I think the biggest change in me over the last year is a simple, firm decision: I have stopped working with people who are not kind. It sounds obvious, right? But in professional circles—especially in the arts—we often make excuses for "difficult" people because they are talented or "the best" at what they do. I’m here to tell you that the trade-off isn't worth it. When you filter for kindness, things run smoother, you get more accomplished, and the weight of the world is greatly decreased....

This was originally written as an email to my students My former student Collin Holloway - Who has handled success VERY well. Super proud. How Do You Handle Success? Over the years as an educator, I have experienced just about everything: joy, grief, failure, and success. Strangely, success has almost always felt like a surprise to me. Not because I didn’t work for it, but because I’ve always known how fragile it is. In this field especially, things can change overnight. Opportunities appear,...

I had one of those dreams last night — the kind that feels less like random neural noise and more like a message dressed in strange clothes. In the dream, I was backstage at a performance, guitar in hand, preparing to walk into familiar light. That part felt right: rehearsed ritual, muscle memory, the quiet breath before sound. Then, out of nowhere, the antagonist from No Country for Old Men  stepped onto the stage. Cold, unblinking, uninvited. Musicians flanked behind him like bodyguards. No...