I’m just getting back from a one week tour in the Bahamas with Ensemble du Monde, conducted by Marlon Daniels. We presented concerts at the Atlantis Resort and at the College of the Bahamas, including an educational concert for the children in both public and private schools of Nassau.

Being away from the hustle, bustle, and grind of New York City gave me some fresh perspective on my art, my career, and all the amazing people and opportunities that have come into my life because of music.

It is easy for us to get caught up in the little details of the everyday, the mundane. Sometimes, it can feel like we can’t see the forest for the trees. But I want to urge you to take some time today to think about where you fit into a larger picture and to take stock of the assets you have in the form of friends, colleagues, circumstances, and mentors.

Granted, as performing artists we often do struggle to perfect our art form. We struggle to constantly reinvent ourselves, to breathe new life into each performance, and we constantly work to please our audiences. However, we do enjoy a lifestyle that is unique only to us.

We enjoy the company of colleagues who have similar experiences, and with whom we can learn so much. The nature of our work allows us to have unexpected adventures as well. In the past nine years, I have travelled to London, Rome, Venice, Viterbo, Frankfurt, Paris, Nassau, and other cities in Austria, Germany, and throughout the US. Music is what has taken me around the world and back. Music is what introduced me to the amazing people I call my friends and colleagues.

It can be very easy to focus on this needs in life; I need to do this, I need that, I should do this etc. But today maybe we should just think about the beauty our art form ha brought to our lives. Take a second to think of the wonderful and incredibly unique experiences you have had as a result of practicing your art.

If you are like me, you’ll find that your life is a bit more fulfilling than you had previously realized. But more importantly, you will be inspired to continue building this wonderful life for yourself or your organization. Your work is important, and valuable. In the performing arts, we all sit at a great table and are nourished together by the collective work that we do.

Stay tuned,

John-Morgan