by Gerald Klickstein | May 29, 2013 | creative process, motivation, music practice
“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....
by Gerald Klickstein | Sep 10, 2012 | creative process, music practice
“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...
by Gerald Klickstein | Jan 29, 2012 | Assessment, music practice
“Wherever you hope to travel on your musical journey, practice is the only route to getting there.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 3 Although deep practice is essential to musical excellence, in my experience, only a minority of rising musicians practice...
by Gerald Klickstein | Jun 12, 2011 | music practice, The Musician's Way
“Practicing well is virtually an art in itself – the art of achieving economy of time and means.” –David Soyer, cellist The Musician’s Way, p. 20 When we practice well, we don’t just get great results; we also reach our goals with optimal efficiency. We work...
by Gerald Klickstein | Mar 7, 2011 | creative process, music practice, The Musician's Way
“The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” –Carl Jung, psychologist Psychological Types, p. 123 Can deliberate practice be both productive and playful? That is, can we zero in on specific tasks in practice, work intensely, and feel exuberant at...
by Gerald Klickstein | Jan 9, 2011 | Assessment, music practice
“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...
by Gerald Klickstein | Jun 21, 2010 | creative process, music literature, Self-recording
“For you to perform with native inflection, you have to listen and listen until you break through to the soul of a style.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 98 We all enjoy listening to music. But there’s a level of musical perception that transcends ordinary hearing. Deep...
by Gerald Klickstein | Feb 5, 2010 | creative process, music practice, The Musician's Way
“If you start with something that’s fake, you’re always covering your tracks.” –Paul Simon, singer-songwriter Is there really a fast track to mastering an unfamiliar composition? I’m convinced that there is. And its use can not only speed up the learning process but...
by Gerald Klickstein | Apr 10, 2025 | creative process, music performance, music practice, The Musician's Way
“Beyond personal fulfillment, the decisive aim of practice is to prepare performances because, as an art form, music centers on the interaction between performer and listener.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 4 For vocalists and instrumentalists alike, music making cycles...
