“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...
“The details are not the details. They make the design.” –Charles Eames, designer For musicians and designers alike, our approach to detail largely determines whether our work soars or flops. Compare, for instance, these two performers: Musician 1 performs with...
“We have something that is unique. We have our craft. We have our art. We have our desire.”* –Branford Marsalis, saxophonist Craft, art, desire. Add persistent hard work, and what do you get? Artistic and professional success. Why is it, then, that some students who...
“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” –Ella Fitzgerald, singer When we marvel at the feats of musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, it’s easy for us to overlook the hurdles they...
I just finished watching President Obama’s State of the Union speech. Regarding education, the President said, “Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform – reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and...
“Only accessible material enables students to acquire the habits of mastery that beget secure, artistic performances.” Time and again, when I hear students audition, some will attempt to perform music that’s beyond their capacities. “This’ll be...
“The path you take is your path and no one else’s, so welcome it.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 314 To build our abilities as performers, we have to develop personally effective ways to practice, collaborate, present concerts, engage with our communities,...
