BY JESSICA VOIGT-PAGE
Jessica Voigt-Page is an Australian classical saxophonist based in Texas. She teaches 70 students and hosts camps and events with her own business Saxophone Academy Austin. Her career sees her take the roles of entrepreneur, music director, private teacher, and college professor success coach for musicians. In this blog, she opens up to CutCommon readers about her professional successes and the steps she took to reach her career goals.
I’m sure many of you will be able to relate to my story, as it begins fairly typically.
I have studied music for the majority of my life. I began my studies as a young person who soon went to university, logged a lot of practice hours, spent a lot of money, and collected a number of pieces of paper. I have four of these pieces of paper, in fact, from universities in Australia, France and the United States.
So, why so many job titles?
Well, lovely readers, it started with the discovery that I had allowed myself to live from pay cheque to pay cheque for a very long time! I had a bunch of beliefs about myself and my earning ability as a musician that really kept me from achieving greatness in my life. I was sticking to the old story of the ‘starving artist’ who was working for the love of music, at the sacrifice of my own financial security, happiness and, to be quite honest, mental health.
I started to get really tired of freaking out about buying a new dress, or being chased down about taxes, or not saving for retirement and realized that in any other field, my reality was not that of a highly successful person – it was one of someone who was really just doing enough to get by.
Don’t misread that, though – I was working my butt off as a teacher and presenter. I had even opened an Etsy store at one point to try to help get some extra cash (side note: that wasn’t super successful). So, when the opportunity arose for me to move to Austin, Texas, with my husband and start fresh, I decided that I wasn’t going to live that ‘poor musician’ story any more. I wanted to really turn my life around.
Like I said, I was tired of living pay cheque to pay cheque – my studies in the US had depleted everything I had in savings, and I wasn’t in much of a position to help out with the rent on our apartment, which really sucked.
Being totally honest, I felt like I had no direction. I felt like a burden and I was really lost about what I would do with myself. I started looking into jobs outside of music, perhaps going back to school to do an MBA or a law degree, and just basically flailed around for a while trying to figure out a plan.
So, Austin happened.
I decided I had nothing to lose by really going for my goal of having a full private studio, and in the 30 days before moving to Texas, I managed to go from zero to 30 students. I was on holidays with my husband in Australia at the time, and we were just about to move to Texas – only 10 days after returning to the US.
It was one of those crazy times where being super fearless and determined was the only real option I had, and so I went full speed at my target and just made it happen. There have been only a few times in my life where I have been THAT determined and that non-negotiable in my actions, with one of them resulting in the manifestation of a $20,000 grant to fund the second year of my studies in the US (which appeared on Christmas eve 2012 – just days before I was going to have to bail on my studies or take out a massive bank loan to finish my degree).
I learnt that when I really desire something, I can make it happen. So, with renewed fearlessness (and some guidance and support from a few amazing coaches), I continued to grow my business in Austin, and now have my Saxophone Academy Austin business, where I teach 70 students privately each week, run a summer camp, host multiple clinics per year, and am just about to expand to multiple camps, a chamber music program and a competition event. I am also on faculty at a local college as an adjunct professor, and perform in a chamber music ensemble with my best friend who also works with me at SAA.
This year, I have begun working with other musicians as a success coach, to help other people like me discover their true career passion and to help them find clarity on how to get there. Without the help of my coaches, I would not have made it to where I am now, and I now get to offer that guidance to people just like me!
Knowing that I could overcome my own issues around earning money, having a career that was ‘different’ and stepping into the persona of being a true and fearless female entrepreneur, I have rediscovered myself and my place in the world. Without having to sacrifice anything, I have been able to create the career of my dreams, and my passion is helping others do the same.
I should also mention that my job includes the performance opportunities that I have always wanted. I travel the world to perform, give master classes, and have created opportunities for myself in this way in order to maintain my performance passions.
I am a huge believer in the idea of the portfolio career, which allows freedom to explore all of the things that really light you up and to become that fearless entrepreneur, living life as you desire.
My coaching business is in full swing and in 2016, I am offering some pretty amazing packages designed to take you from where you are, to where you want to be. If you’re interested in learning more about me, my academy, or my coaching programs, these websites here and here can give you a lot of information (or send me an email at thejessicapage@gmail.com). To learn more about SAA, click here.
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