On the face of it, the Be Your Own Manager courses offer practical information and tools to help professional musicians manage their careers, which they do marvelously – but they achieve so much more. The true, lasting value lies deeper: in the psychology and the community. Bernhard is a masterful coach not just in business matters but especially in the way he is able to pinpoint what makes every artist unique and the way he inspires the sometimes dramatic inner changes that enable us to connect with our audiences on a deeper and more personal level.
As for the community, the BYOM community is simply the best thing that could happen in the classical music world, especially during these times of unprecedented change. Classical musicians are, by most people’s standards, rather lonely creatures, spending hours every day in solitude practicing our instruments immersed in thought. BYOM turns this journey into one of mutual support and encouragement, and the inspired projects that come out of it prove that musicians are even more creative together.
Photo credit: Ouriel Morgensztern