“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...
“All musicians should be able to address audiences confidently.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 176 Speaking from the stage can powerfully enhance audience-performer rapport, provided that we musicians polish our public speaking skills. Here are six public...
“One should hunger after the whole concept, the whole mood, what the music stands for.” –William Pleeth, cellist The Musician’s Way, p. 71 When we approach an unfamiliar composition, I recommend that we map out a preliminary interpretation before we deal with...
“Don’t give notes. Give the meaning of the notes.” –Pablo Casals, cellist The Musician’s Way, p. 34 What does it take to give meaningful performances? To begin with, we have to awaken our imaginations so that every pitch we play or sing vibrates with life. Then,...
“Many musicians perform freely in front of people but become self-conscious when recording.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 222 For countless aspiring musicians, recording sessions are trying affairs. All too often, when the recording gear switches on, artistic and technical...
“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,...
“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...
“The most important practice session of the week isn’t the one right before your lesson; it’s the one right after.”–The Musician’s Way, p. 296 As lessons or performances approach, many music students ramp up their practice time; then, afterward, they ease off. I think...
“Deep practice entails achieving mastery, integration, and transcendence with everything that you play or sing.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 20 The December-January issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter has now arrived in subscribers’ inboxes. With more...
