Erin: "I think for me I wouldn't consider it success if it didn’t come from a place of inspiration. You’re not always going to feel inspired because that’s not realistic, but it’s the retention of that feeling, and the knowledge that it is there, along with the work in constantly re-connecting yourself with the base inspiration and what made you want to do this in the first place. That would be success for me. If I had pushed through, but lost connection with that inspiration, I wouldn’t be successful because I wouldn’t be happy. So I would say that the two are definitely connected, but you’re going to have to re-learn how to re-connect yourself with that feeling.

Rachel: "I also agree. It’s a complicated topic. Sometimes we’re internally motivated, sometimes we’re externally motivated. But, I found it really difficult to be inspired and to play while you’re balancing real life responsibilities. I sometimes don’t know how I’m going to be out of bed every day and make reeds and all of that. But, sometimes you have to find inspiration within yourself when there’s nothing external, and sometimes it’s just as much as, ‘I’m going to get out of bed and play the oboe today because it’s what I’m best at. I just need to do it well, I don’t have to do it perfectly, I just have to do the best I can today and that’s all I can do.’ I wouldn’t necessarily call that inspiration, per say, but that is what the driving force is sometimes. On good days, sure I might be inspired by lots of different things. But it’s definitely very fluid, it’s on a spectrum, because you can’t say, ‘I’m super inspired all the time by life and love and happiness’ haha. But, as far as being successful, what does that even mean. Who defines success, other than yourself."

...I told my student, ‘you are not entitled to resources just because you are talented.’ Many of the musicians that I know could afford to unearth their musical abilities, and had the resources to discover their musical talent. Now, a kid living the barrios probably has just as much talent and potential, but doesn’t have those resources to get that kind of education. And for a lof of those people who had those resources, it generates feelings of entitlement. No no. You are obliged to be a goodwill ambassador for your community because you were lucky enough to unearth a skill and really cultivate it. It’s a skill that makes people happy, it entertains them, it educates them, it does all this stuff, so you need to use it to do good, okay? It’s fine if you want to be in the LA Phil. I totally support that, I’m not saying don’t go after that dream. But it’s not the only thing. Use music towards an end that it will make people who aren’t a musician, respect musicians. That’s what is important to me."

"Music school really does beat the joy of music out of you, unfortunately. But, you should just listen to the music you love, and what made you want to pursue music in the first place. it does not even have to be classical music. It can be rock, pop, folk, or whatever that means a lot to you, just sit there and listen to it. Don’t try and analyze it, don’t think about it. Music should just be enjoyed."

"It can be really easy to tie in your own self worth to the outcome of those auditions or competitions or whatever, and it’s really easy to reflect on that thinking that ‘i’m a failure’ because a particular outcome did not happen. But people need to understand that it’s all kind of a crap shoot anyway, to a certain point. Because if you take five people and place them in the finals for a job, all people who are all good enough, they’re only going to give the job to one person. There is nothing that those other four people could have done to be better, it just is what it is."

"...I mean, I don’t want to do music for my own benefit. I want to be helping people. I used to think that being a performance major was selfish, but I realized at some point that it doesn’t have to be. In my mind, there are two worthwhile things you can do as a person. You can either do something that will help people to be able to live, or you can do something to provide people with a reason to want to live and be happy they are alive. I think music definitely falls into the latter category. Music is not going to cure Ebola or anything, but it’s art, it’s what makes us human versus just being animals without cognitive thought.”