On My Own Path

Posted by Andre Harness

8/25/2026

Well… life is life-ing pretty hard right now.
It’s been a little while since my last blog post (June 16th, to be exact) and July and August absolutely got away from me. There have been some major highs, a few pretty significant low blows, and a whole lot of life happening in between.

So, as usual, let’s catch up.

The Fun Stuff

Before I get into the big life updates, there have been plenty of good things happening over the last couple of months.
I spent a week with some friends at an Airbnb with a pool, which was exactly the kind of break I needed. I also went to a comedy show at The Riot here in Houston that was absolutely hilarious.

I performed at the Jefferson Theatre twice. The first was for a private birthday event that was nothing short of glamorous where I played a solo set, pictured on the left for this blog post (which was a lot of fun, especially because they asked me to put together a version of Toxic by Britney Spears). The second was our Sounds of Home concert with the Golden Triangle Big Band. That was a fantastic show, and you can check out a recording of the performance [here on our YouTube page].

I also took my father-in-law to Redbird's BBQ in Port Neches for his Father's Day gift, and I got to see another Astros game with a friend for his birthday.

So, really, July was just… busy in a good way. A lot of friends, a lot of music, a lot of food, and a lot of enjoying life.

And then things got a little more complicated.

We're Moving!

The first major update, and probably the biggest reason this blog post is so late, is that we're moving.
The short version of the story is that our landlord foreclosed on the house we're renting. After some back-and-forth with the bank, we were able to work out an agreement that gives Taryn and me some time to figure out what comes next and find a new place.

We still don't know exactly where we're going to end up, but rather than viewing this as something being forced upon us, we've decided to take it as an opportunity.

We've talked for a long time about eventually moving further into Houston. I've spent the last three years in Baytown with one foot in Southeast Texas and the other in Houston, and honestly, I haven't felt like I could fully dedicate myself to either community.

Houston has a lot of opportunities that I'm excited about. There are musical projects I want to pursue, more opportunities to play with the Conrad Johnson Orchestra, the possibility of building a more serious quartet project, more networking, and the chance to play at higher-caliber venues like Doc's. There are also just a lot of people in the Houston music scene that I'd love to get to know better.

So we're going for it.

That also means I'm stepping down as the Music Director of the Golden Triangle Big Band.
The Golden Triangle Big Band has been one of the most rewarding projects I've ever been involved with. It started as a passion project and became so much more than that. I got to share music that I love with my community, work with some incredibly talented musicians, provide opportunities for students and local players, and learn an absolutely ridiculous amount about what it takes to actually manage and operate an ensemble.

I am incredibly proud of what we've built.

That said, this isn't necessarily goodbye.
I'm not currently planning to step down as Executive Director. Assuming the board continues to want me in that role, I believe I can still contribute through the administrative, organizational, fundraising, and community-building sides of the organization remotely.

What will change is my role as a musician and Music Director. I won't be performing with the band, managing personnel, or selecting the music. And that's okay.

I have complete faith in the musicians who are currently part of the band. There is so much talent there, and I genuinely believe they are capable of taking the group in a great direction.

For now, though, my next big project is figuring out where the heck we're going to live before the end of September.

Wish me luck!

Comparison and Envy in the Music World

The other challenge I've been dealing with lately is a little more personal, and probably something that a lot of musicians can relate to.

I've had the privilege of teaching some incredible students over the years (Gavin Lopez, Perry Perez, Cameron Montgomery, just to name a few!). And sometimes, as someone who is deeply passionate about music, it is really difficult to hear your students making incredible progress in their later years without questioning yourself a little bit.

You hear them play and think:

"What did I miss?"
"What did they understand that I didn't?"
"Why aren't I playing like that?"

It's a weird feeling to be incredibly proud of someone while simultaneously feeling a little inadequate yourself.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I've talked about it with Taryn. One of my former students, Perry Perez, has been on an incredible trajectory lately. He's putting in the work, he's engaged, he's growing, and he deserves every bit of recognition he's getting. If you haven't checked him out yet, go do it! [https://www.instagram.com/perrythesax/].

And honestly, I think it's important to acknowledge what I'm feeling rather than pretend it isn't there.

Comparison is difficult. Envy is difficult.

I think some amount of envy is inevitable when you're passionate about something. I've heard musicians who are incredible and thought, "Man, I wish I could play like that."

That's human. What matters is what you do with that feeling.

Taryn said something to me the other day that really put things into perspective:

"Have you considered that your top priorities and their top priorities are just different?"

She's right.
This year, I've been incredibly focused on my career and my health. I've let the music side of my life slip a little bit. That's not necessarily a bad thing; it was a choice.

And there's another important distinction: for some of the musicians I'm comparing myself to, music is their number one priority. They pour their heart and soul into it every day. For some, it's their career.

As much as I love jazz and performing, it isn't my career.
I've still worked hard at music. I've still grown tremendously as a musician. But I've also grown tremendously in other areas of my life. In the last several years, I've nearly quadrupled my starting salary at my company. I've built a career I am proud of. I've developed relationships, taken care of myself, built a life with my wife, and done things I never would have imagined when I started working there. Those things matter, too.

It's not fair to look at someone else's life and say, "I want what they have" without also acknowledging that they may look at your life and think the exact same thing. Our lives are nuanced. Everyone is on their own path.

And I think that's the biggest thing I've taken away from all of this: if I want more from my playing, that's on me.

If I want to get better, I have to practice.
If I want to perform at a higher level, I have to put in the work.
If I stop progressing, I have to be willing to honestly evaluate why and decide what needs to change.

If I want more, I can go get it.

And if I fail? Then I fail.

People who succeed aren't people who never fail. They're people who experience failure (often), learn from it, and refuse to give up. So maybe this is less about feeling inadequate and more about recognizing that I have a choice.

And Then There's Chicago

Despite all of the chaos, and on a completely different note, I had an absolutely wonderful time in Chicago this month.

My company flew my entire department out for hands-on workshops and team building, and I can honestly say it was probably the most fun I've ever had working at this company in my seven years there.

I got to spend real time with my employees outside of the normal work environment. The workshops were genuinely insightful. I felt like I connected with my team in a way that isn't always possible remotely, and I even felt like I made a pretty good impression on my leadership.

And, of course, Chicago is just a blast.

Taryn and I flew in a little early so we could enjoy the city together. We swam in Lake Michigan, took a River Architecture Tour, went to the Museum of Ice Cream, vistied a Nature Conservatory, saw a symphony rehearse Beethoven's 9th at a beautiful outdoor theatre, caught an improv show at The Second City, ate Chicago hot dogs and pizza, saw the Air and Water show, and watched the White Sox play the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

It was a fantastic trip.