My name is Christine Murphy, and I started playing the piano when I was in the sixth grade. And then quit until I was in my 50s, and decided that I would really like to learn how to play the piano. And play it well.
I've always been very uncomfortable sharing music. I do have a little bit of a panic thing when I have to play something that somebody would recognize.
So I played for quite a while just struggling on my own, and buying different programs, and watching videos. And I had a few teachers here and there. I felt kind of stuck and stagnant in that I just really didn't have good direction.
There is so much information online, and so much good information. But sometimes it's just hard to funnel it in a more focused and productive manner and application.
And then the Next Level opportunity came up and I just thought “I'm just going to do this.” And so I did!
It just seemed like it offered so much, and so much variety. And my only hesitation after my initial phone call was I thought “How am I going to rearrange my life to put in the time? Because if I'm going to do it I'm going to give 110%. And so I need to figure out how to rearrange things so that I can give it my best.”
The personalized coaching has been phenomenal. To have somebody directly ask you questions or say “Try this”. Or you know, having another experienced person on the other end helping you choose the right way for yourself.
It has been amazing. Through the whole thing he was just such a support and such a cheerleader. I really enjoyed that part of it. The four H model helps you find your strengths and weaknesses So I think it's helped to see places where I needed to grow, and places where I was doing okay.
The coaches being brought in are really terrific. All those wonderful people that you bring in, the amazing talent. I gained a lot from those people.
I would recommend the Next Level program to anybody who plays an instrument, who has a drive and a passion to go deeper and really improve on the instrument. And grow as an individual, grow their own musicality. Move forward in their music.
If anybody was hesitant about joining, I would just say if you can, I would say, do it.
You don't want to look back and say “I wish I would have.” The advice that I would give would just be to just hang on and enjoy the journey.
It's such a wonderful community of people. Wonderful coaches, wonderful guest speakers. Get involved with everything. Comment, share, get the most you can out of it and you won't be sorry.
It feels good to accomplish it. It feels good to take that year to dig in.
And I honestly think too that by digging in for a year and really putting forth the effort, that will continue. Because you get into a habit after a year, of putting in so much time and just working on specific things. It feels good to reach the point where I know how to do that now. And that I can continue to do that.
I would say that my level of confidence before the program was probably at like a two, maybe. And I would say that I'm probably more like an eight now.
I am just more comfortable to say “Yeah I play the piano.” And I'm just more comfortable to sit down at a piano and just play something.
Which I never would have done before. I would always walk by a piano and just long for it. And wish I could do something on it. And now I can walk by that piano and play a little something.
You know, I almost think like one of the best things that has changed is me. In my ability to feel comfortable with my musicality, my confidence in sharing. I have just grown a lot.
I don't even think before this program I called myself a musician. I would say I played the piano and I played the harp. But I would never call myself a musician. So I think yeah...
It just really transformed me.
