Wisdom from a Bad-Ass Horse

Daniel Pink, author of Johnny Bunko, wrote a recent bestseller called, "Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us." Dan's premise that "autonomy, mastery, and purpose" are much more effective than carrots and sticks is illustrated beautifully in this short video about a bad-ass horse teaching his humans about motivation.

On being a self-employed, entrepreneurial artist...

“It’s a great privilege to report to work every morning in the lobby of my own brain, and punch the elevator button that reads

Invisible Universe of Ideas.”

– Dessa Darling

(reposted from Songtaneous)

The Music Industry's "new" Business Model

Friday's London Financial Times had a fascinating article describing a 'new business model' for the music industry. McNally Smith's own David Lewis (Career Advisor Extraordinaire) had this to say about the article:

"Not a ton new here but tidy look at the biz today. I would argue beyond the article that success need not be measured in $millions, but that we teeter on the edge of a more sustainable, regional and modest notion of "making it. Not a sexy idea, but an achievable one."

Check it out and let us know what you think.

Welcome to Creating a Life in Music!

Creating a Life in Music (CaLM, for short) is the name of course at McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, Minnesota designed for seniors on the cusp of graduation. But creating a life in music is also what we musicians do every day of our lives.

Life as a 21st century musician requires a high level balance of artistry and business skills and developing an entrepreneurial, DIY attitude about your career is a huge step toward making it happen. This blog will feature resources and ideas to stimulate resourceful and proactive perspectives on the fast moving, rich opportunities and challenges we encounter in building and sustaining a satisfying musical life.

We'll kick things off with a 'back to school' special from my friend David Cutler, author of The Savvy Musician, one of the texts we use in Creating a Life in Music. In this post, David suggests ten terrific new school year resolutions for moving your career forward. Also check out The Savvy Musician blog regularly--and be sure to bookmark this one!