“I will cast this spell: I know I can open this door and show you something unforgettable and transforming, and I’m determined to take myself there and to take you with me.” –Jeffrey Kahane, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 177 When was the last time that you cast a...
“I get an audience involved because I’m involved myself. If the song is a lament at the loss of love, I get an ache in my gut. . . . I cry out the loneliness.” –Frank Sinatra The Musician’s Way, p. 188 Some concerts provoke such deep feelings that audiences...
“Errors are inevitable, but suffering as a result of them is optional.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 193 Of all the skills I teach to performers, one of the most challenging ones for them to master involves the handling of on-stage mistakes. All too often, errors churn up...
“To make the most of a performance, the key is to be open to your experience and to discover new things in both the music and yourself.” The Musician’s Way, p. 208 The April/May edition of The Musician’s Way Newsletter looks into career-building strategies, new...
“The key to harnessing on-stage energy is to use it for music-making purposes” –The Musician’s Way, p. 186 Let’s say that you’re walking on stage to begin a performance. Your heart’s beating somewhat fast and your hands feel cool; maybe your mouth turns dry. Are you...
“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...
“Your imagination with programming can make the difference between your becoming either a busy performer with an eager audience or one who performs little.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 216 Why do people attend concerts by rising musicians? Primarily because they feel...
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” –John Steinbeck* If you’re a musician who brims with ideas, you’ve probably learned piles of repertoire that you’d like to maintain. Still,...
“Before you play, you must prepare your way.” Stéphane Grappelli, violinist The Musician’s Way, p. 157 In my previous post, “The Preparation Timeline,” I contended that when we book a performance, an audition, or a recording session, a written timeline...
