“You must play for the love of music. Perfect technique is not as important as making music from the heart.” –Mstislav Rostropovich, cellist/conductor The Musician’s Way, p. 133 To practice music is to pursue perfection – or so we often hear. What nonsense. Rather, we...
“We should welcome applause whenever it comes.” –Emanuel Ax, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 183 Should audiences at classical concerts only applaud according to strict rules of etiquette? I’d say no. Listeners should applaud when they feel like it. Nonetheless,...
“Like sensuous opening ceremonies, warm-ups prepare the body, mind, and spirit for making music.” – The Musician’s Way, p. 37 I always take pleasure in my daily warm-ups. As I open my guitar case, tune, and play my first notes, I feel inspired and...
“Performance anxiety is the kind of problem that rears its ugly head in both straightforward and subtle ways.” –Eric Maisel, author and psychologist If you’re an active performer, then I expect that you or a musician you know has taken a beta-blocker to alleviate...
“In order to be creative you have to know how to prepare to be creative.” -Twyla Tharp, choreographer (The Creative Habit, p. 9) Even though musical expertise results from persistent practice, it can be tough for us musicians to stick to our practice schedules...
“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.” –Plato All of us musicians know the restorative power of music. In this post, I briefly look at ways in which we can bring musical healing to those who need it most: patients in hospitals, nursing...
In this, the concluding portion of his interview with Gerald Klickstein, Joseph Robinson recalls his teacher Marcel Tabuteau, recounts some of the complexities of orchestral work, and offers sage advice to rising musicians. [Update: Joseph Robinson’s memoir,...
Joseph Robinson was Principal Oboist with the New York Philharmonic from 1978 until his retirement in 2005. In this interview with Gerald Klickstein for The Musician’s Way Blog, he speaks about music making, artistic development, and various aspects of living the...
Later this year [2010], the U.S. Federal Communications Commission will ban the use of wireless microphones and in-ear monitor systems that operate in the 700 MHz spectrum. This post describes when and why the ban is being implemented, provides access to a list of...
