“Without inclusive preparation, musicians can’t be cool in high-stakes situations” –The Musician’s Way, p. 148 Performance anxiety stifles the ambitions of countless musicians. Yet the path to becoming a fearless performer is open to any musician who chooses to...
“Deep practice entails achieving mastery, integration, and transcendence with everything that you play or sing.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 20 For budding and veteran performers alike, the fundamental source of confidence on stage is thorough preparation. And although...
“If you’re looking to curtail nervous interference, then repeating what you’ve always done isn’t going to bring new results.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 146 The Fall-Winter 2016-17 issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter has now arrived in subscribers’...
“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....
“Music is a performing art. . . . It isn’t there in the score.” -Michael Tippett, composer The Musician’s Way, p. 152 When you think about all that goes into preparing for a concert, music performance can seem like a delicate skill, something akin to tightrope...
“The fight-or-flight response works wonders when you’re standing on a sidewalk and a piano is falling from a building above.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 135 Shaky hands, racing heartbeat, queasy stomach – all manifestations of a nervousness that...
“When I play, I make love – it is the same thing.” -Arthur Rubinstein, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 207 If you’ve read much about performing, then you’ve probably run into the terms “peak performance,” “flow,” and “being in the zone.” Those synonymous...
“People have often said to me, ‘You’re so relaxed when you play.’ Relaxed my elbow. It’s practice.” –Benny Goodman, clarinetist The Musician’s Way, p. 199 It may seem that elite musicians like Benny Goodman excel on stage because...
“Your central tasks are finding inner peace and strength, on the one hand, and being very well-prepared for your performances, on the other.” -Eric Maisel, author & psychologist The Musician’s Way, p. 146 In my previous post, “The 3 Roots of Performance...
