BY TIANYI LU, AS TOLD TO STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Tianyi Lu, 28, is the first person ever to be positioned as Cybec Assistant Conductor for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Alongside Sir Andrew Davis, she will lead the MSO Proms through works by Elgar, Ravel, Vine, and more this month. But before she presents the concert, Tianyi gives us the only life advice we’ll ever need in our musical careers.
Prepare to be inspired.
Go for it.
Let your love for music and compassion for people guide you.
Open your ears.
Open your mind…
…and most importantly, open your heart.
Be authentic.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. And then go back and study again.
Go to rehearsals and concerts, not just classical.
Work like every performance is your last.
There are no shortcuts in conducting — music is a life-long discipline. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and some things take time.
Be ready for rejection — again and again and again. Get used to it.
But realise that there is no such thing as failure, only learning.
Build resilience.
Be prepared to live off a shoe-string for a while, whilst you train.
Choose challenge over comfort.
Your time is valuable — spend it on building the skills that will help you.
Ask for help — people are generous — and be willing to give yourself.
Don’t compare.
You’re on your own journey, and you are the only person in the world like you.
Let your uniqueness shine.
Be fearless but always kind.
Be observant but non-judging, and see the best in people.
Live life.
Find a good balance.
Spend time alone to reflect, and find yourself.
These are the things that I’ve picked up from people along the way that seem to work for me.
See Tianyi Lu conduct the MSO Proms at Hamer Hall, 7.30pm March 25.
Images supplied. Credit: Antony Potts.
