“Learning the basics in a rote, unthinking manner almost ensures mediocrity.” –Ellen Langer, psychologist The Power of Mindful Learning, p. 14 How does mindfulness apply to music making? When we’re mindful, we notice. We attend to our sound, emotions, execution, and...
“All the inspiration I ever needed was a phone call from a producer.” –Cole Porter, composer The Musician’s Way, p. 108 Many musicians mistakenly deem career-building tasks to be anti-creative. For them, career development equates with writing newsletters, updating...
“Slow practice can establish habits that are completely unrelated to the coordination demanded for speed.” –Abby Whiteside, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 48 All of us acknowledge the value of slow practice: by working at deliberate tempos, we cultivate the ease that...
“As a member of a quartet, you come to realize that you’re responsible for other people’s reputations and livelihoods as well as your own.” –Michael Tree, violist The Musician’s Way, p. 115 Few things in life bring as much joy as collaborative music making. When we...
“How you shape your practice schedule will in many ways determine the course of your creative life.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 11 The February/March edition of The Musician’s Way Newsletter has landed in subscribers’ inboxes and is being forwarded widely. As...
