“The most difficult thing about being a musician these days is not talent. It’s sustainability.”* –Robert Sirota, former President Manhattan School of Music As Robert Sirota implies, hordes of music graduates struggle to sustain themselves in today’s scene....
“Music is a performing art. . . . It isn’t there in the score.” -Michael Tippett, composer (The Musician’s Way, p. 152) The October/November edition of The Musician’s Way Newsletter has landed in subscribers’ inboxes and is being forwarded widely. The newsletter...
“We first make our habits and then our habits make us.” –John Dryden, poet The Musician’s Way, p. 20 When you practice, are you consistently focused and productive? If not, the reason may be due to chronic habits that undermine your attention and creativity. Here are...
“One must approach music with a serious vigor and, at the same time, with great, affectionate joy.” –Nadia Boulanger, pianist & composer The Musician’s Way, p. 292 When listeners, journalists, and concert presenters visit musicians’ websites, they absorb the...
“Practice holds a place of honor in the life of a musician.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 4 All of us veteran musicians share the same twin aims when we practice: to polish our skills and prepare music for performances. We also know how to accomplish our goals efficiently....
“A concert may end when the applause fades, but your artistic work and your responsibilities as a performer are far from complete.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 196 As you exit the stage at the end of a performance, how do you typically feel? Then, when you interact with...
“One should hunger after the whole concept, the whole mood, what the music stands for.” –William Pleeth, cellist The Musician’s Way, p. 71 When we approach an unfamiliar composition, I recommend that we map out a preliminary interpretation before we deal with...
“The beauty in playing the instrument is not to be better than the next person but to stay true to oneself, to set one’s own standards and keep to them.” –Andrés Cárdenes, violinist The Musician’s Way, p. 305 In many ways, we succeed or flounder as...
The June/July edition of The Musician’s Way Newsletter brings together 18 articles and online resources of value to musicians and all creative people. For instance, resilience is essential to creative work because it enables us to learn from setbacks and keep...
