The Mason Music community is full of incredible people. Mason Music teachers have been featured in movie soundtracks, been a part of touring bands, and have played and written great songs. Not to mention, our students are some of the coolest and most creative people in Birmingham! Most importantly though, the musicians of our community are just really great people. It’s a unique opportunity to be surrounded by so many talented individuals and the best part about community is learning from so many people. We asked our students, teachers, and community what some of their best advice is – on and off the stage. Check out what they had to say!
• Remember: take your time and breathe. We are not in a hurry here and we are not running a race. The more time that you give yourself, the faster the process will be. – Kevin, Mason Music Teacher
• Learn to tune your guitar without a tuner – Mike Finocchiaro
• My favorite performance is “Don’t Let Me Down” when John Lennon messes up the words because it always makes me smile. So, if you mess up, keep going, it may become someone’s new favorite. – Julianne, Mason Music Teacher
• We aren’t striving for perfection, we are striving for learning and growing! – Jess, Mason Music Teacher
• Never stop learning and watch how far you can go! – David, Mason Music Teacher
• The worst thing that can happen to you while performing is getting eaten by bears. Or quitting. – Brianna, Mason Music Student
• Keep your passion in the actual music and everything else will fall in line. – Amy Murphy
• I tell my students to “get back on the bike” a lot. As a drum teacher I focus a lot on timing and keeping a groove, which is sort of like riding a bike. And when you’re first starting out, you’re going to fall off a lot. You’re going to suck, and that’s OK. Just get back on the bike! Once you can ride the bike and not fall off, it’s the best feeling in the world. – Hunter, Mason Music Teacher
• Always leave early for bus call. Do not, I repeat, do not wait on GPS to give you the time to depart because traffic happens. If the GPS is saying that you should leave by noon, you should probably leave at 7:00 am. #protip – Kevin, Mason Music Teacher
• Tone, feel, and stage presence matter. – Jackson, Mason Music Student
• Practice disciplined problem solving and be patient with yourself! – Annesley, Mason Music Teacher
• Never let fear get to you. It may be scary to try something new, but it’s so worth it! – Marielle, Mason Music Student
• Don’t worry: what you can’t play today, you will be better at tomorrow. This is a lifestyle and it will happen, given that the process is given time. – Kevin, Mason Music
