About 8 years ago I started playing guitar. I started out learning from YouTube videos, but realised quickly that this wasn’t the method of learning for me. I contacted Richmond Music Academy and arranged to start lessons.
That’s where my story intertwined with this week’s guest, Michael Avery. In my usual fashion (I don’t do things by half measures), I jumped wholeheartedly into lessons, taking two or so a week. I really poured myself into exploring the musical and creative side of me. A side I had neglected. Although Michael initially thought I was going to “burn out”, 8 years later I am still playing (and we are still friends).
So I invited Michael into the new It’s Never About Money podcast studio (very exciting!) to talk about music and meaning. I wanted to have a conversation about how there is so much more to life than simply making money. And who else is better equipped to talk about that than a musician.
One of my favourite moments from our conversation together was when Michael talked about how he sees his musician friends “jumping ship” to pursue other career paths. They may do this for a number of reasons, but the most obvious one is because they want more stability.
Michael then noted that he sees the opposite thing happening. He sees people with well respected careers – doctors, lawyers, bankers etc – taking up music lessons to find more meaning in their lives.
He explained, “They need something like the music lessons I think… Whatever meaning they’re not getting from their profession, they really look for it at least in what we’re doing at the school”
On this podcast, we talk about and explore the many kinds of wealth. It’s the reason for the podcast. One of the pillars of wealth as we see it is personal growth. Personal growth and progression is a lifelong pursuit. For many people who explore further education – in this case music lessons – it’s about finding meaning.
This is why this conversation with Michael Avery really resonated with me. The idea that we’re on a learning journey. That people can add more meaning to their lives by taking up piano lessons. It truly cements the idea that personal growth can be a catalyst for a successful and happy life.
To hear the full conversation, listen to episode 47 of It’s Never About Money.
