Welcome back to the latest episode of the ArtistWorks Music Series podcast! This week, ArtistWorks CEO Patricia Butler sits down with bluegrass mandolin master Mike Marshall to discuss how to overcome roadblocks in your musical journey. The show is available wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can listen here on ArtistWorks .  

Any musician will often tell you that there are peaks and valleys when it comes to improving on your instrument. But what most musicians or teachers rarely explain is how to maximize your peaks or how to keep the valleys short. The good news is, Marshall’s insights on this week's music podcast extend far beyond mandolin and are packed with tips that can benefit any musician. 

“When I think about the great players that I've worked with, all of them have this in common.” Mike explains, “When they’re having trouble with progressing in their playing, they go back to fundamentals of their instrument.” 

Whether it be familiar picking patterns or the way we hold our instruments, Marshall explains that shortcomings in these areas can impact all aspects of our playing. When we get stuck on something hard, often it's because we're not paying attention to the basics.  

On the ArtistWorks Music Series, Butler speaks with master musicians who teach at ArtistWorks, across all genres as they dive deep into topics like becoming a musician, playing at all skill levels and the journey of learning music. Over the coming weeks we'll be spotlighting many of our teaching artists and discussing all sorts of instruments and topics such as:

Why Playing Progress Stalls: Peter Erskine - Wednesday October 7th

Why Playing Progress Stalls: Eric Marienthal - Wednesday October 21st

Looking to dive into more music podcasts? You’ve come to the right place. If you’re staying home for a bit, now’s the perfect time to investigate previous episodes. There are plenty of topics to explore with fantastic guests. 

Tune in for new episodes released every other Wednesday on all platforms, and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the show!

Want to get started on overcoming the roadblock on your musical journey with our online music lessons? Try out some free music lessons with any of our master musicians and learn from the best!