“I continued to play with a sore arm with the rationalization that I could play through the pain and that the discomfort would just miraculously go away as I got into better shape as a cellist. But the pain didn’t go away. It got worse.” –Janet Horvath, cellist The...
“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...
“You must start well, and you must end well. What is in the middle is not so important because no one is listening then.” –Maurice Chevalier, singer & actor The Musician’s Way, p. 180 I chuckle every time I read Chevalier’s words, but they...
“The beauty in playing the instrument is not to be better than the next person but to stay true to oneself, to set one’s own standards and keep to them.” –Andrés Cárdenes, violinist The Musician’s Way, p. 305 In many ways, we succeed or flounder as...
“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...
“Meaning is what matters most in your day-to-day practice.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 312 Might there exist people who devote themselves to music solely for material gain? I doubt it. Rather, it’s the psychic income that we derive from our work that we most...
The April/May issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter features a unique collection of news, tips, inspiration, and resources. Ever have trouble carrying an instrument on board a U.S. plane? You’ll read about a new uniform policy that went into effect this year...
“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...
