It’s that time of year again where we’re all thinking about how to be better in the New Year. Looking back on 2019, I was able to accomplish most of my goals despite the obstacles life threw at me. It’s been a journey so far and I look forward to the following things in the year ahead:

2019 was the ‘year of teaching’ for me. I’m grateful for the many teaching opportunities that came my way and hope to continue growing in these areas…

I’m looking forward to premiering the new season of the Everyday Musician Podcast! This season I’ll be speaking to composers and instrumentalists discussing various topics and I hope you can join me for the ride. Episodes will start on September 9th and will premiere every Monday on all major podcast platforms. 

Listen to recent episodes of the Everyday Musician Podcast 

It’s officially September and Back-To-School season is underway. Every year I get excited for the potential that my students have when they play and perform their violins!

For parents reading this post, Back-To-School can be overwhelming also. With regular supplies like the standard notebooks, pencil case, and textbooks, those  are pretty easy to figure out because they’re one-size-fits-all supplies. With the violin, getting the wrong item or not getting the right violin…

Thank you Karjaka Studios for capturing these amazing moments from a couple world premieres at Constellation Chicago.  

Pictured: Eric Mrugala, Kate Barmotina, Eunjin Lee, Alex Goodin, Herine Coetzee Koschak  

Pictured: Eric Mrugala, Charlene Kluegel 

Pictured: Eric Mrugala, Kate Barmotina, Eunjin Lee, Alex Goodin, Herine Coetzee Koschak 

I'm happy to have been a part of Fresh Inc Festival where I got to work with living composers and meet new musicians from around the country. The festival took place at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside for two weeks and it was an intense, and inspiring festival to be at. There were a lot of interesting ideas that people shared at the festival that sparked everyone's imagination. My colleagues and I were fortunate enough to have collaborated with composers Sebastian Quesadas, Chris Karminski, and Ai…

What does this mean for classical musicians in 2018? We're experiencing a shift where musicians want to create and not be binded by the politics of an orchestra.  There are more talented and dedicated musicians out there than ever before. Every single musician has an equal opportunity to grab a music lover's attention.So then we beg the question in the beginning of this post, what does it mean to be a musical entrepreneur and how do you become one?

I can share some good news and say that you already have…

Read my interview with The Music Industry Insider to get a glimpse of how to earn a living as a classical musician.

http://themusicindustryinsider.com/the-everyday-violinist/ 

"Eric, you're talented. But, talent is not enough"

Those words have defined who I am and how I wanted to be portrayed for the last 8 years.

Nowadays it's important to know that playing the violin very well isn't enough to have a sustainable music career. 

Here are some of the things I think about as a violinist:

For musicians, building relationships are something outside the practice room that we need to get comfortable knowing how to do. We practice countless hours…

Today is Sergey Prokofiev's Birthday, I'm glad that I'll be performing his first violin sonata in April. 

Dear Friends, 

After considerable thought, I have decided to rebrand the ETV Podcast into the Everyday Musician Podcast. I've realized that the name can be confusing for people who don't know me but want to learn more about the everyday lives of musicians. The format will be the same as usual! Here is the new logo!

Stay tuned for this week's episode of the Everyday Musician Podcast where I get to interview a cellist in Boston. 

Happy New Year!

I'm glad to get back into the swing of things now that I'm fully rested and ready to go. I reflected on 2018 and am incredibly grateful for the opportunities that came my way. 2019 will present its own challenges. Here are some things I'm thinking about for the new year:

This year my colleagues and I gave our inaugural concert as an official group, the Chicago Chamber Music Project. This year I want to expand the project into…

It seems like musicians are having airline troubles more and more these days. I'm on a mission to help people who are always on the move and flying with their instruments so they make an educated decision when they purchase their next flight ticket somewhere. 

To make my airline reviews simple, I created 6 categories:

• Check-In Process
• Social Media Response
• Boarding Process
• Overhead Bin Space
• Flight Quality
• On Time Arrival

I think that…

He is the man that perfected the symphony, and the string quartet. A man whose innovation has inspired generations of composers to innovate. 
Happy Birthday, Ludwig! 

'Tis the season to be jolly!

This year we have a lot to be thankful for, why not get that special classical musician in your life a gift that they need? Here are my recommendations for making your classical musician happy that will help them for 2019:

First and foremost, I think that buying a set of strings for any classical musician who plays the violin, viola, cello, or bass would make them the HAPPIEST person on the face of the earth. Strings do…

Last year's Indiegogo Project enabled my colleague and me to start what we hope will be a long-term endeavor; to create a chamber music series around the Chicago-land area that audiences can get excited about! 

Chamber music is what we love to do because it enables us (the musicians) to perform music that has stood the test of time. 

Furthermore, we believe that Chicago is a world-class city that is open to projects like this. Our group, the Chicago Chamber Music Project, aims to target audiences who…