by Gerald Klickstein | Jul 26, 2015 | creativity, music performance, music practice
“I may play the same program from one recital to the next, but I will play it differently. And because it is always different, it is always new.” —Vladimir Horowitz, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 75 Most of us musicians develop a core repertoire that we perform for... 
by Gerald Klickstein | Jul 19, 2015 | creativity, music literature, music practice
“Only after I have become familiar with the style and character of the work can I start shaping an interpretation.” —Yo-Yo Ma, cellist The Musician’s Way, p. 24 Suppose that you’re an actor who has been hired to perform in a play. When you receive the script, what... 
by Gerald Klickstein | Jul 5, 2015 | creative process, creativity, motivation
“There is no beginning. Start where you arrive.” –Auguste Rodin (Cathedrals of France, p. 9) Do you want to do more with your music but lack clarity about where to start? Maybe waiting for clarity isn’t the way to go. Maybe the antidote to creative... 
by Gerald Klickstein | Jun 14, 2015 | creativity, music performance, music practice
“The quality of your tone will probably have a more immediate impact on listeners than any other feature of your execution.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 22 We performers know the power of tone quality. Sweet tones can charm, almost like magic, and harsh sounds quickly put... 
by Gerald Klickstein | Apr 15, 2015 | creativity, music performance, music practice
“Treat everything you play on your instrument as an important piece of music, even if you are just warming up.” -Wynton Marsalis (The Musician’s Way, p. 22) Countless musicians set their instruments aside as their lives unfold, yet their desire to make music remains.... 
by Gerald Klickstein | Mar 10, 2015 | creativity, Entrepreneurship, music performance
It’s not just how good you are. It’s how intriguing. All of us musicians work hard to maintain and improve our skills. Too often, though, young musicians devote years to “getting better” without concurrently growing their distinctiveness, and...
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