Nobody knew how expansive the Arrowverse would become when it debuted in 2012. As this universe has expanded from one show to four, it’s easy for anyone to find characters and situations to relate to. The highs and lows each show experience easily correlate to real life, even if some of them occur on a time ship. I really enjoy finding connections between the show and my life as a musician. Here are five of the best lessons I have learned from Arrowverse.
It Won’t Work Unless It’s Your Passion
Upon escaping from Lian Yu, Oliver Queen didn’t have to become the Green Arrow. He could have enjoyed the family fortune and lived a life of luxury. Thankfully he didn’t do this, as it would have made for a boring TV show. Instead, Oliver chose to become the Green Arrow so he could save his city and the people he cared about. He even devoted his public career to helping people by becoming the mayor. The only reason Oliver can get these taxing jobs done is because he believes in what he is doing.
Music is not a career people pick for the money. It takes long hours and a lot of rejection, and even then it is not always possible to make a living at it. However, the musicians that work hard and truly believe in their craft can make it work.
Everybody Needs a Plan
“Make the plan. Execute the plan. Expect the plan to to go off the rails. Throw away the plan.” – Leonard Snart
Leonard Snart is one of the most memorable characters from The Flash, even though he only appears in a recurring role. One of the reasons he’s so popular is because he’s always involved in an elaborate scheme. While many of these plans don’t work, they show the importance of a plan.
As a musician, it is important to have a plan as well. I need to balance my practice time, score study, lessons, and rehearsals. I occasionally overbook myself and have to quickly come up with an alternative schedule. However, just like Snart, I always figure out a solution, even if it isn’t the most elegant. The musical plans I have made during my career have helped me become a successful musician.
Get Along with Your Colleagues
The Legends are not a well-oiled machine. Rip Hunter lied to all of them when he was organizing the team. Naturally, this led to hurt feelings and bitterness. However, they were able to put this aside in their quest to stop Vandal Savage, and are on the way to becoming close friends.
Many of the orchestras I play in are organized at the last minute. While the conductor typically doesn’t lie to me, I sometimes don’t see eye-to-eye with my colleagues. We will discuss matters of balance and style and have to agree on a compromise. It doesn’t matter whether the other musicians are my best friends or mortal enemies. Ultimately, we have to come to a solution that works best for the performance. And that is what we do, 100% of the time. If I cannot get along with my colleagues, the phone will stop ringing and the gigs will stop coming.
Family is Everything
One of the best parts of Supergirl is watching the dynamic relationship between Kara and Alex. They make a great team out in the field and are always there for each other. Naturally, it’s not easy working for the D.E.O., and there are some days that just plain suck. But, no matter how hard things get, Alex and Kara are always there for each other and know how to make each other smile.
Music is not nearly as hard as protecting Earth from extraterrestrial threats (most days at least). The best days are when my students come prepared to their lessons and when I play well in rehearsals. However, this does not always happen. Sometimes my students won’t have practiced enough or I have a bad day on the trombone. These days happen to everybody, and they suck. When that happens, it is always nice to come home to family. They always know how to make me happy and remind me that there are more important things in life than the music I’m working on.
Don’t Forget to Laugh
Barry and Cisco represent friendship goals. While they have their differences, they are always able to put them aside. They’re there for each other when times are hard, and they know just what to say to make each other smile. Everybody needs to have the friendship that these two have.
As stated above, music is a tough career. There are many late nights in the practice room and many rejections during the audition process. It has helped me a lot to have friends that I can rely on to help me during the difficult times. After a few bad jokes and great drinks, the mood is always improved.
These are just a few of the lessons I have taken away from the Arrowverse. Whether it’s these shows or any other fandom, I hope everybody has a fandom they can relate to like I can.
