The Confident Musicianing Podcast
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I’m Eleanor, and together we dive into concrete strategies for the before, during, and after of your audition process so that you can be better prepared and crush that performance! If you’re a music student ready to revolutionize your auditioning, let’s jump in. Tune in every Tuesday for another insight-filled episode; see you there!
The Confident Musicianing Podcast
Reflecting Over the Year: Uncertainty, Enjoying the Small Things, and Moving to the UK!
In this episode we reflect on what this past year taught us. I share with you the biggest lessons that I learned this past year as I moved countries, started music school, and juggled a whole bunch of new challenges and adventures.
This episode is also available as a blog post! Click here to read.
Listen to my convo with Maestro Jacob Joyce here!
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*I never recommend anything that I don't love. This is an affiliate code which means that I receive a commission -- with no extra cost to you! 😊
I don't think I know anyone ever who has moved, and it hasn't been a little stressful at some point. Hello and welcome to the Confident Musicianing Podcast. My name is Eleanor and I am a British-American oboist studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Literally my dream school and it took me a long way to get there. I applied and auditioned for 12 schools in three different countries. It was a lot of hard work but, oh my gosh, so worth it. I want you to have the confidence to work hard in achieving your goals, so come with me as we go on this journey together. So sit down, pull up a chair, take a seat or, if you're on the go, welcome to the Confident Musicianing Podcast. Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of the Confident Musicianing Podcast. Thank you so much for being here. I count myself so lucky that you are here and that we are spending this time together and we can just have a little chat. To be honest, it is quite interesting when you start the year in one place and end it in another, literally Like this time. Last year, the podcast episodes were recorded in the United States and that's where I lived, and now we're in the UK and we're still doing the podcast, we're still recording episodes, we're still having this amazing community on the podcast, but the podcast moved. But the podcast didn't just move. I moved, moved, but the podcast didn't just move, I moved. And the reason why I moved was because I am now studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. That was like the big thing that happened this year for me. I started studying oboe at music school and I think it's so cool. I think it is so cool and I think you know every year, I feel is going to be different and every year is focusing on different aspects of your life. You might have a year that's focused more on your career versus a year that's focused more on relationships, all of these different things. There are so many things that you can focus on and we go through phases and I think part of this year, like the big phase, was education and music school and the fact that I moved countries to start my music school journey. It's so exciting. So today we are having a chill chat about the past year. Basically, I think this episode is going to be about this past year and then the next episode, next week, is going to be about this upcoming year and kind of goals and thoughts about that and we can kind of have a little bit of a chat about that. But today we are going to be focusing on this year reflections, things like that.
Speaker 1:We're here, um, on my couch, on my couch and there is just it's a lovely environment. We had some sunlight earlier today, which doesn't happen in the uk and so I literally I was walking somewhere and I was kind of rushing not really rushing, but walking fast and it was quite windy and just a bit hectic, and all of a sudden the sun came out of the clouds and I just stood there and soaked it up, like I literally stopped on the sidewalk and just took a look and just felt the sun and it was so good. That doesn't happen much. So I am in a good, good podcast mood today. We are here, it's very cozy and we're just going to dive in. So I have three things that have kind of been lessons from this past year that I want to share with you, and I want to invite you to also have these reflections as well, if something piques your interest as I talk and we just have this chat, if something kind of I don't know like makes you think of oh, I forgot about that, or oh, maybe that's something to think about, just in your own reflecting of this past year. I hope that it can be helpful in that way as well. So let's dive in.
Speaker 1:The first thing I want to talk about is uncertainty is necessary for amazing things. Oh my gosh, if there was a theme for this year, it would be uncertainty. I cannot tell you how many things were uncertain. So, as I said, in this past year, I moved from the US to the UK to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and yeah, no, so many things were uncertain. Yeah, no, so many things were uncertain. For instance, I have a flat, I needed to rent a flat and, oh my gosh, the housing market is tricky. It's so tricky. And I remember I had kind of an offer or like a potential thing that would work on one flat, but, to be honest, it was a little farther away from the school and I wasn't sure about it. And there were other flats I was thinking about and I was kind of talking about and it was quite unsure, and I remember just sitting there thinking, okay, if I just go with this one flat, it'll be quick, it'll be done, the stress will be over, I'll have somewhere at least. And I remember someone saying to me hold your nerve, hold your nerve. You can just wait a little longer to find that flat that will be the best fit for you. And I am so glad I did, because I love my little flat, my little flat where we record the episodes. I absolutely love it and I know that it is such a better fit than the one that I was thinking about getting, just so that I wouldn't be as stressed. So, yeah, also, auditioning for different music scholarships In the earlier part of this past year I did a lot of auditions for different funding opportunities for my education and that was a lot of uncertainty.
Speaker 1:I mean auditioning in general. There's a lot of uncertainty that goes around with that, and that was something that I really kind of struggled with. The uncertainty bit of it, and I think that as well, it's just so important to remember like the uncertain bit is so, so necessary for the fantastic, amazing things to happen after the uncertainty. Yes, so I think throughout my whole year uncertainty has happened, but when I sit with it and when I kind of keep it company almost and make friends with it and just get to know it, that's when the magic really happens In all different aspects, in auditioning, in finding a flat, in just all the different things big, small, just everything. It's so, so, so helpful. Like every time there was uncertainty, I feel like there was something that came out of that.
Speaker 1:So I challenge you, I invite you to, just in general, when you have things that are uncertain, sit with them and let them grow, be like why are we uncertain? What? Like just let it chill, let it be and be like okay, we're uncertain, that's normal, that's okay. I don't think I know anyone ever who has moved and it hasn't been a little stressful at some point. So, yeah, it's important to kind of think about that. So I invite you to think about uncertainty and if you are about to do something big whether it is moving across the world to start a university course or if it's something else I invite you to kind of sit in that uncertainty, because that is part of it and I think if everything was certain, then it wouldn't be as magical, it wouldn't be as exciting, I don't think. So that's something that is really important in my year, that just kind of sitting back writing this episode, I thought that's something that I want to put in, because uncertainty was a big part of it. All right, the second thing oh my gosh, I am reading this right now. I'm like I have my script in front of me and like my talking points and I read it and I'm like, yes, this is something I'm still struggling with, literally. This morning I woke it and I'm like, yes, this is something I'm still struggling with, literally. This morning I woke up and I like made my porridge, because I have porridge in the morning and this is something I was struggling with. So that is enjoying the now rather than being stressed about the future. So good, so much that I'm back here.
Speaker 1:So for the most of the year, I was working towards moving. Moving was like the big exciting thing, all of the aspects of it I worked on it, from finding a flat, from finding like funding, so like scholarships and you know just things like that, so many things. To like legal stuff oh my gosh, things like you know opening a British bank account and like getting, you know just just all of the things that you need to get and to do and just the, just the little, the little human things that you have to do. There's so much stuff and every day I would wake up early and I would work, and I would work, and I would work, and then the evening happened and I would hang out with friends, I would hang out with family. It would be good for that. But I know that there would come a point where I move and I wouldn't be with the people that I know in the states and that I would miss them. Um, and I do miss them, I miss them so much.
Speaker 1:But I at that point I stressed about that, like literally, if we were having a good time, there was a little voice in the back of my head being like in four months you will be across the world or in, you know, one month, or maybe in a week or tomorrow, you know, whatever it is. And that little voice just ruined the joy, you know. And so I just I kind of decided something. I was like I'm not gonna count the days. I really, really focused on hushing that voice a bit more because I wanted to have that joy and that voice was ruining that joy that I had. I knew I had this thing right where. I was like I know that if I stress and stress and stress, and then I get there and I move and then I miss these people. I'm going to regret that stress. I'm going to be like gosh. I wish I could have just been full of joy and in the moment when I had it, so I thought, well, I have it right now, so let's just do that. When I had it, so I thought, well, I have it right now, so let's just do that. And I'm so glad I did that, because I do miss them a lot. I miss them so much. But, um, I'm grateful that when I was there, I was in the moment and I really focused on not stressing about in six weeks you will not be here anymore. You know what I mean. So that's something that is really important. So I think this is something to kind of think about Enjoying the now.
Speaker 1:What is happening right now, literally, as you're listening to this episode? What is happening right now, like, literally, as you're listening to this episode, what is happening right now? Where are you? Are you outside? Are you inside? Is it sunny, is it day, is it night? Are you cooking something? What can you smell? All of these things, right, be part of the now. And, yes, that's something that I struggle with, like, literally, this morning I was struggling with it. I was eating my porridge and I was stressing because I have a few things that I was a bit nervous about doing today and I was like I'm excited for Tuesday because it's very random. I'm excited for Tuesday because there's some exciting things I'm doing on Tuesday. Um, also, for me it's New Year's Eve on Tuesday as I'm recording this, but I kept making myself go, well, it's not Tuesday yet.
Speaker 1:We're going to focus on today, and that's something that I think is really important as well. So I invite you to think what areas of your life can you be more in the moment about? Where were you in the moment? Or when were you in the moment in this past year, versus, maybe, when were you stressing about the year? How could you kind of convert those stress thoughts into staying in the moment? That is really, really, really important. So I invite you to kind of think about that, ponder about that, just let that simmer in your mind.
Speaker 1:And the last thing oh my gosh, romanticizing every day. Romanticizing every day, I think, especially when we're undertaking big things, when things are being, you know, when things have a lot of stress involved, romanticizing the every day is so, so, so helpful. So, for instance, like when I was telling you earlier in the episode about me, you know, walking somewhere and then the sunlight came out and I just felt so good in that moment. I also, on my way back from that walk, I ran into a woman who I loved her shoes and she had a very nice beret on. She was like a really nice style, and I just walked up to her and I was like I love your shoes, I love your beret, and we ended up having a really really, really lovely conversation. Like it was so cool, like she knows some people, some of the professors at the conservatoire that I go to. I had no idea about this. That was so cool. I just randomly ran into her and it ended up being such an amazing conversation that I just walked away from that feeling so full of just joy, so romanticizing the little things of the everyday, even if you are doing something that maybe you don't enjoy as much.
Speaker 1:I've done summer jobs and also non-summer jobs where I've done cleaning. So I cleaned a school. This is something I did this past summer and also the summer before summer and also the summer before. Um, I had a summer job where I cleaned a school and it was. It was like it was fine, it was great, and and I have so much respect for people who clean things, um, who clean things for a job, um, because I, I have experience in that and I know it's it's it's difficult, but it's it's. It should be respected more. I think, um, but that you know, if I think what's my, what's my dream, like part-time job, I don't think that is it, but that's the job that I had at that point, um, and I was like you, you know what. Okay, that's what I have and I am going to romanticize it, I'm going to have fun with it.
Speaker 1:I ended up listening because I could listen to things as I clean. I ended up listening to so many fun podcasts. I actually listened to some of the podcast episodes from this podcast, especially the one with Meister Jacob Joyce, which is really good, and I'll link it in the description or in the show notes. But I ended up listening to podcasts. I listened to French podcasts. I don't speak much French at all, but I wanted to kind of learn, so I did that and that was like such a way of romanticizing work days.
Speaker 1:So that's something that I did this summer that I think was really cool and I think you know it's romanticizing the tiny things, like. I challenge you to think about where can I romanticize the small things in my life, whether it's a cup of coffee in the morning or porridge or just all of these things. I think it's so helpful to do that, especially if you're stressed about something, to be like, yes, I'm stressed about something, but look, it's sunny. Or look, I get to listen to a podcast today while I do this, that and the other. Or I'm hanging out with a friend, or, oh my gosh, I ran into someone and it was a lovely conversation. So all of these things I really tried to romanticize every day, and some days were harder than other days, some days were harder than other days, but I think it can be so helpful. So I challenge you to kind of think about where can you romanticize your day? Where can you do that? Yeah, so you know what?
Speaker 1:I didn't talk much about music in this and I think that that is okay because I think it applies to music as well. I mean, I mentioned auditions and things like that and kind of romanticizing things when you're stressed about stuff, and that can be auditions, but the thing is this it does really apply to music. After all, my move from the US to the UK was because of Oboe, and I think this is a really great time to kind of talk about something that I'm very excited about. So if you want to fast track your practice growth in music, a really good way to do that is to plan your practice, and I don't know if you planned your practice at any point in this past year, or maybe you're thinking about it for 2025. I think it's so helpful and I actually recently did it, like I started doing it a few months ago.
Speaker 1:I did it a little bit a few years ago, but a few months ago I got back into it because I got a notebook from Notable, which is a lovely, lovely, lovely notebook company. And I got a notebook from Notable and I was able to really track my practice, and it was so helpful for my first term at university, because things are busy, things are hectic, right, and so I was able to take those hectic things but also be able to add my practice into them, and that was really, really, really helpful with this notebook. So I thought you know what we need to. Well, I need to kind of tell you about this because it's been so helpful for me and I don't get keep. I don't get keep this because it's been so helpful for me and I don't get keep, I don't get keep.
Speaker 1:So notable is, yeah, they sell, they sell practice journals and it's just the best practice journals. Mine. I have a spiral bound journal. I write down all of my goals and then I write down or goals for the day, and then I write down my practice sessions and kind of what, what I do in the sessions, and then there's a reflection section and then at the end of the week there's a reflection section for the week. So you can kind of grow between weeks, like that's literally my my thing. I love that.
Speaker 1:So of course I've got you a code, of course I've got you a code. Of course I've got you a code. So the code is Eleanor15, that is E-L-E-A-N-O-R 15 for 15% off your order. From Notable I will link in the show notes, in the description down below, the link to get your journals and just pop in that code and you'll get 15% off your journal. And yeah, we'll just all grow together in our practicing and our planning. And yeah, it was so good for me I had to. I just knew I was like I have to tell you about this. So that is what that is. So please do click the link and pop in the promo code. I never recommend anything that I don't love. This is an affiliate code, which means that I receive a commission with no extra cost to you.
Speaker 1:Let's do a recap. Step one, or not? Step one. Number one Uncertainty is necessary for amazing things. If you have uncertainty and you sit with it and let it kind of grow and be okay with it, then good things can come out of that. The second thing is Trying to find what is good about the now and knowing that the future will come and you don't need to stress about it. And the third thing is romanticizing every single day and, yes, some days will be easier and other days it'll be so much harder to do that, but I just challenge you to do that because it can be so helpful to just kind of changing the feeling of a day. All right, that is about it for this episode. Thank you so much for hanging out with me.
Speaker 1:We have made it to the end of 2024. This episode, actually, if I think about it, it's coming out on New Year's Eve. So yeah, we've made it. Yay, I cannot wait to hang out with you more in 2025. We will like I cannot wait, I'm planning episodes. They're so exciting. The first one will be all about goals and kind of looking forward to 2025. So that is what we're going to be doing and, in the meantime, I wish you a happy, happy, happy, happy new year. To be honest, I don't know what I'm doing for my new year. It's my first new year that in a while that I've been in the UK, so I don't know what to do. I'm still thinking about what I'm gonna do, but I wish you a happy new year and I will see you in 2025. Yay, so exciting. Alright, take care, bye, bye.
