“Practice holds a place of honor in the life of a musician.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 4 All of us veteran musicians share the same twin aims when we practice: to polish our skills and prepare music for performances. We also know how to accomplish our goals efficiently....
“One should hunger after the whole concept, the whole mood, what the music stands for.” –William Pleeth, cellist The Musician’s Way, p. 71 When we approach an unfamiliar composition, I recommend that we map out a preliminary interpretation before we deal with...
“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...
“Make the most seemingly insignificant part feel good for the rest of the ensemble.” -Wynton Marsalis The Musician’s Way, p. 123 We musicians spend vast amounts of time practicing alone. But to make music collectively, we need skills beyond those we rely...
“Whenever you practice or perform a composition, celebrate its unique message. Feel the excitement of listening to the music for the first time.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 74 All of us musicians learn and then set aside countless pieces. Sometimes, we...
“Don’t give notes. Give the meaning of the notes.” –Pablo Casals, cellist The Musician’s Way, p. 34 What does it take to give meaningful performances? To begin with, we have to awaken our imaginations so that every pitch we play or sing vibrates with life. Then,...
“Wherever you hope to travel on your musical journey, practice is the only route to getting there.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 3 Although deep practice is essential to musical excellence, in my experience, only a minority of rising musicians practice...
“The purpose of technique is to free the unconscious.” –David Mamet, playwright & director On Directing Film, p. 6 When we acquire robust technical skills, barriers to musical expression drop away. We internally “hear” musical gestures, and then we...
“Many musicians perform freely in front of people but become self-conscious when recording.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 222 For countless aspiring musicians, recording sessions are trying affairs. All too often, when the recording gear switches on, artistic and technical...
