"Do you know the difference between a good musician and a great musician?"

The first time I heard that cliffhanger it felt like either a trick question or the set up for a punchline. I was 25 with barely enough experience in my hands to justify my place in the band, but somehow there I was. I had practiced the music the best I could, but the truth was that I didn't "own it". My effort to hide my nerves behind my false confidence was obvious enough that it demanded intervention. Enter my mentor of the moment: Billy.

Billy was a much older musician with incredible chops and, more importantly, he had compassion. He could sense my trepidation, and in return offered the aformentioned question.

I thought about my answer. Like a lightning bolt of wisdom, the truth exploded out of me before I could stop it. "No." I could sense his relief in my answer. It was as if a flash of hope painted a smile on his face. Billy said "When a good musician plays, everybody can hear and see that they are really good. When a great musician plays, they help the whole band play better."

We were just minutes before it was time to perform, but that was plenty of time for Billy to unpack that statement. He encouraged me to listen, play with intention, protect the groove, and--most of all--be in the moment.

With just that little bit of a course correction, I sailed through that performance much better than I originally anticipated. More importantly, I haven't stopped believing that I am at my best when I am doing my best to help others be the best they can be.

We are excited to promote a new website helping students prepare for all-district and all-state auditions. The site -- https://www.allstateband.org/ -- was created by Tyler Vahldick, a Branson High School alumnus and graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. The site is completely free for student use and features video recordings of all of the Missouri All-State Band audition repertoire. Tyler has plans to add the material for the Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas regions as well. Palen Music Center is proud to be the premier sponsor of this helpful site. Please help us spread the word!