“How can we have a goal in practice, feel inspired by a sense of purpose and direction, and yet avoid becoming caught in a tangle of straining and striving?” –Joseph Goldstein, author Insight Meditation, p. 29 Have you ever felt entangled by your musical aspirations,...
“When, through repetition, you practice being inventive and playful, your concerts will resound with those same spontaneous traits.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 53 We musicians do a lot of repeating. In practice, we necessarily repeat material to refine our skills, learn...
“The mind always has to anticipate the physical action that is to be taken and then to send the command for its execution.” –Ivan Galamian, violin teacher The Musician’s Way, p. 48 Of all the skills required to perform music, one of the most vital ones is also the...
“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” –Francis Bacon, painter* We musicians have much to master along the road to acquiring expertise. And the demands of practice can sometimes be daunting. But as we build up our skills, we need to remember that, in...
“Amassing the know-how of a professional musician takes time and diligence, but the personal investments you make will bring rewards beyond measure.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 314 This week marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of MusiciansWay.com and The...
“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...
“People think I am disciplined. It is not discipline, it is devotion. There is a great difference.” –Luciano Pavarotti, singer The Musician’s Way, p. 106 What empowers some musicians to keep growing while others fizzle? I’m convinced that, above all, it’s...
“I’m very mistrustful of tactile memory. I think it’s the first thing that goes.” –André Watts, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 82 Have you ever been blindsided by a memory lapse? Maybe you felt secure in practice, but, during a performance, you blanked on a...
