What If I Make a Mistake?
I have a confession to make:
I've made a LOT of mistakes onstage!
One of the worst happened when I was studying classical guitar in college.
At the end of the semester, music majors had to perform a "jury" (basically a final exam where you perform in front of your professors). I had prepared a difficult Carcassi Etude, walked into the room, picked up my guitar...
...and absolutely bombed it!!!
My hands were trembling, I played wrong notes, accidentally muted strings, my rhythm was all over the place... It was a disaster!
Then, when I finally finished, the chair of the department looked at me and asked:
"Do you practice scales?"
Ouch!
Of course I practiced scales! But he asked me to play a two-octave E major scale on the spot, and between my shaking hands, rattled nerves, and an awkward fingering choice...
Somehow, the scale was even worse than the etude!
When I finished, he paused and simply said:
"...okay..."
I wanted to disappear, but here's the funny thing:
Nothing bad happened!
I put my guitar away, walked out of the room, and life continued.
And despite that spectacularly imperfect performance, my guitar teacher still gave me an A for the semester. He knew how hard I'd worked, how challenging the piece was, and that one rough performance didn't erase an entire semester of growth.
More importantly, I got through it!
And that's a lesson I've carried with me ever since.
You Can't Go Back, So Do the Next Thing Right
There's something I tell my students all the time:
"Making a mistake in music is a lot like making a mistake in life. You can't go back in time and fix it. All you can do is do the next thing right."
Hit a wrong note? You can't un-play it!
Lose your place? You can't rewind the performance!
Forget a lyric? Keep going!
In fact, part of becoming a great musician ISN'T learning how to never make mistakes.
It's becoming so good at recovering from them that most people don't even notice!
And here's another secret:
Most of the time, the audience doesn't notice anyway!
They're not sitting there with your sheet music checking every note. They're watching someone who had the courage to get onstage and share something with them.
And if they DO notice?
They're still going to applaud!
Sometimes, Fear of Failing Keeps Us From Starting
One of my students, Elliott, started taking lessons with me when he was seven years old.
Elliott was a perfectionist. He was so afraid of playing something incorrectly that sometimes he wouldn't play it at all.
I could relate. I'm a perfectionist too!
So one day I asked him:
"What's the worst thing that will happen if you make a mistake?"
When you really think about it...
Not much!
Nobody gets hurt. The guitar doesn't explode! The "Music Police" don't burst through the door and confiscate your instrument!!!
You play the wrong note.
Then you play the next one.
Once Elliott began letting go of that fear, something changed. He stopped being afraid to try and started making serious progress!
Today, Elliott is 16 years old. He plays guitar, bass, and sings, performs in two bands, and has become exactly the kind of confident young musician we hope our students will become!
Not because he learned to never make mistakes.
Because he learned that mistakes couldn't stop him!
I'd Rather Hear 98% Than Nothing at All
Perfectionism tells us:
"I'll do it when I'm ready."
The problem is that "READY" can easily turn into "PERFECT."
And perfect never comes!
I'd rather hear a student perform something at 98% than wait forever for 100%.
Heck, I'd rather hear somebody courageously perform my infamous Carcassi Etude at 28% (like I did!) than never get onstage at all!!!
That doesn't mean we stop trying to improve. There's a big difference between making mistakes while giving an honest effort and simply not trying.
Do your best. Prepare. Practice. Keep improving.
But when something inevitably goes wrong?
Keep going.
Because I'd rather have a student try and fail than never get up on the stage at all!
That's Bigger Than Music
This is one of the reasons we emphasize performance so much at Lutherville Music School.
We're obviously teaching students how to play music.
But every time a nervous student walks onto a stage, makes a mistake, recovers, and discovers that everything is still okay, they're learning something they can carry with them for the rest of their life.
Someday, that stage might be a job interview.
A college presentation.
A difficult conversation.
A leadership opportunity.
There will always be a reason to think:
"What if I mess up?"
But hopefully, somewhere in the back of their mind, they'll remember the time they lost their place during a recital, recovered, finished the song...
...and everybody applauded anyway!!!!
You don't have to be perfect to do something worthwhile.
Sometimes you just have to be brave enough to start, and confident enough to keep going!
Rock & Ride – October 3
We're kicking off October by taking music outside the walls of LMS!
Lutherville Music School bands will be performing at the Baltimore Rock & Ride Big Wheel Race on October 3, helping support an incredible fundraiser benefiting cancer patients and their families.
We love opportunities for our students to use their music for something bigger than themselves, and we're excited to be part of this year's event!
Bands Forming NOW
Did you watch our Summer Band Showcase and think, "I want to do that!"?
Now's your chance!
We're currently forming bands for our next session.
Our band program gives students the opportunity to take everything they're learning in private lessons and experience what it's like to make music with other people: rehearsing together, learning to listen to one another, preparing songs, making friends, and ultimately taking the stage as a band.
And yes... sometimes somebody plays the wrong chord...
But the band keeps going!!
If you've been thinking about joining a band, now is the perfect time to talk with your teacher or contact the admin team so we can help find the right group for you!
Student Council Halloween Party – October 17
It's spooky season at LMS!
Our Student Council is hosting a Halloween Party on October 17, and we're looking forward to an evening of costumes, music, games, and fun with the LMS community!
It's from 6:00 - 9:00, there will be bands, food, games, a costume contest, candy, and MORE! Tickets are $8 and available for purchase at the door.
Next Open Mic – November 6
Our next Open Mic Night will be Friday, November 6 at 7:00 PM!
And after everything we just said about making mistakes, here's your opportunity to practice what we preach!
Open Mic is designed to be a welcoming, supportive place to try something new, work through those performance nerves, and build confidence onstage.
You don't have to be perfect, you just have to be willing to get up there and try!
WinterFest Registration Is OPEN!
Our annual WinterFest recitals return December 10–13!
WinterFest is one of our biggest celebrations of the year and gives students of every age and experience level the opportunity to share what they've been working on with family, friends, and the LMS community.
Performance times are first come, first served, so if your family needs a particular day or time, we strongly recommend registering as soon as possible.
Not sure what to perform? Talk with your teacher! There's plenty of time to choose something you're excited about and start preparing.
And remember:
It doesn't have to be perfect!
Thank you for allowing us to be part of your family's musical journey. It's a privilege to watch our students grow, not just as musicians, but as confident young people who are willing to try, make mistakes, recover, and keep moving forward.
Have a fantastic October!
-Drew
