“Don’t give notes. Give the meaning of the notes.” –Pablo Casals, cellist The Musician’s Way, p. 34 What does it take to give meaningful performances? To begin with, we have to awaken our imaginations so that every pitch we play or sing vibrates with life. Then,...
“Your central tasks are finding inner peace and strength, on the one hand, and being very well-prepared for your performances, on the other.” -Eric Maisel, author & psychologist The Musician’s Way, p. 146 In my previous post, “The 3 Roots of Performance...
“No matter how much I rehearsed, I never felt ready for the stage. Instead, I felt like a deer stumbling into oncoming traffic on a dark road.” –Shannon Sexton, singer & writer The Musician’s Way, p. 140 I expect that every performer knows what it’s like to...
“Programs are a bit like prix-fixe menus in a restaurant: We can’t serve music à la carte . . . so our menu has to be quite diverse and – tasty.” -Eckart Preu, conductor The Musician’s Way, p. 212 Musicians who can transfix audiences succeed...
“Artistic performers are prepared performers.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 155 Imagine that you’re backstage, minutes before the start of a concert: Are you feeling confident, or are you worried that things could go awry? Unlike less-experienced...
“Many musicians perform freely in front of people but become self-conscious when recording.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 222 For countless aspiring musicians, recording sessions are trying affairs. All too often, when the recording gear switches on, artistic and technical...
“I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.” –Thomas Edison The Musician’s Way, p. 216 If we musicians want to organize self-produced events – things such as concerts, festivals, and community projects...
“Out of discipline comes freedom.” –Vincent Cichowicz, trumpeter (ITG Journal, 2007) Imagine that you’re about to practice, write, compose, or perform. How do you transition from daily life into creative mode? Specifying goals is crucial but, on its own, may not...
“The route to becoming an accomplished musician is seldom smooth and trouble free.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 202 We musicians may dream of performing brilliantly at every show or audition, but, in reality, things don’t always go as well as we’d like. Especially for...
