Resilience isn’t just a general life skill. For me and nearly everyone reading this, it’s integral to surviving (and hopefully thriving) as a musician. Whether we’re navigating creative slumps, technical plateaus, or performance nerves, developing resilience helps us transform obstacles into opportunities for growth. Let’s explore how.
The Power of Resilience
Every musician faces challenges. Think about the first time you tried to memorize a 12/8 Afro-Cuban bell pattern, master a tricky scale without staring at your fretboard, hit a high note, or understand how in the world to use compression when recording in the studio. It might have felt impossible at first but, through persistence, you overcame it, right? That process of pushing through until you succeeded was resilience in action.
Okay, huge disclaimer: I still suck at properly using compression when recording drums (and at using EQ, for that matter). This entire post is a reminder to myself that I need to be resilient and push through until I fully understand all of the parameters. And until my ear is fully trained to hear the things that I can’t quite yet hear.
On a far more personal and less musical note (don’t expect this too often from me), this is all a self-reminder to be resilient through the challenges that persist after a traumatic health event.
I’ll have days that are worse than others. I’ll be an idiot and cause my own setbacks from time to time. But if I stay positive, forward-focused, and (mostly) not doing stupid things, I’ll keep improving and eventually be on the other side of it all.
Similarly, if we recognize our roadblocks or deficiencies, but make the conscious decision to barrel onward despite them, we may later find ourselves in complete mastery of that seemingly impossible technique or piece of music. Or we may find that we’ve overcome that obstacle and are now making better music than we ever have before.
Have Any Musical Examples?
I sure do. Here are a few cases of musical resilience that you may even already be familiar with…
Beethoven’s deafness: Despite losing his hearing, he composed some of his most profound works, including his Ninth Symphony.
Freddie Mercury’s final recordings: Despite battling terminal illness, Mercury continued to record music with Queen until his final days, leaving behind iconic tracks like The Show Must Go On.
Johnny Cash’s career revival: After struggling with addiction and a fading career, Cash reinvented himself (and, in some ways, returned to a past version of himself), recording the poignant American Recordings series and earning a new generation of fans.
What About Some Relatable Ones For Less-Famous Local Players Like Myself?
You bet. Here are some scenarios that would not only benefit from resilience, but could also happen to some of us this week…
Studio setbacks: Producers and recording engineers have accidentally erased tracks or dealt with software/computer crashes. The resilient ones rebuild/re-record entirely better versions (and learn to hit SAVE far more often throughout a project).
Live performance mishaps: Strings snap, drumsticks break, and microphones fail mid-show. Resilient musicians improvise, continuing the performance with creativity and professionalism. Massive amounts of “professionalism points” in my book if they keep their cool, maintain their composure, and play it off in a way so that the audience doesn’t even realize anything had happened.
Audition rejections: Facing “no” after auditions can be disheartening, but resilient musicians use feedback from the experience to focus their future practice time, refine their skills, and try again down the road. They acknowledge that auditioning itself is a skill that must be practiced and improved.
Gear theft: Losing essential equipment on tour (or right around home… come on, Portland humans, be better) is a nightmare. The most resilient players I know who have had this happen adapted quickly by borrowing gear, rethinking their setups, or finding creative solutions to keep gigging. The atrocity is unforgivable but the show much go on.
Actionable Steps to Build Resilience
• Reframe failure as feedback: Instead of viewing mistakes or challenges as permanent roadblocks, ask yourself: “What can I learn from this?” Make sure to maintain a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset.
• Intentionally put yourself under pressure: Simulate high-stakes scenarios, like writing and recording a new song over the weekend (à la the 72-hour film festival). Or, if your goal of performing on stage is terrifying, book a private house concert just for a few close friends, to start building that confidence in a safe, supportive environment.
• Set micro-goals: Break challenges into smaller, manageable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed. That could mean gradually increasing your metronome tempo by small increments (maybe just 2-5 bpm) while working on a tricky riff. Or nailing one perfect take of just one single section in the recording studio, before even considering moving on to the next section.
• Celebrate your small wins: Each step forward is progress, so take time to acknowledge it. Enjoy it. Visualize and look forward to more of them.
Resilience is a muscle and, like any other muscle, it grows only after being exercised. You strengthen it every time you choose to adapt rather than quit; every time that you work to stay positive rather than get down on yourself.
It doesn’t just magically exist. It’s cultivated through experience and intentional effort. Choose resilience over the less-desirable options, and reflect on (celebrate!) how you’ve already used it to overcome other past challenges. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it becomes to use those lessons to tackle that next obstacle coming around the corner.
Share a musical challenge that you’re proud to have overcome in a comment below.
Happy music making–
If you find this valuable and would like to support my work:
• Forward this to a friend and invite them to subscribe to my newsletter.
• Fuel my writing with an espresso (or six).
Leave a Reply