“Repetition inevitably begets habits.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 52 Over the course of our lives, we musicians do a lot of repeating. There’s standard repertoire that we perform for years, and we revisit exercises to keep our technical abilities strong. On top of...
“My biggest kick in music – playing or writing – is when I have a problem. Without a problem to solve, how much interest do you take in anything?” –Duke Ellington The Musician’s Way, p. 54 No matter how musically advanced we become, we encounter passages...
“Artistic growth can continue throughout a musician’s life.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 296 Unity of body, mind and spirit lies at the center of artistic music making. We don’t sing only with our voices, nor do we play instruments merely with our head...
“The outset of learning is when you instill enduring habits because the brain and body tend to imprint.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 42 Many music students begin working on new pieces by doing heaps of sketchy run-throughs and sloppy repetitions. Then, after...
“There must always be a sense of progression or movement towards definite landmarks.” –Tobias Matthay, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 23 Rhythm comes alive when it propels listeners through a phrase via what we musicians term “forward motion.” Aside from...
