Listen to your teacher...

....and your conductor as well.

http://www.throwcase.com/2014/10/27/student-has-amazing-breakthrough-by-doing-what-teacher-says/

Dana Fonteneau on Criticism (of self and others...)

My daily reading took me to the blog "The Whole Hearted Musician," by Dana Fonteneau.  I think I'll be spending more time there.  The most recent post was particularly prescient:

http://wholeheartedmusician.com/2015/04/22/is-criticism-killing-our-profession/

Among other things, there is a wonderful quote from Janos Starker:

"What is the role of music in society?… Music is one of the essentials in human existence, almost identical with eating, sleeping, making love, the basic functions that keep a human being alive. Music simply, is one of the blessings and joys of civilized human existence.”