“Whatever you value most in music, pursue it.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 312 The rising musicians who’ll thrive in today’s economy will often do so owing to a combination of their musical and entrepreneurial skills. What do we mean when we describe musicians as...
“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...
“Your imagination with programming can make the difference between your becoming either a busy performer with an eager audience or one who performs little.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 216 Why do people attend concerts by rising musicians? Primarily because they feel...
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” –John Steinbeck* If you’re a musician who brims with ideas, you’ve probably learned piles of repertoire that you’d like to maintain. Still,...
“People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” –Andrew Carnegie The Musician’s Way, p. 105 Persistent practice coupled with ongoing professional development is the recipe for musical...
“Before you play, you must prepare your way.” Stéphane Grappelli, violinist The Musician’s Way, p. 157 In my previous post, “The Preparation Timeline,” I contended that when we book a performance, an audition, or a recording session, a written timeline...
“With big events, the artistic and logistical details can reach nerve-racking proportions.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 216 We all know that excellent performances result from thorough preparation. But preparing for concerts, auditions, and recording sessions entails...
“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...
“Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.” –Miles Davis, trumpeter and composer* Miles Davis poetically captures the essence of artistic musicianship. How do we attain such comprehensive fluency? General and Specialized Expertise Basically, we become capable...
