“Artistic growth can continue throughout a musician’s life.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 296 Unity of body, mind and spirit lies at the center of artistic music making. We don’t sing only with our voices, nor do we play instruments merely with our head...
“The outset of learning is when you instill enduring habits because the brain and body tend to imprint.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 42 Many music students begin working on new pieces by doing heaps of sketchy run-throughs and sloppy repetitions. Then, after...
“To perform at a high level, you have to attain a kind of unity with your instrument.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 257 Masterful performers exhibit ease in all that they do on stage. Their performances appear easy because they are easy for them, thanks to the...
“Your habits in the practice room make you the musician that you are.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 20 Imagine being on stage, about to begin a performance: Are your thoughts typically focused, or does your mind race? If you feel jittery, do you know how to attain a...
“The Musician’s Way is wonderfully thought-out and organized. . . . The third chapter alone is worth about five times the cost of the book itself!” —David Hodge, GuitarNoise.com The Fall 2015 issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter presents...
“There must always be a sense of progression or movement towards definite landmarks.” –Tobias Matthay, pianist The Musician’s Way, p. 23 Rhythm comes alive when it propels listeners through a phrase via what we musicians term “forward motion.” Aside from...
“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....
“What is best in music is not to be found in the notes.” –Gustav Mahler (Gunther Schuller, The Compleat Conductor, Oxford, 1998, p. 106) If you’re a classical musician who aspires to a concert career, you’re in danger. In danger of becoming a commodity. That’s because...
“Playing is never difficult; it is either easy, or it is impossible.” -Kato Havas, violinist The Musician’s Way, p. 21 We all love how it feels to play or sing with ease. That sense of freedom we enjoy when physical tension melts away and mental...
