“A concentrated mind is not an attentive mind, but a mind that is in the state of awareness can concentrate. Awareness is never exclusive, it includes everything.” –Bruce Lee, martial artist One of the most common questions I receive from music students is, “How...
“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...
“Confident performance isn’t an elusive feat but involves knowledge and skills that any musician can learn.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 133 When I talk to musicians who wrestle with stage nerves, I find that many hold a common belief. They think that they lack a trait...
“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...
“You must play for the love of music. Perfect technique is not as important as making music from the heart.” –Mstislav Rostropovich, cellist/conductor The Musician’s Way, p. 133 To practice music is to pursue perfection – or so we often hear. What nonsense. Rather, we...
“We should welcome applause whenever it comes.” –Emanuel Ax, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 183 Should audiences at classical concerts only applaud according to strict rules of etiquette? I’d say no. Listeners should applaud when they feel like it. Nonetheless,...
“Performance anxiety is the kind of problem that rears its ugly head in both straightforward and subtle ways.” –Eric Maisel, author and psychologist If you’re an active performer, then I expect that you or a musician you know has taken a beta-blocker to alleviate...
“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,...
