Advice for Young Musicians offers practical guidance for navigating a long life in music. As a classical singer and faculty member of institutions such as the New England Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music, Ian Howell has prioritized providing realistic, compassionate, motivating, and actionable advice to aspiring performers for years. His approach to mentoring is grounded in practical economics and human motivation, a realistic view of the many layers of the music industry, and the unwavering call that musicians must grow into fully-formed, complex people as a result of their journey in music. If you are looking for tricks and tips to reach short-term goals, look elsewhere. If you want to understand patterns of behavior, how to respond to challenges, and the perspectives required to negotiate a life in music, this book is a must-read.

Laid out like a book of poems meant to be dipped in and out of, this book covers how careers unfold; how music, practice, and performance work; business, networking, and relationships; becoming who you are; necessary skills, behaviors, and outlooks; academia and education; and mentors and teachers.

A perfect gift for your students, for those at transitional points in their lives, or for the experienced performer or teacher trying to put their career into words. This is the book the author wished he had read when he started.

“Ian Howell is challenging young musicians and their mentors to think deeply about their craft, the realities of their profession, self-discovery, and the very ethos of music-making.”

Karen Brunssen, Professor of Voice, Co-Chair of Music Performance, Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University

“In this contemplative book for musicians, Howell imparts lessons usually learned through hard knocks and graying hairs. Ruminate, muse, dwell, or decry — but ignore at your own risk.”

Kayla Gautereaux, Assistant Professor of Voice, Boston Conservatory at Berklee

“Advice for Young Musicians shines light on unspoken twists and turns in the journey towards your desired career in music. This is not just advice about being a better musician. Follow this advice to become the full person who makes the music. I wanted this book when I was 19 years old.”

Josaphat Contreras, New York City-based tenor and Mariachi researcher