“Practicing is not forced labor; it is a refined art that partakes of intuition, of inspiration, patience, elegance, clarity, balance, and, above all, the search for ever greater joy in movement and expression.” —Yehudi Menuhin, violinist The Musician’s Way, p....
“The Musician’s Way is fantastic, and is a must-read for every student and professional. . . . The book is a gold mine of information that will help musicians around the world.” —International Trumpet Guild Journal, Oct. 2011 The Spring/Summer...
“When you step on stage, your awareness of your material will anchor your control and set your creativity free.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 37 Having coached countless aspiring musicians, I’ve found that many commit an avoidable misstep that profoundly limits their...
“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” –Jonathan Swift The Musician’s Way, p. 310 We all know that musical excellence results from smart, steady practice over a span of years. Still, it isn’t always easy for us to practice deliberately day after day....
“Repetition inevitably begets habits.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 52 Over the course of our lives, we musicians do a lot of repeating. There’s standard repertoire that we perform for years, and we revisit exercises to keep our technical abilities strong. On top of...
“My biggest kick in music – playing or writing – is when I have a problem. Without a problem to solve, how much interest do you take in anything?” –Duke Ellington The Musician’s Way, p. 54 No matter how musically advanced we become, we encounter passages...
“Artistic growth can continue throughout a musician’s life.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 296 Unity of body, mind and spirit lies at the center of artistic music making. We don’t sing only with our voices, nor do we play instruments merely with our head...
“The outset of learning is when you instill enduring habits because the brain and body tend to imprint.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 42 Many music students begin working on new pieces by doing heaps of sketchy run-throughs and sloppy repetitions. Then, after...
“To perform at a high level, you have to attain a kind of unity with your instrument.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 257 Masterful performers exhibit ease in all that they do on stage. Their performances appear easy because they are easy for them, thanks to the...
