It has stayed with me my whole life, and continues to influence me in really positive ways. Here's the story in a nutshell:

First of all, I was very fortunate when I was young to be able to study with some of the most famous violinists of all time. There was one Masterclass in Europe given by one of them that was a particularly incredible experience that I'm hugely grateful for. I learned SO MUCH!

But something very unusual happened one day that really stood out. Something I'll never forget.

This very famous musician tended to be rather rude to many of the violinists who came to play for him, even though these were musicians who had auditioned for him and won the opportunity to be there as participants in the Masterclass.

These were the cream of the crop: professional violinists from all over the world. These were well-known Concertmasters, soloists, thriving orchestral and chamber music players, and they sounded INCREDIBLE to me.

As a 12-year old and every year until I was 17, I spent two weeks in awe, listening and watching them play, while also hearing the Master play and give some of them pointers, from time to time. I felt very humbled to be included in this prestigious line-up.

We would often play through full-length sonatas and concertos for the Master.

BUT… all too often the Master was very obviously unimpressed, as he would sit with his head down on a table throughout an entire 30-minute concerto, barely lifting his head to acknowledge these daring musician making themselves vulnerable by exposing their souls and doing their best to perform for him and a room full of expert peers. (Thankfully, he was never rude to me, or I would have been crushed.)

THEN… ONE DAY….

A woman came along and played her concerto. I think it was Brahms, and she sounded brilliant.

The Master treated her the same way he'd treated many others before her: he barely acknowledged her presence or her music.

And when she was done, he raised his head slightly off the table, and asked a familiar question with a bored expression: “Do you have anything else to play?”

But, after a moment of thick silence, SHE did what nobody else had dared to do until that day. I can still see and hear it in my mind.

She held her head high, and said, “Why should I play anything else for you? You'll just tear it apart like you do everything else. No, I will not play anything else. Goodbye.”

She turned on her heels and LEFT.

Walked out.

Gone.

Never to be seen again in that Masterclass.

Fast forward to the class AFTER our coffee break that day: the Master was suddenly a completely different person and remained that way for the rest of the two weeks. He was attentive. He listened. He no longer acted like a spoiled, petulant toddler who wasn't getting what he wanted.

This strong Asian-American woman was gone from the Masterclass, but her confident, Spirited SELF has lived within me and inspired me ever since.

She has been a role model for me of a woman willing to stand up for herself, speak her Truth, unwilling to be squashed and humiliated by someone in a position of authority, despite the seemingly high stakes.

She clearly didn't care what anybody else would think.

She was not a people-pleaser, and she knew how to take care of herself.

That day, I witnessed what I already knew: it is NEVER OK to put other people down. I don't care how famous the person is. It's NOT OK to be an obnoxious, rude human being who treats others badly.

And it is absolutely MORE THAN OK to say no, stand up for yourself, stand up for what is GOOD and TRUE, express that clearly, and leave when that makes sense.

I witnessed this event nearly 40 years ago. And now I'm the one teaching this kind of Self-Empowerment to women in music, using my own signature system: The Art of Freedom® Method for conscious living and masterful artistry.

Because this kind of easy confidence and authentic self-expression did not come to me naturally (I was a people-pleaser-perfectionist), I've had to learn over the years how to do this for myself. It has been incredibly challenging, but there has been – and still is – nothing more important to me than being my True Self and sharing That with others.

Thankfully, I've learned some incredibly powerful skills to be able to do and teach this with EASE, and I'd love to share them with you.

To be yourself and stand your ground with conviction like that woman did, you need information, tools, and skills that include getting to know yourself better, recognizing your habits and your strengths… and learning how to stop blocking your innate ability to express yourself with relaxed confidence, compassion, lovingkindness, clarity, and EASE.

In life and in performance.

If you're a woman and you find it challenging to fully enjoy
yourself when performing for others, and you find it difficult to express yourself freely and easily, then I recommend you reach out to me to learn how to do this in the best and most efficient way I know.

I'd love to teach you these skills, so you can feel better in mind, body, and spirit and thrive as a musician!

I've extended the registration deadline for my 5-week transformational program for women: Relaxed Confidence, Joy, and Authentic Self-Expression for Women in Music.

Reach out to me now to request details, or just type “ME” in the comments below and I'll get in touch with you. Or email me.

I'd also be happy to hop on a quick zoom call with you, if you want to meet me personally and ask any questions you might have about this program or other ways to learn from me.

Learning how to process emotions, be yourself, and express yourself with authenticity and FREEDOM is vitally important to your physical and mental health, and it's THE KEY to making great music with ease.

This program already has more than a dozen women musicians from all over the world registered and ready for an incredible, life-changing experience. Don't postpone your healing and joy! This program is FUN and I even offer a 100% money-back guarantee, because it works. 🙂

I look forward to hearing from you soon so you can learn to stand your ground like the Japanese woman in my story above. Learn how to enjoy Relaxed Confidence, Joy, and Authentic Self-Expression… with EASE!

With Love,
Jennifer

p.s. Hurry! Registration closes on May 22nd. Message me today for details or type “ME” in the comments below and I'll get in touch with you. 🙂

PICTURE: That's me, being MYSELF, daring to play BAREFOOT at Carnegie Hall, probably before anybody else you've ever heard of was doing that – except Evelyn Glennie, who was my inspiration for playing barefoot onstage. She does it because it's her super-power to perform and “hear” the vibrations through her feet and whole body, because she's deaf. For me, I like to perform barefoot sometimes because it feels good and it's ME being ME. 🙂