The Musician's Way Blog

“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 optimally.

Fortunately, though, practice skills can be learned, but musicians first need benchmarks against which to gauge their habits. Continue Reading

“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 Anxiety,” I classified the causes of stage nerves as personal, task-related, or situational.

Here, I point to ways in which we can address those causes and become joyful, artistic performers. Continue Reading

“No matter how much I rehearsed, I never felt ready for the stage. Instead, I felt like a deer stumbling into oncoming traffic on a dark road.”
–Shannon Sexton, singer & writer (The Musician’s Way, p. 140)

I expect that every performer knows what it’s like to feel nervous at a show or an audition.

Still, whether we deal with mild uneasiness or debilitating fear, by taking steps to understand the causes of stage fright and acquire countermeasures, all of us can become more capable performers. Continue Reading

“Programs are a bit like prix-fixe menus in a restaurant: We can’t serve music à la carte . . . so our menu has to be quite diverse and – tasty.”
-Eckart Preu, conductor (The Musician’s Way, p. 212)

Musicians who can transfix audiences succeed because of more than their artistry and charisma.

Spellbinding concerts result from the combined effect of the performers, venue, and the focus of this post – programming. Continue Reading

“With a narrow view of success, musicians unconsciously limit their career options.”
–Angela Beeching (The Musician’s Way, p. 300)

Although veteran musicians might derive the bulk of their earnings from full-time jobs, rising artists often depend on multiple income streams.

To assemble such portfolio careers, though, performers require diverse skills, few of which are covered in traditional music curricula. Continue Reading

Arts entrepreneurship isn’t a slice of the educational pie – it’s the pan.

I hope that lead-off sentence strikes a chord with you as it does with me.

I adapted it from a statement attributed to Andrew Rasiej (“Innovation is not a slice of the pie – it’s the pan”).

Here are 3 reasons why I find those words and entrepreneurship education so compelling. Continue Reading

“You don’t always have to chop with the sword of truth. You can point with it too.”
–Anne Lamott (The Musician’s Way, p. 299)

Although criticism is essential to all sorts of collaboration, poorly handled critiques can undermine our ability to work together.

What if we could manage criticism in ways that enhance collective creativity? Continue Reading

“A balanced lifestyle is essential to your well-being
and therefore to your long-term success as a musician.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 13

The December 2011 issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter features more than 15 must-read articles about creativity, music making, website development, the future of orchestras, fellowships for post-graduate musicians, and more.

The only newsletter that delves into the full spectrum of issues that today’s musicians face, you can also learn about the actual revenues that performers earn from recordings. Continue Reading

“Throw yourself into life as someone who makes a difference.”
–Benjamin Zander, conductor (The Musician’s Way, p. 305)

One of the most powerful ways that we can make a difference in life is to do creative work.

Still, unless we choose our aims wisely, we can feel overwhelmed or undermotivated, and then we won’t create.

How can we discern goals that impel us to act? Continue Reading

“Few occasions in life are more hopeful
than when musicians team up to form ensembles.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 115

If you’ve performed regularly with a band or other group, then you know how magical collective music making can be.

You’ve probably also learned that group dynamics can get tricky. Continue Reading