When my obsession is productive (to you too!)

I was never a metronome kid.

I had one, but I didn’t even know where it was most of the time. It was dusty and sad. I knew I should use it, but until this day I can’t remember what my excuse was for neglecting it. Do I regret it? Probably. Do I try to use it more as an adult? I really do.

As an adult I also learned the beauty of EXCEL. This sleepy spreadsheet software can be so powerful and helpful. I took my knowledge of excel, and tried to use it to track my metronome goals. Yes, everything is a goal these days. The goal here was originally to make it more likely for me to turn my metronome on in the first place. But, what this experiment lead to was a new way of organizing my musical life, and I wanted to share it with you.

I created a spreadsheet with four tabs:

1. Repertoire. This tab is where I track my repertoire for the year. Working on 45-60 minutes of music for a recital can be overwhelming. It helped me decide things like when I record certain pieces, and when I switch over to full run-throughs. I wanted to keep it all in one place and have a written out plan.

2. Scales. Oh Carl Flesch, you created a wonderful scale book for violin, and I hope you would have loved this spreadsheet too. This tab has 7 columns (one for each day), with indications on what style to play the scales and at which metronome speed. I track my scale exercises progress on this tab, and can also note what I focus on every week.

3. Technique. This is probably my favorite tab. It all started when my teacher saw how frustrated I was with spiccato. He suggested that I do an experiment: learn how spiccato works, but from the beginning; AKA speed 50. Every day I increased by 10 clicks on the metronome and tracked it with this sheet. Slowly I built it up to the right speed (in my case, it was for Mendelssohn Scherzo), and it helped me gain great control of my right hand. I finally felt like I knew what’s happening and how it should feel. This sheet can be edited to all sorts of techniques… anything you want to take apart and get nerdy with.

4. Auditions timeline. This tab is pretty simple – it’s just a way for me to track progress in preparation for upcoming auditions. You can be as detailed as you want and plan every hour, or make more of a week to week timeline.

You can get this worksheet (even as a printable version) for FREE if you go here. Super easy. It will land in your inbox immediately! Happy practicing!

Routine when there's no routine

I don't know about you, but I follow way too many "influencers" and wellness bloggers. It's amazing to see how many there actually are out there. They all look great, have the time to drink a beautiful smoothie in the morning, after a workout, after packing a healthy lunch, and without being late to work or stress about traffic. WOW. It is pretty inspiring.   

What do they all have in common and swear by?
Routines.

They all suggest that you have a routine. A morning routine. A night routine. A workout routine. A practice routine. A skincare routine. A meal plan routine.

And I just want to insert the confused emoji here and scream: What about the times you don't have the time for a routine?! Are you supposed to just fall apart and fail in life? 

I'm talking about people who try to do it all: teach, run to a gig, do some admin work, practice, and teach again. We don't really have a strict schedule and it's far from a 9-5 kind of day. Every day looks different and too packed to insert all these lovely routines.

While the routine plan sounds good, it's not always practical for musicians, so we don't even try. 

I'm here to brainstorm a few suggestions to find a mini routine, for routine-challenged people:

1. A routine can last a minute: It can be a "centering routine" like taking deep breaths to meditate or make a to do list for the day.

2. In order to save time, combine routines: find a productive routine that can also help your mental state of mind. For example, a skincare routine (taking off makeup, washing face...) can be a relaxing routine. You are "washing the day off" physically and mentally.  

3. Sometimes you just have to be consistent: Even if you don't have the time for a full-length routine, just do as much as your time allows. For example, you want to run every other day, but one day you don't have the time to meet your distance goal. Instead of not running at all (and sitting on the couch and watching Netflix for 20 minutes) go around the block, even if it's less than a mile. You will get some endorphins, move a little, and not break the routine. 

4. Prioritize routines: Which routine will make you feel at your best? It might be a work-out routine or a stretching routine, but for others a better sleep routine might be more necessary. Figure out what are the routines that are important for YOU, and do those before anything else 

5. Find a way to make routines cost effective: Thanks to social media, some routines look fancy and glamorous, but real routines are not about money. Some people choose to spend money and feel like they have to find the quickest way to achieve their goals by going to an expensive gym, eating out all the time, or splurging on a fancy powder that is supposed to fix everything in life. They put money where they lack motivation. But trust me, you can do simple cheap routines without spending anything. 

6. Plan ahead:  You can set your heart on an amazing routine but never find the time to execute it. Start with a short routine and force yourself to find time. Try scheduling it in your calendar, on your phone, or even with an alarm. Still can't find the time for it? Try waking up 5 minutes earlier for it. Can't get out of bed? Hide the alarm clock somewhere that forces you to stand up out of bed. 

7. It's not "all or nothing", but what's enough for you, today. You have to be forgiving to yourself and remember that musicians are not normal people. This is what excites us to follow this path as a career of course! Choose one or two easy routines and see if you can consistently maintain them. The next step is to add another new routine one at a time, or maybe even just expand on an old one. 

Finance Friday!!! AKA Finance tips for musicians

Finance tips for musicians

Meet Margaret Leddy! A recent MBA graduate with a concentration in Investments. Maggie also has a masters in violin, and is based in Boston! Here she shares her knowledge and passion for music, and shares awesome financial tips. This is PART I.

When it comes to money, it is best to be honest with yourself and think about how you want to spend the money that you make. Some people value nice cars, others traveling the world, while others just want to spend the bear minimum and watch their money grow. But what makes a good investment and what makes a bad one? Is a college education worth the expense? Is it worth splurging for your dream car? These are questions only you can answer. However, if you do hope to retire someday, you will need to take some action now.

1. Know your average income and average spending and create a flexible budget. If you haven’t done so already, consider setting up a budget. Take a look at how much you typically make in a given month, and how much you spend. You will have fixed costs and variable costs every month. Budgeting for fixed costs is pretty straight-forward. Those are the costs that never change month to month, such as rent, car insurance, utility bills, etc. Variable costs are those that tend to be less predictable.
   
   If you want to start tracking your money quickly and easily, just track your income and expenses day to day. You can either use an excel spreadsheet, google sheets, or a notebook. Sit down once a week (or every evening if you have the time!) and take a look at your transactions. Most credit card and checking accounts have separate transactions listed in real time.
   
   Sign up for an account on mint.com and link this to your bank accounts, credit cards, etc. Mint.com will sort your spending into categories based on the transactions that are listed in your accounts. For example, Eversource, an energy company, will automatically be categorized as a utility. With mint.com you can also set budgeting goals in order to stay on track.
   
   Be sure to account for taxes when you set up your budget. If you are a freelancer your taxes will probably not be withheld; in this case you may want to consider paying taxes quarterly so as to avoid paying a large sum in April. Always track any business related expenses, including transportation to gigs, strings, sheet music, etc. And consider consulting with a tax expert to determine other means of reducing your tax burden.
    
2. When it comes to paying your debts, prioritize those with the highest interest rates, such as credit card balances. If you have a credit card with an unpaid balance, try to avoid using it. You may need to adjust your budget; find an area to cut spending so as to free up funds for eliminating high interest debts.
    
3. Save for an emergency. Even if you are in debt, saving money can be possible with the right strategy. If the interest rate on your debt is higher than the interest rate on your savings, prioritize paying off the debt. If the opposite is true allocate a higher percentage of your income to your savings.
    
4. Invest for retirement. If your employer does not offer retirement benefits, you may want seek out the advice of a financial professional. If you would prefer to take a stab at it on your own, consider an investment company such as Vanguard, which maintains retirement funds that are available for direct purchase. If you have no experience with investing, take a look at Betterment, a company that utilizes robo-advisors to help you navigate investment markets. I personally like to use target date mutual funds, which are designed for investors who do not wish to actively manage their accounts. Of course, there are risks that should be considered when investing--I highly recommend consulting with a professional financial advisor before undertaking any investment plans.

Some useful financial apps:

1. Mint https://www.mint.com/
2. Personal capital https://www.personalcapital.com/
3. YNAB (You need a budget) https://www.youneedabudget.com/
4. Tiller https://www.tillerhq.com/