Expand your musical training and find new inspiration!
Our THRIVE membership will help you:
🌿 Grow beyond being a "good player" and become a truly dynamic musician
🧠 Develop a strong, steady mindset, empowering you to push past your fears
✏️ Gain the necessary skills to build everything from great practice routines to a resume that stands out
❤️ Receive continual support and guidance from your hosts, guests and the Thrive community

So... what's THRIVE?
Through live events, a video library, resources, a community & more, THRIVE is built to expand your growth and empower you on your musical journey.

CHALLENGES
These focused, ~2 month action-oriented challenges are designed to help you take true action towards your goals! They include specific lessons & guests that will help you hone in on crucial topics related to your musical life. Our 2023 challenges include Practice to Performance, Body & Breath, Portfolio, Mindset and Career Skills!

LIVE WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES
Masterclasses with the finest musicians in the world and workshops with experts from a huge variety of fields! We're focused on curating a set of events that give you tools and resources to amp up your musicianship + life.

VIDEO LIBRARY
Focused mini lessons on practice & performance, business & career skills, mind/heart/body wellness including topics such as productivity, focus, motivation & emotional wellbeing and clarinet/cello technique! You get new videos every month and access to 60+ videos currently in the library.

CONVERSATIONS
We absolutely love having conversations about life, artistry, creating a career, taking care of ourselves and so much more with people we love (who happen to be incredible). Think podcast but you can come live and ask questions. Or just listen later.

COMMUNITY & COACHING
This is where the magic happens. We know you'll go further with a supportive circle around you. You can interact in our Thrive Facebook book and on our digital platform, we host an office hour every month plus there is a Thrive package where you can get 1:1 help if that's what you need.

DOWNLOADS
PDFs, resources and templates to help your progress. You'll find all of our free downloads, ones made just Thrive members and some of the PDFs we have on sale for free!
A FEW PAST EVENTS!
We've had 100+ events in Thrive. We aim to bring in a HUGE variety of experts and the best musicians out there. It's impossible to list them all and pick the highlights, but, here are a few to give you a taste.












From left to right (or up to down if you're on mobile)!
Captivating Your Audience with Sasha Olinick, Actor
Kinesthetic Learning with Rosemary Engelstad, Body Mapping Teacher
Writing tips for Musicians with Leyla Shokoohe, Copywriter
Optimizing Your Practice with Dr. Christine Carter, Performance Psychology Researcher
Achieving Expressivity and Range through Vocalism with Ana Maria Martinez, Rice University
Mindfulness for Musicians with Stacy Sims, Mindfulness Coach
A Conversation with Anthony McGill, NY Philharmonic
How to Warm Up with Kim Cole Luevano, University of North Texas
Exploring Extended Techniques with Eric Mandat, American composer
On Expression with Afendi Yusuf and Rob Walters, Cleveland Orchestra
Masterclass with Richard Aaron, Juilliard/University of Michigan
Masterclass with Blaise Dejardin, Boston Symphony
Plus all these people... 👇 (And that's still not all!)

A few video library examples!
Enjoy 50+ current lessons and new mini-lessons on overcoming procrastination to practice hacks are delivered each month! Categories are: Conversations, Heart Wellness, Mind Wellness, Body Wellness, Business, Career






Upcoming Events!
We host monthly events with some of the world's brightest artists and experts as part of our THRIVE membership. You can join in for one event or become a member and get it all!
WHY JOIN THRIVE?
You need to feel confident and empowered to take your next steps towards success–whatever that means for you. Spoiler alert: that means working on your musicianship with amazing artists while also developing skills like self regulation, how to be patient, how to build a website, and of course, how to step on stage with courage. That's what we do in Thrive.
I'm ready to join!
INTRODUCING YOUR THRIVE HOSTS!
Hi! We are Ixi, Tiffany, Ted and Nick! We've got a diverse set of experiences under our belts and want to share them with you. As your Thrive hosts, we curate your content and find incredible guests and topics that we know will offer you important learning. We look out for trends and things we think you need to know and then bring them to you!
Ixi Chen (top left) plays clarinet in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and teaches at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Dr. Tiffany Valvo (top right) is the former clarinet professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, is a freelancer and teacher and the Social Media/Digital Content Specialist at Cal Performances at UC Berkeley. Ted Nelson (bottom left) is a cellist in the Cincinnati Symphony and Producing Artistic Director of Concert Nova with a lot of experience understanding the roles of orchestral management. Nick Photinos is a multi-Grammy Award-winning cellist, a founding member of Eighth Blackbird, and has collaborated and toured with an astounding array of artists.
Ixi, Tiffany and Ted started THRIVE in October of 2020. The program has helped hundreds of students gain the confidence and skills they need to make strides in their playing and career. We've got big hearts and believe there is space for everyone in classical music, but you may need some help! We're ready to give it to you.
"This past year, I was a part of Thrive, and wow it was amazing! Meeting new clarinet faculty and making new friends has been great, but most importantly Thrive has given me a new skill set under my belt right after graduating college. I’ve implemented techniques from Thrive into my everyday routine, and I’ve had a lot more success with competitions and auditions!"
Chanse M.
"Just dropping a line to let you know how much I am enjoying the Thrive membership. I have found my groove where I can listen to the classes while I am driving in the car AND IT IS AMAZING! I'm catching up on topics I missed, finding ten minute sessions (like the clearing brain meditation exercise) that fit into ten minutes before the end of my planning so I can start class like Mary Poppins, and it's all so great. Just saying, THANKS SO MUCH!"
Michelle G.
"The support, inspiration and guidance I’ve received from Thrive this year have helped me find a lot more joy and confidence in my playing and in my various roles in my local music ecosystem. I was tempted when I first got that January message about the scale reboot, and I’m so glad I joined!"
Susan D.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Wellness lies at the heart of everything you do as a musician.
- What makes a strong, healthy mind is different for all of us, but it is just as important to dive into these things as scales and excerpts. This includes understanding how you learn and how to maximize your focus.
- How your body feels has SO much to do with how you play. Remember, you are a musician-athlete!
- Your playing is a reflection of who you are. Being emotionally well and heart-centered can make a dramatic difference in not only your expressive capabilities but in your whole life.
Embracing an outside perspective can give you great insight into your work.
- From authors to athletes, there are a lot of experts out there with a lot to teach you about how to be a better human and artist.
Musicians are all entrepreneurs on some level.
- Are you financially literate and do you approach your career with an abundance mindset?
- The days of having just one job are mostly over, but that doesn't mean a career in music isn't viable. You must explore your unique skill sets that can contribute to the world (and your pocket)!
IS THRIVE RIGHT FOR YOU?
First, know that you're all are welcome! Maybe you’re a current ambitious high schooler or college music student that is hungry to learn everything imaginable about a life in music. Maybe you're out of school, feel like you’re in a bit of a black hole, and need support and a chance to play in masterclass again. Maybe you have a job and just love learning! Perhaps you’re a teacher that is excited by new ideas. Thrive is for anyone who wants to learn new, cool stuff.
BUT I DON'T PLAY CLARINET OR CELLO!
Currently, we offer masterclasses and instrumental content for clarinetists and cellists. However, the rest of the content is applicable to absolutely any musician, so if you're not a clarinetist or cellist, jump on in!
JOIN THRIVE!
14-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
If you aren’t completely satisfied with THRIVE, let us know within the first 14-days for a full refund. No questions asked.
Are my results guaranteed?
What happens when I join?
I'm already in school, why do I need this?
How long can I access the material?
Do I get to play in masterclass?
I don't think I have time.
Can I cancel at any time?
Can I talk to one of you? I'm just not sure.
How long are the videos?
How many videos are in the library?



