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THE GRITTY MUSICIAN | A Podcast for Musicians in Progress

My name is Bruce, and I am a university music educator. My journey towards a full-time career in music took many twists and turns – some so jarring that I wondered if I had what it took to survive the trip! What came out of these struggles was my grit. Why grit? Grit combines passion, ambition, toughness and strength of character. If you want a career in the arts, grit will be what separates you from the pack. Are you scared about where your career in the arts is headed? Do you wonder if you have what it takes to endure the journey? The Gritty Musician Podcast is here to help you!
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Now displaying: December, 2016
Dec 30, 2016
Get Some Grit Podcast Episode #31 - 2016 Reflections
 
Welcome back to Get Some Grit, the show where we learn the many ways that grit can serve artists as they press towards their goals. You can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio! No matter what you’re going through, GRIT is the armor that will protect you from the barrage of attacks that can stifle creativity and output!
 
This week's show is built in two parts:
 
Part One, reflections on past holiday seasons when I had the choice between giving up and persevering, and Part Two, how a late night "mind dump" into the microphone changed my perspective on the show, and helped me define what the show means to me, and how to move forward.
 
 
If you love the show, let someone know!  Lots of ways to reach us.  If you want to help, tell someone who could benefit from the content.  If you want to do more, SUBSCRIBE!  If you are Santa’s biggest helper and want to do even MORE, leave us an iTunes review!  If you aren’t tech savvy and want some help with subscribing or leaving a review, email me at getsomegritpodcast@gmail.com and I will walk you through it.
 
Take care of each other this holiday season.  There will always be someone more fortunate, and someone less fortunate.  Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.
 
Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the use of "Thinking Music."
Dec 19, 2016
Get Some Grit Podcast Episode #30 - To Grad School or Not to Grad School?  That is the question.
 
Welcome back to Get Some Grit, the show where we learn the many ways that grit can serve artists as they press towards their goals. You can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio! No matter what you’re going through, GRIT is the armor that will protect you from the barrage of attacks that can stifle creativity and output!
 
"Work or Grad School Next?” was the clear winner with 58% of the vote, so that is our topic for this week.
 
 
Things to remember about the “work or grad school’ conundrum:
 
  1. If you have a mentor teacher, reach out to them and get their honest opinion.  Professionally, they should know you better than anyone at this point.
  2. Each person’s path is unique.  What worked for me was the opposite of what worked for my wife. Revisit the decision regularly and consider as many angles as possible.  If you think it through, it’s hard to get wrong.
  3. Some consider grad school another hoop.  Others cherish life long learning. If you are the hoop jumper, consider going straight to work, use what you have learned right away, and see if the allure of grad school comes to you later.
  4. If you are a “natural” learner, you can go right ahead, but remember that the benefit of working first is that you can really gain a laser focus on what you want to learn more about.
 
If you love the show, let someone know!  Lots of ways to reach us.  If you want to help, tell someone who could benefit from the content.  If you want to do more, SUBSCRIBE!  If you are Santa’s biggest helper and want to do even MORE, leave us an iTunes review!  If you aren’t tech savvy and want some help with subscribing or leaving a review, email me at getsomegritpodcast@gmail.com and I will walk you through it.
 
Take care of each other this holiday season.  There will always be someone more fortunate, and someone less fortunate.  Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.
 
Credits to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com and the good people at freesound.org for the use of their music!
Dec 12, 2016

Welcome back!  Episode 29, "Failing Forward" is a bit of a mixed bag of a show.  Follow along as best you can!

First and foremost, GSG is now on iHeartRadio! We are expanding our reach to serve you, the listener, better each week.  Check out the weekly Twitter poll for your vote on future episode topics! @getsomegrit

On my most recent Indiana road trip, I listened to the entirety of Steven Pressfield's The War of Art, and consider it one of the finest books I've read in recent memory. Three big "take aways" include:

  1. Pressfield struggled with early professional failures, and his biggest commercial success only came about because he didn't listen to those who told him it would be a failure.
  2. Don't fall victim to comparison!
  3. Resistance to our work is very real, and evil!

You can learn more about Mr. Pressfield at his website, www.stevenpressfield.com

This is followed by a discussion on how to "fail forward" in all that you do, and the dangers of diminished grit once you reach your goals.  

I believe that this is one of my better recent episodes, so please don't wait to check it out!

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Enjoying the show?  Let me know and tell a friend!  I would love to hear from you, whether it be an encouraging word, your questions, or ideas for future shows!  Our listeners are our lifeblood and why we do this show! 

"Eyes Gone Wrong" and "Jingle Bells" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Dec 5, 2016
Tomorrow marks the last day of classes on my college campus, and final exams begin on Wednesday.  When I was a student, I felt like I had a pretty good plan to get through exam week each semester, but now when I look back on it, I wonder how I made it through.  Here are five tips that can help you get through finals relatively unscathed and ready to enjoy the holiday season:
  1. When you have the choice, do something selfish each day for 20 minutes.
  2. When you have the choice, don’t wait on deadlines.
  3. When you have the choice, spread out your studying.
  4. When you have the choice, drink water and eat a balanced diet.
  5. When you have the choice, choose sleep.

f.lux is available for download at justgetflux.com

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Enjoying the show?  Let me know and tell a friend!  I would love to hear from you, whether it be an encouraging word, your questions, or ideas for future shows!  Our listeners are our lifeblood and why we do this show! 

"Eyes Gone Wrong" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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