The Musician's Way Blog

“When you project a centered presence from the stage,
your audience becomes attentive and relaxed.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 180

To make our best music, we performers need to be mentally, physically, and emotionally in sync. In a word: centered.

Then, assuming that we’ve learned our material deeply and have built up performance skills, we can trust in our preparation and truly connect with our audiences.

In fact, centered musicians often captivate their listeners from the moment they step on stage because their powerful demeanor generates an expectant energy. Continue Reading

“2-to-1 breathing helps reduce, coordinate, and stabilize the activity of the brain and the nervous system.”
–John Clarke, M.D., former Chairman of the Himalayan Institute

If we feel unsettled prior to playing or singing, 2-to-1 breathing is a powerful tool that helps us restore inner balance and kindle creativity.

Repeated for a number of cycles, this exercise triggers an innate calming response that also tempers the fight-or-flight activation brought on by performance nerves.

Here’s how it’s done. Continue Reading

Suppose that you’re preparing to play or sing in public. How do you bridge the gulf between personal practice and public performance?

I’ve observed that many musicians underperform because they omit a crucial element from their preparatory routines: practice performances.

Here are three ways that both instrumentalists and singers can practice performing and thereby become masterful on stage.

All of these concepts are expanded on in my book The Musician’s Way. Continue Reading

Envision yourself standing at a stage door, seconds before your entrance at a solo or small-group concert. The hall darkens; the audience hushes. A stagehand whispers, “Ready?”

Let’s stop here and give this scenario a closer look. The backstage scene probably resembles a cramped basement.

Glancing around, you see ductwork, circuit breakers, and music stands in racks. Your pupils are dilated in the murky light; a cooling system drones in the background. It’s decidedly unglamorous.

On the other side of that door, however, is an altogether different sort of space. Continue Reading