Comments on: I’m taking a risk… http://rachelvelarde.com/2009/04/26/im-taking-a-risk/ Lyric Mezzo-Soprano Wed, 19 May 2010 18:04:48 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: KrisBelucci http://rachelvelarde.com/2009/04/26/im-taking-a-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-18 KrisBelucci Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:47:45 +0000 http://rachelvelarde.com/?p=323#comment-18 Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting. Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.

]]> By: Sandra http://rachelvelarde.com/2009/04/26/im-taking-a-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Sandra Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:58:03 +0000 http://rachelvelarde.com/?p=323#comment-7 Rachel and Paul, Thank you for posting your thoughts and experiences. The daily challenge to juggle all the many balls: performing, teaching & family, while keeping a balanced and healthy pace of life is familiar to me as well. I feel I'm at a place in my performing career where expansion is happening, yet it seems I must keep that in check to a great extent in order to focus on being available to my kids. They're both teenagers now, and I feel I really need to be present for them. Being away for a week or two at a time was considerably easier when they were younger. So, until they go out on their own, I try to find ways to develop the performing career that allow me to stay fairly close to home...like the CD recordings, for example. It's so great that the NY opportunity has fallen into place for you; no doubt the right timing is right and you'll gain a lot from the experience. Sandra Rachel and Paul,
Thank you for posting your thoughts and experiences. The daily challenge to juggle all the many balls: performing, teaching & family, while keeping a balanced and healthy pace of life is familiar to me as well. I feel I’m at a place in my performing career where expansion is happening, yet it seems I must keep that in check to a great extent in order to focus on being available to my kids. They’re both teenagers now, and I feel I really need to be present for them. Being away for a week or two at a time was considerably easier when they were younger. So, until they go out on their own, I try to find ways to develop the performing career that allow me to stay fairly close to home…like the CD recordings, for example.
It’s so great that the NY opportunity has fallen into place for you; no doubt the right timing is right and you’ll gain a lot from the experience.
Sandra

]]> By: Paul Kenyon http://rachelvelarde.com/2009/04/26/im-taking-a-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Paul Kenyon Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:19:45 +0000 http://rachelvelarde.com/?p=323#comment-6 Rachel, Thanks so much for posting your story. I think you would be surprised to learn how many of us are on parallel journeys. Intertwining the threads of teaching, performing and family life are alternately challenging, frustrating and rewarding. I have often thought it would be a great thing to create an online community or mastermind group for professionals who are traveling this path in order to exchange resources, ideas or encouraging words. At my university I teach a career development course where I require students to interview professional practitioners of their chosen discipline and we are learning that these days performance careers do not look the same as they did a short while ago. We are all exploring diverse outlets and creating entrepreneurial ventures that work for us individually. The other thing I notice is that "received wisdom" is less valid than ever before. Persistence and creative energy seem to be the virtues rewarded most richly, so don't get too hung up on the "age thing." Due to the age limitations, pianists are forced to forgo the competition circuit long before we are really old enough to understand what we are trying to do. Anyway, your story is inspiring to me and I would love to follow your progress as you pursue these projects. Wishing you all the best! Paul Rachel, Thanks so much for posting your story. I think you would be surprised to learn how many of us are on parallel journeys. Intertwining the threads of teaching, performing and family life are alternately challenging, frustrating and rewarding. I have often thought it would be a great thing to create an online community or mastermind group for professionals who are traveling this path in order to exchange resources, ideas or encouraging words.

At my university I teach a career development course where I require students to interview professional practitioners of their chosen discipline and we are learning that these days performance careers do not look the same as they did a short while ago. We are all exploring diverse outlets and creating entrepreneurial ventures that work for us individually. The other thing I notice is that “received wisdom” is less valid than ever before. Persistence and creative energy seem to be the virtues rewarded most richly, so don’t get too hung up on the “age thing.” Due to the age limitations, pianists are forced to forgo the competition circuit long before we are really old enough to understand what we are trying to do.

Anyway, your story is inspiring to me and I would love to follow your progress as you pursue these projects. Wishing you all the best!

Paul

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