What It Takes

My whole family lives in rural Nebraska. Outside of vacations and television, I didn’t really understand much outside of true midwest living.

“What do you mean your dad doesn’t raise three heads of cattle in the backyard?”
“…You’ve never detasseled corn before?”
“Wanna go for a fancy dinner at Applebee’s?”

Small-town life in Hastings, NE is really beautiful… but it doesn’t provide many paid opportunities for making music. The only way I witnessed to be a musician for a living is to teach, so that’s what I studied at Hastings College. I found a true passion in teaching, but I knew I also wanted to share music outside of the classroom.

When I moved to Baton Rouge, LA to start my Master’s of Music at LSU, I met people who were doing what I thought impossible and truly desired: playing music at a high level and making a living doing so. Well, if they can do it, why can’t I?

Being somewhat of an impatient person by nature, I wasn’t thrilled to discover this does not happen overnight for almost anyone. In most cases, these friends of mine had worked from the ground up in their respective fields. They taught public school all day and played dingy clubs night after night, or paid out of pocket for dozens of auditions where they maybe didn’t even even make it out of the first round. They were most likely fueled by an alarming amount of coffee and Red Bull.

But eventually, due to their persistence and tenacity, they carved out a nice little life for themselves — and, in doing so, mapped out a path for me to follow.
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What It Takes.

It takes constant practice, preparation and adaptation…

It takes kindness and accountability throughout your network…

It takes persistent communication and record-keeping…

It takes long days that bleed into long nights… that bleed into the next long day…

It takes the support of a community that will assist when you need it, even when you’re less-than-willing to accept it…

It takes TIME.

Whatever the dream, trust the process. Be patient. Be tenacious… Because it takes time.