“Throw yourself into life as someone who makes a difference.” –Benjamin Zander, conductor The Musician’s Way, p. 305 One of the most powerful ways that we can make a difference in life is to do creative work. Still, unless we choose our aims wisely, we can...
“The ease of your entry into the music profession will largely depend on the doors you open while you’re a student.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 305 If you’re studying music with the intention of becoming a professional, then, to succeed after graduating from a...
“To achieve your musical potential, you have to commit to the creative process, take risks, and follow your heart.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 112 To gain a deeper understanding of something, it often helps to consider its opposite. So, in the interest of helping you...
“I get an audience involved because I’m involved myself. If the song is a lament at the loss of love, I get an ache in my gut. . . . I cry out the loneliness.” –Frank Sinatra The Musician’s Way, p. 188 Some concerts provoke such deep feelings that audiences...
“The road to improvement is paved with evaluations.” The Musician’s Way, p. 296 Whatever our level of artistic development, we’re always aiming to grow. And one of the primary ways that we advance is through critiques because other viewpoints alert us to our blind...
“Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations.” –Rollo May The Courage to Create, p. 115 I’ll bet that nearly all of us could be more creative than we are. Why don’t we create abundantly? One reason is that we often flee from the...
“The most important practice session of the week isn’t the one right before your lesson; it’s the one right after.”–The Musician’s Way, p. 296 As lessons or performances approach, many music students ramp up their practice time; then, afterward, they ease off. I think...
“Everything you know is important. But you shouldn’t assume that the poem or music you create will come from what you know; it comes from what you don’t know.”* –W.S. Merwin, poet Suppose that you’re about to practice, compose, or improvise: Do you aim to restate past...
“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...
