“Learning the basics in a rote, unthinking manner almost ensures mediocrity.” –Ellen Langer, psychologist The Power of Mindful Learning, p. 14 How does mindfulness apply to music making? When we’re mindful, we notice. We attend to our sound, emotions, execution, and...
“Slow practice can establish habits that are completely unrelated to the coordination demanded for speed.” –Abby Whiteside, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 48 All of us acknowledge the value of slow practice: by working at deliberate tempos, we cultivate the ease that...
“How you shape your practice schedule will in many ways determine the course of your creative life.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 11 The February/March edition of The Musician’s Way Newsletter has landed in subscribers’ inboxes and is being forwarded widely. As...
“Routine drill is a poor substitute for the fun of utilizing ears and rhythm for making music.” –Abby Whiteside, pianist Abby Whiteside on Piano Playing, p. 5 “Tick, tick, tick,” drones the metronome. “Plunk, plunk, plunk,” goes the music student. What’s wrong with...
“Fortune favors the prepared mind.” –Louis Pasteur, scientist I often hear creative people attribute their breakthroughs to luck: “My ideas come to me out of nowhere,” they’ll claim. I don’t think so. Although breakthroughs may seem fortuitous, they actually...
