“Music is indivisible. The dualism of feeling and thinking must be resolved to a state of unity in which one thinks with the heart and feels with the brain” –George Szell, conductor (George Szell: A Life in Music, p. 212) Have you ever heard a note-perfect performance...
“Everything you know is important. But you shouldn’t assume that the poem or music you create will come from what you know; it comes from what you don’t know.”* –W.S. Merwin, poet Suppose that you’re about to practice, compose, or improvise: Do you aim to restate past...
“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...
“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...
“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...
“To rely on muscular habit, which so many do in technique, is indeed fatal. A little nervousness, a muscle bewildered and unable to direct itself, and where are you? For technique is truly a matter of the brain.” –Fritz Kreisler, violinist (quoted in, Kato...
“Of all my skills, none is more important than the ability to organize my time.” –Twyla Tharp, choreographer The Creative Habit, p. 178 Whether you’re a mature musician or a rising one, your creative output will hinge on your knack for allocating practice time and...
“The single most important goal for performing artists is to see how they are doing.” –Itzhak Perlman The Musician’s Way, p. 202 Suppose that you’re practicing a new piece. How do you know that one portion is learned securely enough for you to tackle another? Later...
