“Fortune favors the prepared mind.” –Louis Pasteur, scientist I often hear creative people attribute their breakthroughs to luck: “My ideas come to me out of nowhere,” they’ll claim. I don’t think so. Although breakthroughs may seem fortuitous, they actually...
“Everything you know is important. But you shouldn’t assume that the poem or music you create will come from what you know; it comes from what you don’t know.”* –W.S. Merwin, poet Suppose that you’re about to practice, compose, or improvise: Do you aim to restate past...
“Positive emotions open our hearts and minds, making us more receptive and more creative.” –Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D. Positivity, p. 21 We musicians intuitively understand the power of positive emotions. Whether we’re practicing or performing, we know that feelings...
“Your most fertile source of creative energy is a compelling artistic vision.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 310 Among the many factors that lead to artistic achievement, the most decisive one may be the least visible. Yet it’s the reason we veteran musicians practice,...
“What we play is life.” –Louis Armstrong, trumpeter and composer Would many musicians dispute Louis Armstrong’s words? I doubt it. With each turn of a phrase, we performers spin out some of the essence of being alive, and we relish every moment. But we don’t create...
“We have something that is unique. We have our craft. We have our art. We have our desire.”* –Branford Marsalis, saxophonist Craft, art, desire. Add persistent hard work, and what do you get? Artistic and professional success. Why is it, then, that some students who...
“To rely on muscular habit, which so many do in technique, is indeed fatal. A little nervousness, a muscle bewildered and unable to direct itself, and where are you? For technique is truly a matter of the brain.” –Fritz Kreisler, violinist (quoted in, Kato...
“If you want to be creative, get out there and do it.” –Michael Giacchino, composer (March 2010 Oscar acceptance speech) Almost all of the ambitious music students I meet share two common concerns. They wonder: 1.”Do I have what it takes?” 2.”Will I...
“Of all my skills, none is more important than the ability to organize my time.” –Twyla Tharp, choreographer The Creative Habit, p. 178 Whether you’re a mature musician or a rising one, your creative output will hinge on your knack for allocating practice time and...
