Ep: 121: Elizabeth Rowe: Former Principal Flutist on Redefining Excellence Beyond the Spotlight

Elizabeth Rowe is a leadership and executive coach whose career sits at the unique crossroads of world-class performance, leadership coaching, and advocacy. For two decades, she was the principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, she made national headlines with a landmark equal pay lawsuit — an act of courage that earned her recognition as one of The Boston Globe’s “Bostonians of the Year,” calling her “The Fighter.”  During her TEDx talk The Lonely Onlys, she shared how imagination and vulnerability can help us build connection and community. In her coaching work, Elizabeth works at the intersection of personal and professional development, helping high achievers thrive in high-pressure environments and navigate major career or life transitions with ease and confidence.

Summary

In this conversation, Elizabeth Rowe shares her journey from being a principal flutist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra to transitioning into leadership coaching. She reflects on the emotional farewell to her music career, the challenges of maintaining passion, and the importance of quality over quantity in practice. Elizabeth discusses the pressures of live performances, the significance of emotional expression in music, and her experiences with mistakes and internal pressures. She also addresses her lawsuit under the Equal Pay Act, the courage to explore new paths, and the evolution of her definition of excellence. Ultimately, Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of trusting the process and finding fulfillment beyond the spotlight.

Takeaways

  • Resilience is forged through setbacks and failures.
  • Quality and focus in practice matter more than hours logged.
  • Success comes from focusing on inputs, not just outcomes.
  • Perfectionism can protect but also isolate.
  • Vulnerability creates connection and growth.
  • Most obstacles for high achievers are internal, not external.
  • Excellence evolves from proving worth to providing value.
  • True fulfillment comes from connection, purpose, and service.

Notes

Websites:

I Am Elizabeth Rowe

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Ep 77: Howard Shore: Academy Award-winning composer

Howard Shore is a musical composer and has won three Academy Awards for his score to The Lord of the Rings as well as four Grammys and three Golden Globes. He has scored over 90 films and collaborated with many well known directors including Peter Jackson, Martin Scorsese, David Cronenberg, and Tim Burton.

 

Some interesting insights from this episode:

  • He was in a jazz fusion band called Lighthouse and opened for Jimi Hendrix while touring with the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane.
  • He was the first musical director for Saturday Night Live.
  • When he was starting out, he went to the library and studied other scores to learn how to write music for the movies.
  • He has wide range as a composer scoring thrillers like Silence of the Lambs, comedies like Big and Mrs. Doubtfire, dramas such as Philadelphia and The Aviator, and fantasy films, most notably The Lord of the Rings.
  • “You’re trying to take the audience to the world. You want to transport the person and they may not be aware of how they got there and what’s happening to them.”
  • He used to review Mozart’s symphonies in the morning before he would compose to tune his brain up and try to emulate that level of quality.
  • The key to creating music is to not overanalyze but to keep writing and writing and figure out later how to revise and winnow it down to what you really want.
  • “Excellence is respecting the art of the world that you’re working in.”

Ep. 31: Nicola Benedetti: Vibrant Violin Virtuoso

Nicola is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation.  She is one of the most influential classical artists in the world and has played with the finest orchestras and symphonies from around the globe. She was the BBC Young Musician of the Year at age 16, twice the Female Artist of the Year at the classical BRIT awards and has sold millions of records.

 

Some interesting insights from this episode:

  • As early as the age of 5, she was so emotionally moved by music that she would often be brought to tears while playing.
  • It’s important to focus early on in life. Once you learn to push through certain barriers, you can apply that discipline to other areas in which you choose to devote your life.
  • She never had any long term goals of becoming a world class violinist but rather, was always hyper focused on just improving one day at a time.
  • Beyond her technical mastery, she had a natural stage presence which enabled her to take her talent to the next level.
  • When she performs she enters the “flow state” whereby she becomes so engrossed in playing that she’s no longer thinking but rather, enters a period of emotional timelessness.
  • Learn how she was able to top not only the classical charts but the Top 30 Pop Album charts as well.
  • Excellence isn’t just about the discipline, dedication and relentless work ethic but also about being immensely curious about the larger philosophical questions outside of their areas of expertise.