Elizabeth M. Stevens

I would say my parents. They're the ones who instilled in me to work hard, do your best, and then don't worry about it. You've done all that you can do. They also instilled in me my faith, so I believe that after doing these things, I'm going to land on the correct path. I think that's really important because it helps to keep a good perspective and avoid unnecessary stress. Find your gift, work hard, do your best, and don't worry about it. Things go the way they should.

To do what you love, work hard, don't take yourself too seriously and never compare yourself to others. Elizabeth credits her parents for teaching her that success comes from dedication and character rather than external validation.

Be grateful for the women of the previous generation because every generation has provided more opportunities for the current one. People of this generation don't always appear to realize women of previous generations didn't have the same opportunities. For example, when I first completed my graduate studies at SMU I went to a military base and auditioned to serve as a pianist. The audition went well so the person who auditioned me went to get the conductor. The conductor came out, looked at me, turned around, and walked away. The man who auditioned me followed the conductor out, then came back. The conductor had told him he can't have a woman in his orchestra. Things have changed. That probably wouldn't happen today, but that changed the whole direction of my life. So be grateful for the opportunities we now have. I believe my hard work, and doing it to the best of my ability, has helped open doors for women today.

Right now, my biggest challenge is learning how to let people know about our film Around the World with Tedd Joselson - a journey through music and travel. We believe the film does a great job of bridging classical music to a broad audience and we would love to make it a series where each episode highlights a new composer, beloved piano piece, famous city and its concert hall. Building a community of subscribers will also help us attract sponsors in order to create additional films. I had a similar difficulty with the children's books I wrote during COVID. First I wrote The Porch Puppies and then a reader requested I write The Reunion of the Porch Puppies. They were both published by Waldorf Publishing and put on Amazon but the problem was how to let people know where they could be found.

My parents would say there will always be somebody prettier, or more talented, or smarter. Don't compare yourself to others. Whatever your gift is, just work hard and do your best.