We professional musicians love to share music with others. Whether we perform in concert halls, nightclubs, informal gatherings, or recording studios, our hard work is most rewarded when we connect with listeners. The majority of students, though, spend little time in...
Suppose that you’re preparing to play or sing in public. How do you bridge the gulf between personal practice and public performance? I’ve observed that many rising musicians underperform because they omit a crucial element from their preparatory routines: practice...
Envision standing at a stage door, seconds before your entrance at a solo or small-group concert. The hall darkens; the audience quiets. A stagehand whispers: “Ready?” Let’s stop here and give this scenario a closer look. The backstage scene probably resembles a...
“By becoming knowledgeable about the nature of performance anxiety and acquiring tools to counteract it, musicians can conquer nervousness and lift their music making to new heights.” When I present workshops for musicians who deal with stage nerves, I...
At a recent national conference of the American String Teachers Association, I gave a talk titled “Fearless Performance” (which is also the name of part II of my book The Musician’s Way). The session attracted a large audience, mostly comprised of music...
