“The road to improvement is paved with evaluations.” The Musician’s Way, p. 296 Whatever our level of artistic development, we’re always aiming to grow. And one of the primary ways that we advance is through critiques because other viewpoints alert us to our blind...
“To get to authenticity, you really keep going down to the bone, to the honesty and the inevitability of something.” –Meredith Monk, singer and composer The Musician’s Way, p. 19 A music student performs a new piece, but numerous things go awry – technical glitches,...
“The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” –Carl Jung, psychologist Psychological Types, p. 123 Can deliberate practice be both productive and playful? That is, can we zero in on specific tasks in practice, work intensely, and feel exuberant at...
“Learning the basics in a rote, unthinking manner almost ensures mediocrity.” –Ellen Langer, psychologist The Power of Mindful Learning, p. 14 How does mindfulness apply to music making? When we’re mindful, we notice. We attend to our sound, emotions, execution, and...
“Routine drill is a poor substitute for the fun of utilizing ears and rhythm for making music.” –Abby Whiteside, pianist Abby Whiteside on Piano Playing, p. 5 “Tick, tick, tick,” drones the metronome. “Plunk, plunk, plunk,” goes the music student. What’s wrong with...
