Notable Values : Change Your Tune

Notable Values : Change Your Tune Redesigning how to learn and earn in classical music.

I've had this question from colleagues all around the world in the last few months: What can I do about getting "ambushe...
31/08/2026

I've had this question from colleagues all around the world in the last few months: What can I do about getting "ambushed"?

Here are two questions to ask that take care of everyone and help them to think it through before knocking on your door.

1. "If we make a time later today for this, what happens?"

This requires them to define the urgency, or not.
Then, gently prompt "Next time, could you think that through before coming to me."

2. "What specifically do you need from me?"

This requires them to define what they need and how it helps the work move forward. "I just want your thoughts" isn't enough, if they can't articulate "I need X so I can Y" then it's not time for you to step in yet. Then gently prompt "Come back to me once you've worked out what you need, I'm glad to help once you have."

Sometimes what they actually need isn't your answer, it's reassurance that they're allowed to decide this themselves. That's not a you problem. That's a clarify-the-approvals-process or add-some-training problem.

Even with those two questions in your pocket, sometimes you just need to be unreachable, in Do Not Disturb mode.

Let colleagues know that when they see you with headphones on, door closed, working in the boardroom, a note taped to the back of your chair or your online calendar blocked out (whatever works for you) then you're out of reach. And that DND needs to be real, you're also not undermining that by checking emails, texts or Teams while it's on.

Let me know if you try any of this, I'm keen to hear how it goes.

I really love doing this work. Two days with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, with musicians and staff talking about ho...
28/08/2026

I really love doing this work. Two days with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, with musicians and staff talking about how we work together, especially when things aren't straightforward.

One of the things I love about working with orchestras is being able to hold different perspectives at the same time. Musicians and staff can experience the same workplace very differently, and all perspectives matter. It's not about picking a side or deciding who is right.

Authority sits in different places. Power doesn't always come with a job title. The work happens under pressure. And things like speaking up, listening well and staying connected when we don't have all the answers can be harder than they sound.

I'm not interested in telling people to communicate better.

I'm interested in helping people identify what makes communicating easier or harder in their context, what they can do differently, and where the system might need to change too.

Two days. Four sessions. Lots of conversation. Lots of laughter. Lots of curiosity. And practical things to use back at work, under the conditions people are actually working in.

Not to mention the joy of finding my dad's favourite biscuits in the hotel and a few very good flat whites.

Thanks TSO for trusting me with the room, especially Alison Nadebaum and Caroline Sharpen. What a great couple of days.

There's something reassuring about an empty jar of Vegemite sitting on my desk.Apparently 1 lb 4 oz of Vegemite contains...
16/07/2026

There's something reassuring about an empty jar of Vegemite sitting on my desk.

Apparently 1 lb 4 oz of Vegemite contains around 18,480 mg of sodium. That's about 112 days' worth of the recommended daily intake.

For the record, I didn't eat it all myself... and definitely not in one sitting.

But the empty jar has become a little connection to home while I'm writing two new days of training for musicians and staff, all about... connection. đź’«

This new two-day residency explores how healthier workplace cultures are built through everyday conversations.

Day 1
• How do we approach conversations that matter?
• How do we stay connected when things feel uncertain?

Day 2
• How do we support people to think things through?
• How do these conversations become part of our everyday work?

The residency has its first rollout in Australia this August.

Turns out an empty Vegemite jar can be surprisingly good company while writing about connection.

ps and yes, the use of singular "pencil" is correct. I'm a minimal clutter on the desk person.

1 Cavapoo, 3 Rocks and 30 Conductors and a surprise invitation. Thank you Mason Orchestral Conducting Symposium!Last wee...
06/07/2026

1 Cavapoo, 3 Rocks and 30 Conductors and a surprise invitation. Thank you Mason Orchestral Conducting Symposium!

Last week was meant to be a few days sightseeing and working in D.C. while my wife, Ingrid was guest clinician at the Mason Orchestral Conducting Symposium. Then a conversation over dinner took an unexpected turn...

Them: "We thought you worked in medicine."
Me: "Erm... not quite."
Them: "Oooooohhh..."

Cue a generous, last minute invitation from Dr Soo Han to work with 30 conductors.

We created a playful "Departure Lounge". Before stepping onto the podium, conductors could Bag Drop the thoughts they didn't want to carry with them, then create their Boarding Pass reminding them what mattered most on the podium.

The Departure Lounge got plenty of visits over the next two days, including one conductor who stepped onto the podium, joyfully jumped back down to the Departure Lounge, shook it all off, and then stepped back up.

And many wrote that the 3 Rocks tool was also really helpful. When you're feeling overwhelmed or uncertain, pause and imagine three rocks. On each rock stands a different person.

Rock 1: Me. What do I already know? What strengths and experience can I draw on?
Rock 2: Someone who loves me. What would they remind me about myself?
Rock 3: Your GOAT teacher(s). Imagine the wisest teacher or mentor you've ever had. What would they encourage you to do next?

Conducting asks people to lead under pressure while staying connected to themselves, the musicians in front of them and the music they're serving.

The same is true of so many moments in work and life. Sometimes all we need is a place to leave behind what isn't serving us—and three rocks to help us find our way back.

Huge thanks to Dr Soo Han, Lenny the Cavapoo and everyone at the Mason Orchestral Conducting Symposium for welcoming me so generously.

I've just analysed feedback training data from 72 musicians across four identical sessions. It's the first time I've tra...
25/06/2026

I've just analysed feedback training data from 72 musicians across four identical sessions. It's the first time I've trained every musician in an orchestra.

The training focused on giving safe and effective feedback specifically in the audition and tenure process. That process is high stakes. The outcomes affect individuals and the organisation.

At the start of the sessions, 60.6% of musicians rated themselves "mostly clear" or "very clear" on what makes feedback safe and effective.

By the end, that was 96.8%.

The numbers matter, but the conversation underneath them is what I'd want an ED or CEO to know about.

In the sessions, musicians named feedback they'd received or given that sounded like this:

"I need to be hard on you so you can toughen up."
"If you can't take this from me, you won't survive in an orchestra."
"I had to put up with this, so you do too."

These are common, and they're often delivered with good intent. They're also harmful, and they're not feedback.

They don't give a candidate anything specific to act on, and they create exactly the kind of ambiguity that makes audition and tenure decisions hard to defend later.

We worked through an alternative: feedback that holds artistic standards, treats the person with dignity, and gives a specific next step. That combination is what makes feedback both safe and useful to a decision-making process, not just kinder.

Many of the musicians I train also teach. So this isn't just changing what happens in one session room. It's changing what gets passed on in studios and sections for years afterward, which is part of why I think the investment compounds rather than ending when the session does.

A = 440. Stick with me.Tuning to a shared pitch doesn't mean unison. It means just enough shared reference that you can ...
22/06/2026

A = 440. Stick with me.

Tuning to a shared pitch doesn't mean unison. It means just enough shared reference that you can actually play together.

That's the idea ~30 musicians and I spent two hours with in the NAC Orchestra Mentorship Program.

Communication friction in orchestras is rarely about intent. The same moment lands differently depending on where you're sitting, what pressure you're under, and how much authority you have in it. None of that is a character flaw. It's just hierarchy, under pressure, in real time.

So instead of teaching tools, we noticed what's already there: first reactions, hidden assumptions, what we see immediately and what we miss.

Before the session, 41% of musicians felt they had more than one or two ways to respond when communication felt unclear. Afterward, that number was 61%.

But the real signal wasn't in the data. A small group stayed back, not to talk about communication in the abstract, but about their new roles as section leaders. How do you ask something of people who were your peers last season?

That transition is already happening in your orchestra. The question is whether it's shaped on purpose, or noticed only once it's already shaping your culture.

Conversations welcome DM or email [email protected]

One of the clearest patterns in the programme is that people are able to describe applying the tools quite quickly in re...
15/06/2026

One of the clearest patterns in the programme is that people are able to describe applying the tools quite quickly in real working situations.

They talk about trying things in rehearsals, meetings, conversations under pressure, and noticing changes in how those interactions go.

But what seems to determine whether that continues is what happens around them afterwards.

Where there is reinforcement, it builds and spreads into how people work together.

Where there is not, people still understand what they could do differently, but it becomes harder to keep it going in practice.

So the difference between something being useful once and something becoming part of how people work is not awareness. It is whether the environment supports it or not.

If you’re interested in exploring this kind of work in your own organisation, I’m open to a no-obligation discovery conversation. DM or [email protected]

People are very clear that hierarchy does not disappear in their working environment.What they describe changing is how ...
11/06/2026

People are very clear that hierarchy does not disappear in their working environment.

What they describe changing is how they move within it when they are communicating.

There is less filtering before things are said, and more willingness to speak more directly across roles and levels rather than softening everything in advance.

In their own words, they describe feeling more able to say what needs to be said without escalating things unnecessarily, which is quite a specific shift in how they experience those interactions.

If any of this resonates and you’re working with similar dynamics, I’m always open to a no-obligation conversation about what this could look like in your context. DM or [email protected]

What one thing would I change about classical music culture?A great closing question from Associate Professor Margaret O...
10/06/2026

What one thing would I change about classical music culture?

A great closing question from Associate Professor Margaret Osborne.

Thank you to the Australian Music & Psychology Society for the opportunity to discuss something I care deeply about: the idea that human wellbeing is not separate from artistic excellence.

I'm firm on my belief that it's a condition that makes excellence possible and sustainable.

In this conversation with a dear friend and respected colleague, we explore how:

• Psychological safety is a performance issue, not just a wellbeing issue
• Feedback is a skill that can be learned, not an interaction to be feared
• Relational intelligence protects both people and performance

And my answer to that final question?

If I could wave a magic wand, I would help people resist using judgmental language about themselves and others.

Because I rarely hear positive judgment. I mostly hear criticism.

That habit shapes how we relate, and how healthy our workplaces become.

Thank you, Margaret, for such a thoughtful conversation and for creating space to explore these issues with curiosity, rigour, and hope.

🎥 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALYNcJ4_9UQ&rco=1

NEW EPISODE. Every orchestra has a bridge between musicians and staff. What fascinates me is who gets to see both sides....
08/06/2026

NEW EPISODE. Every orchestra has a bridge between musicians and staff. What fascinates me is who gets to see both sides.

I've been thinking about assistant conductors lately because they often occupy a rare position (oh and I'm married to one!). They spend time on both sides of the bridge, close enough to understand the realities of performance and close enough to understand the realities of running an organisation.

The more time I spend partnering with orchestras, the more I think many of our tensions and misunderstandings are the result of different vantage points.

From a distance, it can seem as though musicians and staff inhabit very different worlds.

I'm not sure they do.

We train people to become exceptional musicians. We train people to become skilled administrators, fundraisers, marketers and leaders. What we don't often do is help people understand the pressures, constraints and responsibilities carried by those working on the other side of the organisation.

Recently, Martin and I were reflecting on this. Neither of us came to orchestras through a traditional pathway. Ingrid has worked as an emergency doctor and a school music teacher. Before orchestras, I founded and led a technology consultancy.

What strikes us is how familiar these dynamics are.

Different sectors. Different language. Different structures.

The same challenge.

People doing important work under pressure, trying to make good decisions with finite resources and incomplete information.

Perhaps the bridge between musicians and staff is strong enough.

What seems to be in shorter supply is perspective.

🎧️ https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/change-your-tune/id1577500832

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