Beginning as a musical amateur at the age of nine, and still continuing onward as I head off to college as a music education major, the entirety of my experience as a musician has taught me many valuable lessons. Although the majority of these fall within the realms of musical technique and whatnot, many others can be applied to all aspects of life in general. Overall, I'm very grateful for all of the things that music has taught me, and I hope that sharing them brings the concept of the art into a new light. Here are 8 of the greatest life lessons that have been brought to me by the goodness that is music.

1. Do not expect instant gratification.

I was in fifth grade learning how to play the clarinet, and there was a part in one of the concert songs that I found quite difficult at the time. Whenever I was asked to play it during a group lesson, streams of horribleness were expelled from my clarinet. That is, until I got sick of embarrassing myself and decided to take my clarinet home and practice. During the next lesson, I finally played it correctly and received a compliment from my teacher. This was a truly defining moment, for it was then that I realized that in order to achieve anything worthwhile, I must first put forth my best effort. This lesson has not only followed me in my musical endeavors, but has penetrated all areas of my life as well. Things worth having are worth working for, and despite a natural desire to excel with ease, we must not expect to receive any form of reward in an instantaneous fashion.

2. Mistakes are okay.

Not only are they okay, but they truly help you to grow. Perfection in any sense is almost never achieved without facing bumps in the road prior to the end result. After all, if mistakes never happened, we as humans would not be able to tell the difference between good and bad. Ultimately, you learn accept those sour notes in practice as your failures in order to recognize a beautiful performance as success. In other words, mistakes aid in our ability to draw a road map for improvement, and are therefore very vital to the process of personal development in any regard.

3. Wholeheartedly pursue your passion.

Although there are endless ways in which one may discover their inner passion, music was what allowed me to find mine. During my freshman year of high school, I was still not sure what it was that I wanted to dedicate myself to. In turn, I did musical activities, played sports, and joined many clubs all at once. Although none of my experiences were particularly negative, it was made clear to me by the end of that year that music was what would take me the farthest in school and in life. After this realization, I made the decision to drop all other extracurricular activities and put the entirety of my efforts into music. Since then, my passion for music has grown and flourished, making itself into being want to do for the rest of my life. There's nothing wrong with being unsure of your goals for some time, but when you know what it is that you want to do, don't hold back and don't let anything stand in your way.

4. Have people to look up to.

I can, without a single doubt, say that I would not be the musician I am today if it weren't for the multitude of amazing music teachers that I was fortunate to have encountered over the years. It is only with their guidance that I was able to soar towards my highest potential, causing me to realize that it is always important to have reliable figures in your life. In short, you really shouldn't expect yourself to travel the world alone. It is more than okay to make mentors out of people that you can trust, whatever you may need them for.

5. Keep an open mind.

Interpretation is one of the largest components of music's beauty, for no two ears or minds are exactly alike. This has taught me the importance of keeping an open mind when it comes to the opinions and ideas of others. Some of my best performances have been shaped by the input that I have received from listeners and their constructive criticism; ideas that would have never crossed my mind if it weren't for them offering their advice. The importance of this concept spans all realms of life, especially the ones that involve cooperation and effective communication between two or more people.

6. Challenge yourself.

Being involved in music often presents many opportunities to push yourself beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone. Although such things are present in all aspects of what it means to be a musician, the most prominent personal instance of this was my experience of becoming a drum major, or a student leader and conductor for marching band. I acquired this position at the end of my freshman year of high school, and continued with it for the rest of my high school career. During those years, I can honestly say that I grew as a person much more than I thought possible. Freshman me was quiet and didn't know how to assert herself, but the me who's headed off to college can say that she now has a decent grasp on how to be an effective leader. If it weren't for me jumping out of my comfort zone in order to become a drum major, a lot of my personal qualities may still remain undiscovered. I take that into account whenever there is a new opportunity, even if it means working through the initial feelings of uncertainty or discomfort that may arise.

7. Set personal goals.

Music is very goal-oriented. In fact, it is often impossible to accomplish certain musical undertakings without first breaking the potential final product into smaller parts that can be perfected over time. Being exposed to this process of goal setting has significantly fostered my time management skills and overall organization. Furthermore, these habits have become like second nature to me, seeping their way into my work ethic when it comes to anything that I may be trying to achieve.

And finally...

8. Working for something that you love will never feel like work.

This goes hand in hand with the idea of pursuing your passion, whatever that may be. Any amount of work, no matter how strenuous, that goes towards something that you desire in the fullest capacity will never truly feel like work. Although you are pushing yourself in order to achieve or acquire something, the passion for whatever it is that you are pursuing is what drives you to continue as if you haven't exerted any energy at all. Find what you love, and do it with no holds barred; Chances are, it'll make you happy for the rest of your life.