Being the Artist in the Arena
On April 23, 1910, American President Theodore Roosevelt delivered a speech in Paris. He shared stories of his own colorful history and how he believed we could make the world a better place. Importantly, he warned against cynicism, explaining how it can dissuade people from attempting and achieving great things.
You may already know the speech—“The Woman/Man in The Arena"—but it's always worth revisiting Roosevelt's message of resilience and grit. As a student at the US Naval Academy, my son had to memorize this speech in his freshman year. Eight years later, he can still recite it from memory. I love hearing him repeat the famous passage:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
So why does this matter to violists?
Auditions can be difficult. Sometimes it can feel lonely as we pursue our dreams, especially if people around us don't understand those dreams. After an audition that didn't go the way you hoped, skepticism and self doubt can creep into your mind. You might ask why you're even bothering.
To everyone taking the San Diego viola audition, and to everyone who has taken or will take an audition in the future, I want you to read the end of the famous quote one more time:
...if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Congratulations for being bold. You may stumble. You may think you could have done better. But you possess the bravery to keep refining, to keep moving forward, and to keep believing.
I'm proud of you.