“Music is a performing art. . . . It isn’t there in the score.” -Michael Tippett, composer The Musician’s Way, p. 152 When you think about all that goes into preparing for a concert, music performance can seem like a delicate skill, something akin to tightrope...
“The performers who connect from the stage establish emotional relationships with their audiences.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 188 What endows a performance with the power to stir listeners’ hearts? At a minimum, a spellbinding concert melds first-rate...
“When I play, I make love – it is the same thing.” -Arthur Rubinstein, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 207 If you’ve read much about performing, then you’ve probably run into the terms “peak performance,” “flow,” and “being in the zone.” Those synonymous...
“All musicians should be able to address audiences confidently.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 176 Speaking from the stage can powerfully enhance audience-performer rapport, provided that we musicians polish our public speaking skills. Here are six public...
“It’s your internal motivation that opens the creative spigot.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 105 Those of us who create day after day know that things don’t always go smoothly. Sometimes our work flows; other times difficulties slow us down. But...
Mindfulness Gives Performers an Edge Those of us who watch athletic competitions such as the Olympics witness some athletes who triumph and others who choke under the stress of performing. What differentiates those two groups? I’ve probed that question for...
“I don’t say that I never feel fear before a performance, but I have learned to channel it.” –Claudio Arrau, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 162 Imagine that you’ve arrived at a venue 90 minutes before you’ll perform. You have to set up the stage, check the...
“To be on stage is to be in charge.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 179 Take a moment to recall the stage presence of some memorable soloists: Don’t they convey authenticity and enjoyment? Authenticity and enjoyment are common features of commanding performers, so it...
“Display confident body language, come what may.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 194 Are you confident in your ability to deal with on-stage mistakes? I’ve found that rising musicians seldom practice handling errors, so they typically don’t manage them as gracefully as they...
