THE GRITTY MUSICIAN | A Podcast for Musicians in Progress

My name is Bruce, and I am a university music educator. My journey towards a full-time career in music took many twists and turns – some so jarring that I wondered if I had what it took to survive the trip! What came out of these struggles was my grit. Why grit? Grit combines passion, ambition, toughness and strength of character. If you want a career in the arts, grit will be what separates you from the pack. Are you scared about where your career in the arts is headed? Do you wonder if you have what it takes to endure the journey? The Gritty Musician Podcast is here to help you!

I've Been Doing This All Wrong!!!! 07/10/2021

Progressive Muscle Relaxation 10/25/2020

Be Good To Yourself 10/11/2020

Midterm Review 10/09/2019

Is This Thing On? 10/04/2019

007 - Where Is Your Heart? 07/22/2018

006 - "My Cup Runneth Over" 09/25/2017

005 - "Going Rogue" 09/18/2017

004 - "A Profile in Grit" 06/18/2017

003 - "Learning to play as hard as I work." 06/13/2017

002 - "One slip of paper away from happiness." 06/04/2017

001 - "Cold Brew, a new start, and a story." 05/29/2017

"Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello." [Get Some Grit] 05/19/2017

"What is Your Fear Antidote?" [Get Some Grit] 04/23/2017

"Take a Break!" [Get Some Grit] 04/11/2017

"The Pen is (sometimes) Mightier Than the Phone!" [Get Some Grit] 04/03/2017

"Becoming a Bookworm...Again!" [Get Some Grit] 03/26/2017

"Margin" [Get Some Grit] 02/13/2017

"Be What You Don't See In The World" [Get Some Grit] 02/09/2017

"2016 Reflections"[Get Some Grit] 12/30/2016

"To Grad School or Not To Grad School? That Is The Question." [Get Some Grit] 12/19/2016

"To Grad School or Not To Grad School? That Is The Question." [Get Some Grit] Get Some Grit Podcast Episode #30 - To Grad School or Not to Grad School? That is the question. Welcome back to Get Some Grit, the show where we learn the many ways that grit can serve artists as they press towards their goals. You can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio! No matter what you’re going through, GRIT is the armor that will protect you from the barrage of attacks that can stifle creativity and output! "Work or Grad School Next?” was the clear winner with 58% of the vote, so that is our topic for this week. I will be at Baylor University for a week long residency January 9-12 Things to remember about the “work or grad school’ conundrum: If you have a mentor teacher, reach out to them and get their honest opinion. Professionally, they should know you better than anyone at this point. Each person’s path is unique. What worked for me was the opposite of what worked for my wife. Revisit the decision regularly and consider as many angles as possible. If you think it through, it’s hard to get wrong. Some consider grad school another hoop. Others cherish life long learning. If you are the hoop jumper, consider going straight to work, use what you have learned right away, and see if the allure of grad school comes to you later. If you are a “natural” learner, you can go right ahead, but remember that the benefit of working first is that you can really gain a laser focus on what you want to learn more about. If you love the show, let someone know! Lots of ways to reach us. If you want to help, tell someone who could benefit from the content. If you want to do more, SUBSCRIBE! If you are Santa’s biggest helper and want to do even MORE, leave us an iTunes review! If you aren’t tech savvy and want some help with subscribing or leaving a review, email me at and I will walk you through it. Take care of each other this holiday season. There will always be someone more fortunate, and someone less fortunate. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have. Credits to Kevin MacLeod at and the good people at for the use of their music! /episode/index/show/getsomegrit/id/4924446