“Music making is a never-ceasing process of change and progress.”
–Jacqueline du Pré, cellist
The Musician’s Way, p. 205
If you aspire to perform as an independent musician, whether solo or in small groups, then this article will help you stay ahead of our rapidly changing music world and be equipped for limitless artistic progress.
Such progress is built on foundations of musical excellence, so I’ll begin with resources to form a bedrock of secure skills. Musicians don’t need to be world-class virtuosi to forge rewarding careers. But we all need to master the core skills that give rise to excellent musicianship.
Even so, to bring our music to people, musical skills alone don’t suffice. We also need to design innovative programs and offer one-of-a-kind experiences that will motivate listeners to attend our concerts. That’s where distinctiveness comes into play.
1. Commit to Excellence
Artistic and technical excellence result from steady, deliberate practice. So, abide by a practice schedule and employ the concepts in the following articles to build professional-grade practice habits.
- Organize Material in Five Zones
- Cultivate Habits of Excellence
- Practice Deeply
- Build Technique
- Generate Emotional Depth
- Solve Problems
- Practice Performing
2. Cultivate Distinctiveness
In “Don’t Be a White Egg,” I wrote: “There are so many young classical musicians performing the same music in similar ways that they’ve largely become interchangeable.” Such uniformity renders countless conservatory graduates unable to book concerts.
Added to that, for emerging performers to compete against the universe of online content, they need to offer concert programs that not only transcend the ordinary but also can’t be duplicated online. These articles will empower you to tap your artistic imagination, cultivate distinctiveness, and present unmatched concert experiences.
- Draft an Authentic Artistic Vision
- Create Demand for Your Music
- Craft Irresistible Concert Programs
- Design Engaging Musical Events
- Grow Your Audience
- Commission or Compose New Music
See The Musician’s Way book for detailed guidelines to build artistic, technical, and professional skills. The most complete book of its kind, it’s now on sale at Amazon.com. Read Reviews.
© 2026 Gerald Klickstein
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