Final Thoughts
The most important aspect of being a musician is listening. This means listening to yourself and the musicians around you, and also, simply listening to records. You can learn an astonishing amount from listening. When you were a child, you learnt to speak an entire language by listening. This is why it's so important for you to submerge yourself in music. Don't place music in the background either. Commit yourself to listening to it in the same way you commit to watching a film or reading a book - give it all of your attention.
If you're not already in a band, start one. Learn to communicate and interact in the language of music. Share your music with audiences and gain some all important praise and constructive criticism (both are a crucial part of developing as a musician). Think carefully about who you start a band with. If possible, join a group of musicians who are more experienced than you. Not only will you be able to learn from and be inspired by these musicians, but the pressure of keeping up will encourage you to work harder.
Be clear in your mind what it is that you love about music. If you love music because it makes you want to dance, look to understand what it is that gives you this feeling so that you may pass it on to others. If you love music because it stirs emotion in you, aspire to provoke the same emotion in your listeners. This may be easier than you think. We are all competent at expressing our emotion through language, and many of these rules apply to music. Consider the effect of dynamics, tempo, articulation and phrasing. All these things will affect your music and your speech.
In learning Maths or English at school, most students will be subjected to a good four to five hours' worth of lessons per week. In addition, they are set homework. Few musicians are as privileged as this in their education, so it is important to exercise self discipline. Supplement your education with books, music and videos.
The more you learn about music, the more you will learn that there is always more to learn. Some musicians become agitated and frustrated by this. How you view it, however, depends entirely on you. You can be overwhelmed by the task, or you can be positive and see it as a richly rewarding challenge. After all, the fact that music is a limitless subject guarantees that you will never find it dull.