“I meet my manager for the first time and he said, ‘You know, the last pianist that said he wasn't nervous went across the street, got drunk, and never came back for the second half of the recital.’
And then the lights went down and I'm on stage.”
05. Jump and the Net Will Appear
John Pickett
Dr. John Pickett is an award-winning virtuoso classical pianist a virtuoso who received his doctoral degree at Indiana University, and was a professor of piano for 33 years at Central Washington University.
His works include the orchestrated musical Lion on the Loose! (concert version, 2008), the Christmas musical Tink and Titus’s Best Christmas Adventure Ever! (Valley Musical Theater, Ellensburg, 2011), and the film score for V3 (Clearwater Studios).
Since his retirement, John has dived into composing and singing his own original material.
Episode Themes:
Songwriting and vocal expression – lifelong love for songwriting, shifting from classical to writing/singing, embracing an authentic vocal identity.
Breaking repertoire into achievable steps
Preparation to calm performance anxiety
Learning how to embrace your authentic musical voice
Creative influences & musical craft: The importance of listening widely to different arrangements, genres and learning about
Resources:
Find John's original music here: https://johnpickett.bandcamp.com
Questions for Artists:
How would your music change if you accepted your voice as it is, rather than trying to match someone else’s?
How can you measure progress in a way that honors growth rather than external validation?
What fears arise when you imagine sharing new work, and what’s one action that reduces those fears?
Want to dive deeper into your own personal artistry?
Click here for the downloadable journal prompt
Bonus:
In the episode, John tells the story of the electric moments leading up to his recital at Carnegie Hall.
The same recital that was also featured in The New York Times. We recently found the full review published by The Times in 1986.
You can find the full article here.
