Forever a Student

One thing that I especially love about being a musician is that it is a lifelong learning curve. There are steps and ladders and platforms to rest or stay at, but one could just as easily continue to climb, with the goal never being absolute perfection, because it doesn't exist. 

The goal might be to improve. The goal might be to reach a specific point of comfort and ability. The goal might be specific or it might be vague. 

For instance: for a long time, I could not accompany myself when I was hired as a soloist. I worked with incredible accompanists for specific events. There were also times where being able to accompany myself would have been useful. So that was the goal I set out for myself, years ago. I wanted to learn how to play chords well enough, and comfortably, so that I could sing and play piano simultaneously and with confidence. I can now do that. I can comfortably look at a page with lyrics and chords, in any key, and know that I can accompany myself and perform that song. I can also transpose any song in that format to fit my vocal range. This is a goal that I worked hard to reach and is a source of pride. 

I will never be perfect at it. I wouldn't consider myself an expert at this skill, because I have stuck to one or two essential styles of piano playing, but for what I have learned to do, I do well. 

I can always hop back on that ladder and branch out to multiple different styles and improve my range of skills, maybe even focus back onto classical piano pieces, or I could simply relish in the level of skill I have reached. The options are endless. 

With voice, if I had the time and the money, I would continue to have a singing coach in perpetuity. 

This is also something I love about music (and art). You are forever a student, regardless of whether or not you also become a teacher/coach yourself. 

This idea; this constant improvement that isn't linear and is based solely on the individual's motivation and personal goals isn't exclusive to music either. 

You do not have to obsess over perfection in order to be considered successful, ambitious, or even an expert. It's more a matter of having the dedication and the open-mindedness to continue learning. 

That and possessing the self-awareness to know when you are satisfied with the level you have reached, knowing that you do not need to go any further if you are perfectly content with where you are at. 

I love My Musical Life