The Musician's Way Blog

“You must start well, and you must end well. What is in the middle is not so important because no one is listening then.”
–Maurice Chevalier, singer & actor (The Musician’s Way, p. 180)

I chuckle every time I read Chevalier’s words, but they aren’t intended solely in jest.

The start and finish of performances truly are vital moments in which music blossoms into and then fades out of existence. Continue Reading

“The real essence of art turned out to be not something high up and far off – it was right inside my ordinary daily self.”
–Shinichi Suzuki, violinist & teacher (The Musician’s Way, p. 109)

I’m always surprised when I hear people attribute creativity to luck when, in fact, creative energy effervesces within each of us, within our “ordinary daily selves.”

All we have to do is act.

What enables me to create, for instance, is my commitment to working coupled with a bank of creative skills that I’ve acquired – skills that anyone can acquire. Continue Reading

“Breaks are as vital to musicians as they are to athletes.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 75

If you’re like me, you typically become absorbed during practice sessions, so much so that it often doesn’t seem that breaks would be necessary.

But even when we feel mentally focused and physically strong, after working for a while, our muscles, tendons, vocal folds, lips, and the like still need time to recharge. Continue Reading

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
–Albert Einstein

Is there anything that we creative types prize more than imagination? I expect not. And one way that we can support our imaginativeness is to preserve the mental space necessary for our ideas to germinate and grow.

Problem is, in our hyperconnected world, information bombards us, and processing all of that information consumes our mental resources.

Here are five habits I adopt to protect and replenish the mental space I need to do my creative work. Continue Reading

“Out of discipline comes freedom.”
–Vincent Cichowicz, trumpeter

Imagine that you’re about to practice, write, compose, or perform:

How do you transition from daily life into creative mode?

Here’s my concise ritual. Continue Reading

“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, we can trust in our preparation and 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

“Like sensuous opening ceremonies,
warm-ups prepare the body, mind, and spirit for making music.”
- The Musician’s Way, p. 37

I always take pleasure in my daily warm-ups. As I open my guitar case, tune, and play my first notes, I feel inspired and grateful to be able to make music.

Students, however, often lack clarity about how they might warm up.

In response, I’ve developed an adaptable 6-part framework that musicians and others can use to fashion warm-ups. Continue Reading