You know these two talented artists as the hit group - In Sterio or maybe you know them as two professional orchestral flautists. Either way their individual stories and their In Sterio story is fascinating and inspiring. This quote says it all, "In Sterio is a genre-shattering, pop-fusion flute duo that has been described as “two flutes-one brain”, “spell-binding” and “awe-inspiring” Erica Peel (pictured right) My name is Erica Peel and I’m a musician. I am the piccoloist with Omaha Symphony and a cofounding member of the internationally recognized fusion flute duo, In Sterio. I feel honored to have been asked to share my story in this blog, as the topics discussed are the very things I aspire to achieve. Looking back on my 30+ years of life, I can point to a number of moments that have lead to where I am today. At the time, however, I never would have guessed that those moments were molding both me as a person and the direction my career was taking. I grew up in a musical family. My father was a musician (French Horn) on Broadway and played in the Les Miserables pit for a number of years. He also played for Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Chuck Mangione, Vanessa Williams, Wynton Marsalis and many more. It might seem obvious that he was a main source of inspiration and motivation for me. And while that is most certainly true, it came in a less than obvious form. My dad was very clear about what it takes to “make it” as a musician. It would probably seem, to an outsider, that he was actually discouraging me from going into that field. The competition is fierce. The sheer number of flutists fighting for a job is staggering. There are countless situations that are out of your control, but that also directly affect whether certain opportunities are afforded to you. And if you are lucky enough to get a performing job, it likely would be a struggle to raise a family on that income. Phew... would *you* still want to do this? As an ornery child, I thought it better to face those challenges head on instead of allowing them to keep me from pursuing my dream. So began my career as a flutist... I attended a high school with a wonderful music program in New Jersey, and studied privately with a flute teacher from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. I earned a Bachelor of Music degree on a full tuition scholarship from the University of Miami in Florida. At a competition, I was approached by a renowned flute teacher in California who asked if I would like to take part in a new program she was designing. Simply put, it was a year of intensive study catered to reach my specific goals, whatever they may be. At that time, my ultimate goal was to win an orchestral position. Since the degrees you have obtained mean nothing during an orchestral audition, I thought this program was perfect for me. Turned out it was. I won the Assistant Principal Flute position with the Honolulu Symphony in Hawaii after that one year of study. I spent three years experiencing true “on the job” training, while soaking up the sun and beautiful Hawaiian lifestyle before I began to understand the dire state classical music and the symphony, specifically, are in these days. In hindsight, I think there was always something brewing within me... a part of me that wasn’t satisfied with my only performance outlet being on a stage where one must look, behave and play a certain way. When the realization came that not only was I not satisfied with orchestral performing alone, but that the face of classical music needed to change to last, my outlook on life and success changed. I met another wonderful flutist, and we became friends and sort of musical soul mates. We both craved an atmosphere where we could be virtuosic musicians while making creative yet accessible music. Essentially, we wanted to redefine “flute” music... we wanted to break through all the molds we were told to fit into and be our unique selves. Thus, In Sterio was born. From that point to where we are today has been a wild ride. We never imagined that we’d be playing *our* music for thousands of people. I can’t even say we had a “plan”. What we did have, however, were the cajones to get up and DO it. When asked what our key to success is (which is interesting, because we’re still on the road!), only one tried and true thing comes to mind. And thats the Nike slogan, Just. Do. It., but slightly more emphatic. We’ve met so many people along the way who had brilliant ideas... innovative, creative, even genius ideas. But they ended there. The people whose brain those ideas were in didn’t DO it. Perhaps taking the steps necessary to get it done were overwhelming. Perhaps they didn’t know where to start. Perhaps they didn’t want it badly enough. But... we did. So, we started. We researched our butts off. We learned how to write our own music, we learned how to make our own CD, we figured out how to make live shows work, we learned how to market ourselves, we did (and still do) educational programs in schools... the list goes on and on. We are still learning and doing and growing. But, I am incredibly fulfilled performing *flute* music that I love and the general public loves. I get a thrill out of changing people’s perception of my instrument. The most rewarding comment we hear is “I never knew the flute could sound like THAT!”. Or even better, “I didn’t even realize it was two flutes rocking my world!”. So, I guess the long and short of it is, JUST DO IT. Knowing that there might be someone out there working harder than you can be an amazing motivator. Someone else IS doing it. Why aren’t you??? Success, for me anyway, has come by paving my own road... by digging out the dirt, laying a foundation and working tirelessly to continue building that road. We’re also planting flowers along the side of it, because, you know... it can’t hurt to stop and smell the roses every once in awhile! Shivhan Dohse (pictured left) My name is Shivhan Dohse and I am a professional flutist. Although I began playing the flute when I was 10 years old, music has been an integral part of my life as long as I can remember. My earliest memory as a child was learning a song by ear with my dad while he played guitar, which not only sparked my interest in singing and love of the guitar but also a deep love of music. I was actually very shy growing up, but I found that music was the one outlet that I really connected with and felt comfortable expressing myself. I grew up on a farm in a very small, rural community of about 750 people. There were 23 people in my graduating class and I went to pre-school with all 22 of them. To give you a bit more perspective, the closest mall was about an hour drive away. Our small school had limited resources, so we did not have an orchestra, band trips or even a football team! It’s also important to note that I grew up in a time when it was not very common for households to have their own computer let alone the internet or a cell phone. Because of this, I didn’t have a lot of exposure to live music until I went to college. Masterclasses, competitions and solo recitals were things I had never even heard of. Hearing live music, however, was a very special occasion and I took it very seriously. Every time I heard a fabulous musician it went straight to my heart and made me feel deeply connected to the moment I was experiencing. The music, the phrasing & the emotion, in a sense, made me come alive. When I was a freshman in high school, we had an opportunity to go see a live band play at Luther College. Which I, of course, took! Although I was very shy, after the show I really wanted to talk to the band and tell them how much I enjoyed the concert. I was so excited about it and wanted them to know that I loved every minute of it. I asked them if they’d ever consider playing for my school since we rarely had concerts in town. They said if I helped coordinate the connection they’d love to do it. Little ‘ol me preceded to take their phone number and I presented the idea to the principal of our school. Because of that small interaction, they came to my school the following spring for a school assembly. You never know the possibilities of what can happen if you only have the courage to take a chance! It’s pretty amazing when I look back to see all of those instances when I was no longer shy were directly related to music. I always just really wanted to share so that other people could experience the same reactions I had to music. Whether it is performing or teaching, that desire to share is still as strong today. I do believe that there are advantages and disadvantages to every situation and that there is always something to learn from every situation. In a way, the advantage to my situation growing up in that I did not have a lot of exposure or competition was that I was only ever comparing myself to… myself. I didn’t know where I stood in relation to other dedicated flute players my age and their level of playing. All I kept focusing on was improving and simply trying to be better than the person I was yesterday. It definitely has more meaning long term to strive to be the best that you can be rather than just being better than someone else. In my opinion, you have to be doing it for yourself to achieve that higher purpose and greater sense of achievement. One of the interesting things about going to a small school is the fact that there weren’t very many kids in each class, meaning everyone was pretty much involved in everything there was otherwise there wouldn’t have been a team! Because of this, I was involved in almost everything our school had to offer, which included cross country, track, band, choir, speech/drama, spanish, art, as well as fulfilling the role of softball and basketball manager. Although I think it is important to figure out what your passion is and pursue that wholeheartedly, I also think it’s beneficial to be very well-rounded. The experiences and lifelong lessons I learned while, for example, standing up and giving a speech in front of 400 people, or pushing myself as a runner to benefit the team or learning about cultures in art history cannot be underestimated. All of these outlets taught me leadership, dedication, discipline, structure, communication, how to set and achieve goals, how to work individually in addition to working as a team, how to uphold standards… the list could go on and on! All of these tools and skills were used to benefit my career in music. Throughout college, I took advantage of every possible opportunity. As always, I wanted to experience anything and everything I could! I was really interested in traveling the world and hearing/learning about music in other countries. I had always loved music of all styles, but Irish music in particular had a special place in my heart. I decided I was going to study abroad in Ireland, studying Irish music as well as study classical music in Russia. I had unforgettable experiences both times studying abroad and cannot recommend it enough to students. I not only learned so much about music but also about their culture, about people, and most importantly, about myself. Having that time in another country is so invaluable in a multitude of ways. With a strong quest for knowledge, I went on to receive my Master’s degree in music after graduating with my undergraduate degree. From the first instance I met this particular teacher in California (Jill Felber) I knew I wanted to study with her. I was fortunate to have three top-notch teachers from the start. Sue Kuenzel, who built a strong foundation in my playing from day one and instilled a strong sense of musicality; Angeleita Floyd who built upon that foundation and opened my eyes to what was possible; and Jill, who inspired the artistry that makes me who I am today. Having supportive, knowledgeable, patient yet engaging and inspiring teachers was key in my progress as a musician. While in California, I began playing with an Irish band, Dannsair, who performed in two different Irish pubs every week. While in the band, we recorded the CD, ‘Rias Medias’ and traveled to Spain in 2008 and Ireland in 2009 to promote the CD. During this time was also when I met flutist Erica Peel, forming the genre-shattering pop-fusion flute duo, In Sterio. Although we both had had completely different backgrounds growing up, we both shared the same passion for all genres of music. With what began as a friendship, unknowingly grew into one of the most innovative music experiences I’ve shared to date. As a groundbreaking duo, crossing boundaries no duo had crossed before, together we have composed and performed concerts of all original music written for two flutes and electronic backtrack (comprised of live musicians such as drums, guitar, piano, and trumpet to name a few). With this duo, we have released two CDs, the latter being a CD/DVD combo which combines art and music to create an experience; performed concerts for 3,000-4,000 people; performed concerts and taught classes at numerous universities, festivals, conventions and schools across the United States; published our original compositions and had a blast doing it! Again, since we were the first duo of its kind, we did not have another duo to compare ourselves to. We just kept improving ourselves as a duo and pushing ourselves to new limits, to new goals. The climb to success was because we constantly pushed ourselves and each other to be the very best we could possibly be, at all times and in all ways, sometimes not knowing what was possible but striving anyway. There was never an end goal, and there still isn’t… In addition to performing with my flute duo, In Sterio, I also am Principal Flute of the Ottumwa Symphony, Adjunct Instructor of Flute at Clarke University, perform regularly with Orchestra Iowa, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony and Jim McDonough’s 14-piece orchestra, assist with Marketing & Sales for Miyazawa (USA) and maintain a full private studio. I have performed concerts in Ireland, Spain, Italy, England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia and Brazil. I guess the ‘being involved in everything’ from growing up idea kind of stuck. ;) But, I couldn’t be happier! I highly recommend it. Just remember, sometimes it’s less important where you came from, but more important where you want to go. Life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself. Please check In Sterio out on the web and social media at: www.insterio.com and facebook.com/insterio If you enjoy these tips for success, the best compliment you can give us is a like and / or share on social media or better yet, utilize our live services. Check us out on the web at www.buildingleadersforsuccess.com or on Facebook at Building Leaders for Success and email us at buildingleadersforsuccess@gmail.com
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Or maybe it should be, How were you thinking? Or why were you thinking that? I constantly have to remind myself that people do not all think the way I do. I am not saying that my mindset and way of thinking is better or worse than anyone else, it is unique to me. It is amazing and sometimes entertaining and sad to see how people's mindsets affect their decisions and lives. It is always in my best interest to try and look into their decision and understand why they may have made it. What factors let to this decision? What was going on in their lives to affect this decision? What were they trying to achieve? What was the perceived result?
The way we think is a deciding factor in our ability to achieve success. When I have worked in group situations, whether they are arts related or business related, I have found that if I am with like minded people, we achieve our desired results much quicker. This type of group thinking applies to many people that share similar mindsets. The way we think is determined by many factors but we will touch on a few big ones. The first big one that comes to mind is the way in which you were raised. As children we observe and learn from those around us. That home environment really helps to guide and shape our way of thinking especially in our formative years. However as a teacher for many years working with students from all types of family situations I have also learned that it is not always the students who came from nurturing, academically supportive and enriching environments, that only experienced success. I have had students from home environments that were not as they would have liked them to be, turn their mindset into one of success. They didn't let anything hold them back. They understood that mom, dad or whoever was in charge of them was working multiple jobs to put food on the table and take care of them but they had decided that they wanted to create a better life for themselves. This determination almost always proved successful. The situations pertinent to our immediate everyday life plays a considerable role in our decision making process. Maybe we woke up on the wrong side of the bed or received a negative phone call in the morning. Maybe we woke up feeling like a million bucks and everything seemed to be going our way. This type of positive/negative influence has an effect on our decision making process. Negativity can cause decisions that are hasty, not well thought out and selfish in nature. Positivity can promote thoughtful decisions that have depth, a plan for execution, and can benefit many. Our mindset also dictates whether we are going to let limitations prevent us from reaching our desired goals. Even in the face of stress and negativity, keeping our mind focused on the goal and trying to stay positive is always a better factor for achieving success. When you are planning your goals and working to reach your goals, consider the question, What are you thinking? If you enjoyed this blog please share it with your friends and colleagues through social media. The best compliment you can give us is a referral or better yet, utilize our live services. Visit us on the web at www.buildingleadersforsuccess.com or on Facebook at Building Leaders for Success. |
AuthorFrank Taylor is founder and CEO of Building Leaders for Success, Inc. A musician of 25 years, educator of 15 years and a motivational speaker of 16 years, Mr. Taylor brings a wealth of knowledge that will promote success and fundamentals of leadership. Archives
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