“No matter how much I rehearsed, I never felt ready for the stage. Instead, I felt like a deer stumbling into oncoming traffic on a dark road.” –Shannon Sexton, singer & writer The Musician’s Way, p. 140 I expect that every performer knows what it’s like to...
“Artistic performers are prepared performers.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 155 Imagine that you’re backstage, minutes before the start of a concert: Are you feeling confident, or are you worried that things could go awry? Unlike less-experienced...
“The route to becoming an accomplished musician is seldom smooth and trouble free.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 202 We musicians may dream of performing brilliantly at every show or audition, but, in reality, things don’t always go as well as we’d like. Especially for...
“Auditions may be among your most significant career-building performances. Why not enjoy them?” –The Musician’s Way, p. 222 Having heard countless auditions over the years, I’ve learned that few young musicians audition well. Time and again, gaps in their judgment...
“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...
“Creative activity could be described as a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.” –Arthur Koestler, author (Drinkers of Infinity, p. 235) The tricky passage that finally rings true, the ‘aha’ moment, the transcendent...
“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...
“Research has shown that people who adopt mastery goals experience the lowest levels of performance anxiety.” –Music Educators Journal, Dec. 2010.* When we step on stage, nothing affects our state of mind more than our goals. Mastery goals inspire us to be artistic...
“Ultimately, your musical progress will depend more on your skillfulness with the creative process than on any talent.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 313 We dedicated musicians invest heavily in growing our abilities because we know that the personal and professional...
