Great article on "The Talk"

by JW

I recently discovered this great post by violinist and blogger Holly Mulcahy about the experience of giving her first "Talk" to a student. I remember how strange it felt to go from "Talk" recipient to "Talk" giver...

The next stage for me after the one Holly describes so well has been actually seeing some of the students that I gave the "Talk" to going out into the world and making their way in music. They have all run into all the challenges and difficulties of life as a working musician that I warned them about. Some are frustrated by what they perceive as a lack of success, while others feel that have met or exceeded their original career goals and are very satisfied and happy. But for me, as a teacher, I'm happy I gave them all the "Talk" and I recommend it for anyone teaching a student who wants a career in music. The more a young musician understands the good and bad sides of this profession, the better they can reach a decision about what music means to them, and the more they can enjoy music for their entire life.

After all, whether you're an amateur or a professional, shouldn't that be the whole point?