How to Build a Sustainable Music Career: Expand Beyond the Practice Room + Find Your Path

Michelle Lynne welcomes clarinetist Ixi Chen—co-founder of Music 360 and a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra—for a wide-ranging conversation about building a fulfilling, sustainable life in music. Ixy shares how many musicians start with a sense of possibility, then feel “boxed in” by strict expectations in training, and forget they’re allowed to expand again. Together they explore shifting from “I have something to prove” to “I have something to share,” and how even a 1% mindset change can outweigh performance anxiety and fear of judgment.Ixi explains Music 360’s holistic approach: helping musicians not only with auditions and materials, but also with projects, pricing confidence, communication, and career direction. She describes the power of reconnecting to meaning—focusing on the story, emotion, or intention behind a piece—to unlock freer, more connected performing. She illustrates this with a personal story of playing Jennifer Higdon’s Blue Cathedral after her sister’s passing, reframing the performance as a dialogue and a gift.The episode also covers Ixi’s recent workshop for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago on turning anxiety into agency—moving from “Will I make it?” to “How will I make it work?”—including identity work, nervous-system regulation, and an “Onlyness” branding template. The conversation closes with a practical takeaway: introduce yourself as a multi-dimensional artist (“I’m a _ who _ and _”).✨ Connect with Ixi Chen:Instagram – @musicthreesixtyWebsite - https://www.music-threesixty.com✨ Explore The Fearless Mastermind:Website – thefearlessartistmastermind.comInstagram – @thefearlessartistmastermind🎵 Intro, Outro music by Michelle Lynne📌 Episode produced by phMediaStudio, LLC