“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” -Charles Mingus, bassist The Musician’s Way, p. 55 Musical problem-solving requires creative thinking, yet the style of thinking that’s commonly...
“Create meaning in everything that you practice.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 312 Have you ever started a music practice session and felt that your abilities were out of alignment? Maybe your mind was restless, your control tenuous, or your tone iffy. It’s easy for...
“Probe every aspect of what ‘being a successful musician’ means to you.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 302 If you aspire to a career as an independent musician, you’ll find lots of “how to” advice online. This post takes a reverse approach: I...
“The path you take is your path and no one else’s, so welcome it.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 314 Many aspiring musicians worry about their futures, wondering whether they have enough talent to succeed as pros. Thing is, musical talent is but a facet of what enables us...
“Leaving your troubles behind, enter the exquisite realm of music making.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 6 The beginnings of practice sessions set in motion everything that follows. When we start practice with clear intentions, we accomplish more in the shortest...
“With a commitment on your calendar, your practice becomes targeted toward an exhilarating purpose.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 108 Some musicians relish daily practice; others struggle to work consistently. Whatever our relationship with practice might be,...
“Every performance is different. That’s the beauty of it.” -Van Morrison The Musician’s Way, p. 153 To reach the heart of performance, let’s start by deciphering what a performance is. Consider this: When we play or sing for someone else, we’re performing; and...
“One must approach music with a serious rigor and, at the same time, with a great, affectionate joy.” –Nadia Boulanger The Musician’s Way, p. 292 How we sound in performance is a direct result of how we practice. So even though practice entails focused work, it’s...
“I think it’s beautiful to practice. I LOVE to practice.” -Claudio Arrau, pianist* To be a musician is to be someone who practices. Day after day, we musicians work in solitude to learn new repertoire, refine old repertoire, and polish our skills....
