How do you get to Carnegie Hall? While many versions of this classic question abound, the answer always remains the same: Practice, practice, practice. The dream of performing at Carnegie Hall, that world-class concert venue, continues to drive young musicians to excel.

Practice, practice, practice. This simple truth was recently reinforced for me when the wind ensemble my daughter is a member of was invited to Carnegie Hall as the featured performing group at a music festival showcasing collegiate wind ensembles. For these young men and women, their performance at Carnegie represented the culmination of years of hard work.

I thought back to my daughter’s earliest days in beginner band and that first concert that honestly only a family member or a dedicated music educator could enjoy. I recalled the many teachers, mentors and role models that each played a part in her musical development over the years. It was evident when looking back over her personal journey just how important regular practice had been and will continue to be in order to acquire and maintain the skills needed to perform proficiently.