This is a little (ok more like a lot) late, but if you're a musician and you're reading this, you should already be following Rob Knopper on his various social media outlets.
A percussionist by profession, he not only teaches percussionists how to get better at auditions, he also applies the same techniques to other instruments! His Facebook page has a considerable following and comprise of many different instruments and musicians from all over the world! It's very similar to Noa Kageyama's Bulletproof Musician, but Rob focuses more on the audition process whereas Noa's is directed at performance anxiety.
Rob is also an accomplished percussionist, playing with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, but he did not get there overnight. As with many other musicians, he struggled and failed countless times before his successful audition into the Met, but I won't bore you with more details about him (because you can read it up on his website and online). What strikes me most is Rob's down-to-earth personality and his creativity - it is hard work, time, and effort to produce quality videos! He has been-there/done-that, so there is no question on his experience and skillset - the only question is for us, whether we really want to win that audition or not, and if we take Rob's opinions seriously.
This week's entry is really short but I thought it would be great to share an amazing person and resource Rob is - just like Noa, he has blogs and videos to help those going through their auditions. He recently announced a free mini-course for snare drum practicing, so do check it out! (I already signed up for it hehe..) If you know of someone who has been a great help to you, or you think people will benefit from, do share it with us in the comments below - it's always better to know more and to learn, especially from other instrument families instead of always focusing on percussion (for me at least..)! Thanks for reading as always, and I hope everyone stays safe and well!
Joachim
P.S. Wishing all a Happy Lunar New Year in advance! It's the festive season and I'd probably be gobbling down New Year goodies and filling my stomachs (yes plural), so #midweekthoughts will be taking a break next week. See you on the 28th!