Welcome to
 The Joyful Musician Blog

Learn how to choose between PACT and HARD goals to support your growth as a musician — whether you need steady action or bold emotional commitment.

A few years ago, I had a student — let’s call him James — who was enormously talented but utterly paralysed by performance anxiety. He had a voice that could hush a crowded room and make grown men weep (a critic's words, not mine!). But the moment the stakes felt "real" — auditions, recordings, even posting a short clip online — he would retreat. He’d convince himself he wasn’t ready, or that no one wanted to hear him anyway.

When I first began moving away from teaching SMART goals, I wasn’t entirely sure what would fill the gap. I just knew this: My clients — highly capable, fiercely creative musicians — weren’t failing because they weren’t "measuring" things properly. They were falling apart because their goals sat almost entirely outside their Circle of Control. And for many of them, goal-setting had quietly become another form of self-punishment... A game rigged against them from the start.

Many years ago, when I first started coaching musicians and singers, I used to dutifully teach the classic SMART goal framework. You know the one: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It seemed logical — even reassuring — to offer such a neatly packaged method for chasing dreams. But over time, a curious (and rather heartbreaking) pattern emerged.

You’ve probably done this before: Lying in bed the night before a gig, closing your eyes, and imagining yourself on stage. You picture...

Feeling lost after music school? Your worth isn’t tied to grades or applause. You’re more than your music — it’s time to believe it.

For as long as I can remember, people have been saying that perfecting your technique is the secret to acing auditions. It’s like this...

Have you ever felt like your love for music was slipping through your fingers? You started out so excited, dreaming of the day you’d get...

Ever felt like you’re not good enough to call yourself a musician? Like you're one gig away from everyone realising you’re a fraud?...

Ever feel like you’re putting in all the effort but still not performing at your best in auditions? You’re practising your pieces,...