“Establish an honest dialogue with your teacher.” -Wynton Marsalis The Musician’s Way, p. 293 Vast numbers of students take music lessons, but I’ve observed that few speak authentically with their teachers. The following guidelines, adapted from...
“Nearly all musicians’ injuries are preventable.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 230 Whenever school years or music festivals begin, music students dive into intense practice schedules. But those fresh starts come with high risks of injury. The Dangers of Overuse...
“To escalate the tempo of newly learned material, you first have to reduce the effort required to play or sing it at your initial tempo.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 73 Some of the thorniest challenges we encounter in practice surround increasing the tempos of newly...
“Memorable concerts have three indispensable ingredients: prepared performers, suitable settings, and terrific music.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 208 The newest issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter presents more than 20 articles covering topics ranging from music...
“How you shape your practice schedule will in many ways determine the course of your creative life.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 11 Consistent, deep practice is the rocket fuel of musical development. When we live by regular practice schedules we reap countless benefits....
“How can music schools better prepare graduates for the innovation economy?” The April 2013 issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter brings together more than 20 articles and resources pertinent to student and professional musicians. You’ll...
“It’s your internal motivation that opens the creative spigot.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 105 Those of us who create day after day know that things don’t always go smoothly. Sometimes our work flows; other times difficulties slow us down. But...
“No pitch is merely a pitch; each one has a living quality.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 20 The February 2013 edition of The Musician’s Way Newsletter has arrived in subscribers’ inboxes and is being widely shared. As usual, the newsletter incorporates more than 15...
“Performing from memory can be a beautiful thing.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 82 As someone who has performed countless solos, I know the upsides and downsides of playing with or without a score. We musicians often debate whether to memorize or not, so...
