Whether the pond is big or small, don't be the biggest fish!

It may seem better to be the big fish, but then you have no motivation to improve or excel; the small fish is going to learn much more! For my students (and me), the hardest lesson to learn is to constantly surround yourself with the best players. Letting go of ego and truly listening and experiencing what others are doing will elevate your playing in the process.

Stop and think about this: at one time, we ALL were in exactly the same place—there was a day when we all knew nothing about percussion! The only difference between me and my students is that day came a lot longer ago for me!! There will always be someone better than you, so take advantage of that and LEARN. Instead of feeling insignificant, feel empowered that YOU get to learn from another player's experience. It's like a free lesson!

The key is to find playing opportunities where you are not the big fish. This means risk and taking that step to put yourself into a potentially uncomfortable position, but I assure you, once you've done it a few times, you will seek out those chances to work with the best players. And they DON'T have to be percussionists. You will learn volumes by stepping outside of the comforts of our percussive arts and into the bigger world of music! Enjoy.