“All musicians can sift through their performance issues and come out the better for it – if they choose to do the work.” The Musician’s Way, p. 146 For music students to excel as performers, they need abundant opportunities to rehearse performance skills. And...
“You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 196 In Chapter 10 of The Musician’s Way, I emphasize that musicians should view errors not as shameful failures but as neutral information. Having such a healthy...
“When you don’t transmit irritation from mechanical breakdowns, an audience finds them interesting and even amusing.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 195 Thorough preparation underpins every successful performance. But even when we’re fully geared up...
“When I finally saw how I looked, I realized that I was distracting the audience from the music.” -Alfred Brendel, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 171 Imagine standing backstage prior to your entrance at the start of a concert: as the house lights dim, the...
“You take control of yourself, your material, and the situation, and then listeners place themselves willingly in your hands.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 179 Performing arts reach their zenith in the magical interaction between artist and audience. It’s crucial,...
“As you perform, radiate the character of a composition.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 189 I’ve attended thousands of classical concerts, and despite my love of the music, I have to admit that fewer than 10% of those concerts were wholly or mostly enjoyable....
“The habits that enable you to perform expressively in public can only be instilled through practice.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 149 When you’re onstage, do you feel secure and creative? If not, the reasons probably stem from the habits you reinforce in practice....
“Audiences want to hear music, not monologues.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 177 One of the most effective ways for us to connect with audiences is to speak engagingly yet briefly about the music we perform. Problem is, lots of musicians neglect to prepare the...
“If there’s a central tenet of showmanship, it’s this: Project; don’t reflect.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 179 Showmanship – or show-womanship – doesn’t equate with flamboyance; it comes from being who you are, but more so....
