“You’ve got to think about ‘big things’ while you’re doing small things so that all the small things go in the right direction.” –Alvin Toffler, author When we veteran performers practice, we begin with objectives and learning methods in mind. If we’re preparing a new...
“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...
“Even the greatest virtuosos practice the fundamentals, because they are the basis of all playing.” –Wynton Marsalis Marsalis on Music, p. 124 Scales, arpeggios, exercises . . . boring stuff. Right? I don’t think so. In fact, I find the practicing of such basics to be...
“2-to-1 breathing helps reduce, coordinate, and stabilize the activity of the brain and the nervous system.” –John Clarke, M.D., former Chairman of the Himalayan Institute If we feel unsettled prior to playing or singing, 2-to-1 breathing is a powerful technique that...
“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...
“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...
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...
“If you start with something that’s fake, you’re always covering your tracks.” –Paul Simon, singer-songwriter Is there really a fast track to mastering an unfamiliar composition? I’m convinced that there is. And its use can not only speed up the learning process but...
“The better you use yourself, the better you will play.” –Pedro de Alcantara The Musician’s Way, p. 257 Music making may be the most integrated of all human activities. It’s no exaggeration to say that either playing instruments or singing requires us to coordinate...
