“I think it’s beautiful to practice. I LOVE to practice.” -Claudio Arrau, pianist* To be a musician is to be someone who practices. Day after day, we musicians work in solitude to learn new repertoire, refine old repertoire, and polish our skills....
“The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.” -Duke Ellington The Musician’s Way, p. 14 We veteran musicians know that our creativity blossoms when we perform music that fits our style and technique. Students, though, often attempt to...
“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....
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” -Victor Hugo The Musician’s Way, p. 5 All of us musicians feel something within us that cannot remain silent. But to forge lasting, full-time music careers, we have...
“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...
“The most difficult thing about being a musician these days is not talent. It’s sustainability.”* –Robert Sirota, former President Manhattan School of Music As Robert Sirota implies, hordes of music graduates struggle to sustain themselves in today’s scene....
“We first make our habits and then our habits make us.” –John Dryden, poet The Musician’s Way, p. 20 When you practice, are you consistently focused and productive? If not, the reason may be due to chronic habits that undermine your attention and creativity. Here are...
“The beauty in playing the instrument is not to be better than the next person but to stay true to oneself, to set one’s own standards and keep to them.” –Andrés Cárdenes, violinist The Musician’s Way, p. 305 In many ways, we succeed or flounder as...
