“Your imagination with programming can make the difference between your becoming either a busy performer with an eager audience or one who performs little.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 216 Why do people attend concerts by rising musicians? Primarily because they feel...
“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...
“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...
“I can’t understand why people are frightened by new ideas. I’m frightened by the old ones.” –John Cage, composer When I go to classical music concerts here in the U.S., I mostly find older listeners in attendance, even when the performers are college age. But the...
“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” –Ella Fitzgerald, singer When we marvel at the feats of musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, it’s easy for us to overlook the hurdles they...
“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.” –Plato All of us musicians know the restorative power of music. In this post, I briefly look at ways in which we can bring musical healing to those who need it most: patients in hospitals, nursing...
In this, the concluding portion of his interview with Gerald Klickstein, Joseph Robinson recalls his teacher Marcel Tabuteau, recounts some of the complexities of orchestral work, and offers sage advice to rising musicians. [Update: Joseph Robinson’s memoir,...
Joseph Robinson was Principal Oboist with the New York Philharmonic from 1978 until his retirement in 2005. In this interview with Gerald Klickstein for The Musician’s Way Blog, he speaks about music making, artistic development, and various aspects of living the...
