“Performance anxiety doesn’t yield to band-aid solutions, nor does it abate on its own.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 146 Camille was a 19-year-old amateur pianist who excelled in school but was petrified to play in public.* Her anxiety had surfaced in...
“Ultimately, your musical progress will depend more on your skillfulness with the creative process than on any talent.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 313 When I teach introductory workshops on The Musician’s Way, I organize concepts using frameworks that musicians can...
“I took lessons as a kid, but it was mostly just practicing scales, and it seemed more like homework… I gave piano lessons three attempts – the first time when I was a kid… Then, when I was sixteen… but it was still the same scales…...
“There are plenty of fine educators in the world – and some not-so-fine ones, too.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 293 I advise numerous aspiring music educators each year, and I find that many lack clarity about a vital aspect of teaching and learning. That is, they confuse...
“We get messed up because we don’t have a clear image . . . and therefore give ourselves too many conflicting messages about how to play.” -Eloise Ristad A Soprano On Her Head, p. 116-117 When we set out to learn a new piece, it can resemble a romance, and we’re...
“Whatever the material, your repetitions should lead somewhere meaningful – to greater ease, higher beauty, and deeper feeling.” The Musician’s Way, p. 52 The Spring 2021 issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter brings together music news, creative...
