‘You need to be curious enough to discover who you really are.’

Reflecting on over two decades of experience in the music industry, Alex Simu, a distinguished cross-over clarinetist, saxophonist, and composer, shares his insights on the evolution of his artistic journey. A graduate of our conservatoire, Alex emphasizes that the key to a successful career in music lies in self-discovery.

Throughout his career, Alex Simu has performed in over 50 countries, developed new instruments, produced eight albums, and composed over thirty film scores. Instead of elaborating on his experience of 20 years in the work field, however, he prefers to give students insight into how his way of thinking has changed.

“From what I remember, being a student was a lot about homework assignments, hearing that you must practice and study more. And that is true, but in the past 20 years since graduating from this school I figured out that it's not about what you do, but it is about who you are. It's not about how much you practice, but about who you really are on the deepest level.”

“When I was a student, I wanted to be many things. And people told me it wasn't possible, but I believed that it was. Maybe you only want one thing, that is totally fine. But if you want five or ten, that is also fine.” Based on his experiences, he encourages current students to embrace curiosity and courage in their quest for self-discovery. "You need to be curious enough to wish to discover, learn and reveal who you really are. Are you playing the violin? Maybe you should be playing the flute, or be a composer or dancer, or all of these at the same time.”

He encourages students to avoid defining themselves too narrowly early in their careers. “As a musician you can make a sound, and you can put that sound in any music style. So, try to explore. Do not be afraid. Even if you do not like it, it is totally fine. Then you come back. It is not to defy being conservative. We also need people to stick to tradition, but you will experience tradition with even more value when you understand this.”

Success doesn’t follow a straight line

To illustrate this point, Alex challenges the idea of a conventional linear path to success. “You may think that is how it goes: you start with school, unpaid gigs then move on to commercial gigs and end with the most amazing venues.” But Alex believes more in what he calls the “multi-dimensionality of life", where all these things can co-exist simultaneously. “Today you are at school and in three weeks you might be playing the big thing that you've been dreaming of.”

“You can access that by understanding who you are and understanding the value of what you can offer.'" As a seasoned educator, Alex Simu finds it challenging yet crucial to teach students the value of their unique offerings. “I bet that you still underestimate that value. You underestimate how precious it is what you do because you love it, and you are willing to give it away because you love it. But the price of gold does not change based on if someone appreciates it or not. The gold stays gold.”

Every musician has to be an entrepreneur

“Try to look at the phenomenon in itself. What is music? Why do people like series of frequencies? That will enable you to also understand why people pay money for it. Learning these things will give you a firm ground. It's part of it. Every musician or artist also has to be an entrepreneur.”

Alex concludes: "A career in music is supposed to be fun, exciting, making you happy. It should be like spring is coming, and you cannot wait to see what it brings. If it's not that, you need to re-evaluate who you are."