will delve into things deeply.
Input is a strength because input people tend to make interesting and novel connections between seemingly disparate pieces of information.
I know this strength well because it is one of my top strengths. I find that a lot of my clients have this strength as well.
I advocate playing to your strengths instead of compensating for weaknesses as a way of creating self-mastery and empowerment in your life. Helping my clients to recognize and use their strengths is one of the hallmarks of my coaching and my teaching. Recently, I had this very experience in a domain that is near and dear to my heart-my piano playing.
Our culture is rampant with negativity. From report cards to annual reviews at work to billboard advertising, we tend to hear what’s wrong with us, where we are weak and what we need to do in order to improve. Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a society where everyone’s talents were recognized, validated, encouraged and admired? That’s why strengths are such a positive factor in creating success: they tell you what is right with you. Strengths are the tendencies and skills at which you naturally excel. Strengths can be developed, deepened and even resuscitated after lying dormant for many years.
My message to clients is to play to your strengths. It is one of the keys to creating success in your life.
