I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to everyone in my life that has contributed to 2025. It has been a year of ups and downs, highs and lows. I have doubted myself more than ever, and I have overcome some tricky patches. My health has taken a few knocks, but nothing that I can’t deal with. There have been times when my mental health has plummeted, but also times when I have truly seen why life is worth living. We need all that don’t we, life is a rich tapestry and I am learning to embrace everything when it arrives.
I am desperately trying to find something to say that is powerful or quote worthy. Sadly I can’t seem to find the words. I haven’t blogged as much this year because I haven’t always found the words amidst all that has been going on.
So I will go with this, a ramble…sorry.
Be kind to yourself
Be kind to yourself as you enter 2026. Whatever you do for work, rest or play, enjoy it. Don’t put pressure on yourself to get everything right, or make everyone like you – you won’t and they won’t. Embrace the mistakes and celebrate the success – but sometimes just do it on your own in the quiet. Look for moments to learn, moments to enjoy and moments to cherish. Grab hold of the things that matter – they might be small, quiet and private. Trust with caution, and don’t give all of you all the time. If you have something to say, then say it, but not everyone will agree, and that is okay.
Work as hard as you like, but remember the people around you that need you. It’s okay to rely on those closest to you, they will need the same in return very soon. Celebrate success, and those who matter will do that with you – and those are the people you can truly rely on!
Finding the balance
The balance is for you to find, in your work and your life. But listen to those closest to you because they see the scales and the weights and they know best. But don’t listen to anyone who doesn’t really know the weight of what you carry and why. It’s okay to find stuff hard in the pursuit of something you want, and carrying a burden for some of the year is part of that process. Just make sure you know what you are picking up and the impact it will have on those around you.
Look for positives, but embrace reality on the way. Not everyone will see through your lens, and sometimes that is okay. But sometimes it is good to give perspective and share your view – just be kind in the process. Context is everything and not everyone will know yours. That is okay, the impact you have is still relevant to those who are impacted.
And work out your why – not just in life, but in the moment. Why are you wanting to say that, do that or pursue that? Stopping and checking in on the why will help you balance your diary, temper your emotions and guard your tongue!
One thing I have learnt in 2025
And if I have learnt one thing this year it is simply this.
The few moments of pure joy are worth all the hard moments of struggle.
Nothing new there eh! No major revelation from me. But it is always worth remembering that. If I were to chat to James at the start of the year, I think he would be pretty amazed at the James at the end of the year. I think it was Jimmy Carr who said on a podcast that if he were to go back and see his younger self he would say “don’t change anything”. If it wasn’t him then someone else would have said something similar.
Because I wouldn’t go back with the hacks that would see my past self avoid all the hard bits of this year. I might in my gut want to warn past James not to say or do certain things in the moment, but those moments passed quick. So I would tell myself, it is okay, you will be okay, don’t chance anything!
What makes a year great?
What makes a year great isn’t always obvious at the time. For me, the hardest parts of 2025 have shaped me the most. A great year isn’t always plain sailing, which is why reflection is a good thing. But this year has been made great by some wonderful people who have helped me so much. It has been made great by projects coming together, great nights out and some wonderful family time.
It has been a great year because I feel I have grown, learnt a lot and fought some much needed personal battles. I haven’t enjoyed every moment, and I spent nearly 3 weeks really unwell in bed. But even in those dark moments, I have learnt so much, and I feel I am ready to tackle whatever 2026 throws at me.
So keep going
So keep going, you are doing well. It’s your journey and you are probably well and truly on board by now. And if you change one thing in 2026 it might just be that you are going to be kind to yourself and yet continue to passionately pursue that thing that makes you who you are and brings you more joy than you need to explain in any post or blog.
Enjoy reflecting on 2025, I know I have and will. Don’t be surprised if the year was actually better than you think, but embrace the tough stuff too, that is what really helps you grow.
And this year, well I plan to try and live just that little bit more. I plan to read more, listen to more music, get healthier in body and mind and most of all be kind – to myself, my family and all those around me. I will endeavour to continue working hard in a job I love, aiming to continue to do all I can for music education and the young people I work with. My plan is to see them succeed and I want to leave some kind of legacy from the year. Loving what you do, being kind to yourself and getting all you can from life are pretty big goals, but I think they are all worth pursuing.
Happy New Year! Celebrate how you like, with who you love and sprint into 2026 with all the energy you can muster! It’s gonna be a year – hopefully a great one – but definitely another 365 days of opportunity!
Caption competition
And I leave you with the photo on this post, a small moment, in a year full of so much. The picture captures me doing what I love and it is one of those private moments between me and the choir. I am not sure exactly what moment this is from our carol service, and I am happy for a caption competition to ensue. But when I saw this photo I thought, I got there, I did it, I survived another year. I got to do what I love and this photo captures a face (tired and balding as it is) that is heading into 2026 ready and excited.
This reflection on what elevates a musical year beyond mere productivity or accolades cuts straight to the core. The idea that greatness lies in moments of genuine connection—whether a breakthrough in ensemble cohesion, a student’s sudden leap in confidence, or a single performance that felt alive rather than merely correct—feels quietly radical in an era obsessed with metrics and output.
I particularly appreciate the restraint in not listing personal triumphs or repertoire milestones. Instead, the focus stays on intangible shifts: the way a rehearsal suddenly clicks, or how a piece long struggled with finally yields its emotional weight. Those are the markers that linger long after the calendar turns.
It is a reminder that the most meaningful years often leave fewer tangible traces but deeper traces in the people involved. One hopes more directors and teachers adopt this lens; it might spare us the fatigue of chasing endless “big” achievements at the expense of the small, transformative ones.