profile

Hi, I’m a creator

Let's make a pact

Published 3 months ago • 2 min read

​

​

​

​

Hello Reader,

​

​

If you're on Spring Break, I hope you are taking the opportunity to rest, rethink, regroup and recharge. And it's always nice to get a laugh (thanks to the witty 360 team)!

​

So I had a chance to guest teach 2 students over the weekend... and we began with the usual, tell-me-about-you conversation to get a little context for the lesson. And both plunged right into sharing about being totally stressed out.

One had a crisis of is all this work going to pay off, with variations of What's this all for? Will I ever make it?

And the other was in a deep rut, dreading practice. I never want to open my case. I feel like I need to do 5 hours, and I can't even do 1. I'll never improve.

Yikes! But also, totally natural.

​

As you all know if you're reading these weeklies, I believe
​the magic is in the threads ​
that hold our practice and career building together.

And I love teasing apart the thoughts and beliefs we sew our lives together with! So we did just that...

​

It all came down to these things

  • changing the thoughts that echo around in your head
  • finding the next right action
  • making a pact with yourself, instead of a big lofty goal

​

For the career-crisis student who isn't through undergrad but is already starting to get gigs, defining helpful vs. unhelpful, true vs. imaginary thoughts breaks through the paralzying inaction. His pact: a) deliberately seek a supportive environment and b) reach out to local music directors.

For the 2nd year I'm-hating-practice student, setting practice chunks alongside detaching from the outcome helps release the pressure of each practice session needing to be "epic". Her pact: using practice tools and games in 25-minute increments. Each 25-mintues, she'll do 3 small sections of playing.

​

What pact will you make in your life, career, or practice?

​

Mindset March is still going strong, but I hope the work you do this month will carry you through going forward!

Next month, we're shifting to another central foundational topic, Portfolio. Yep, April is Portfolio month and as we build out the content now, please send questions and requests my way!

​

Have a great week,

Ixi

​

p.s. We have a wealth of free resources, paid courses and teachers guiding musicians toward a fulfilling career and balanced life in music. What do you need? Hit reply and we'll direct you to the right place!

​

​

​

​

​

E X P L O R E M O R E

​

​

​

​

​
​

​

​

​

Liked this email? Forward it along!

Forwarded this email? Join our list. :)

ABOUT US

Music 360 is a career hub for musicians. All of our resources, programs, and work with you are centered on our belief that in order to grow sustainably and intentionally, you must address the many layers of who you are: an artist, human, entrepreneur, creative and so much more.

OUR EMAIL RELATIONSHIP

Hey- you're awesome. Directed by Ixi Chen, Ted Nelson & Nick Photinos, we are professional musicians, administrators, coaches, and entrepreneurs who love creating training for you that will amplify your growth. Of course, you can unsubscribe, but be careful, that we can't deliver your emails anymore, including things you asked or paid for. Our services are tied to your email addres. Want fewer emails or to hear about specific topics? Instead of opting out, give us your preferences​

Really never want to hear from us again? Opt Out. You can always reach us at hello@music-threesixty.com

6311 Kenwood Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45243

​

Hi, I’m a creator

Read more from Hi, I’m a creator

Hey Reader! Have you ever wondered why some musicians seem to get more opportunities, land the interview, get called for the gig, more students, or bookings to present masterclasses or clinics? The difference often isn't in their musical abilities—it's in how they present themselves professionally through their materials! If I had a dollar for each time a student has put down their instrument in a lesson and said… “Actually… I have a question… How do I build a website? Or maybe it’s… “Do I...

2 months ago • 3 min read

"Uncertainty is the only certainty there is (and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security).” This quote is from John Allen Paulos, Temple University professor of mathematics and author of A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper, I Think Therefore I Laugh, and Innumeracy, and is apt for the times we are living. But it also resonates with musicians because making music means working with a living art form. Ours is an art of the moment, and we've got to realize that things change...

5 months ago • 3 min read

A whole year of goals can be daunting to tackle. If you answered "unexpected turbulence" in today's IG poll... ...take a breath. 2025 for many of us, and maybe you too, hasn't started out exactly stellar. As we move through the world, doing our work, caring for others, and tending to ourselves, I find I keep asking myself: what's the balance between those things? While I resolved to focus on small ways to support health, taking s-p-a-c-e and allowing little everyday joys, I'm finding that my...

5 months ago • 2 min read