The Musician's Way Blog

“It’s your internal motivation that opens the creative spigot.”
-The Musician’s Way, p. 105

Those of us who create day after day know that things don’t always go smoothly. Sometimes our work flows; other times difficulties slow us down.

But whether we’re dealing with good days or not, one simple practice helps keep our creativity rolling. Continue Reading

“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 lie in chronic habits that undermine your attention and creativity.

Here are 7 ways to replace unwanted practice habits with those that foster deeper learning and higher creativity. Continue Reading

“Practice holds a place of honor in the life of a musician.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 4

All of us veteran musicians share the same twin aims when we practice: we intend to polish our skills and prepare music for performances.

We also know how to accomplish our goals efficiently. Continue Reading

“One should hunger after the whole concept, the whole mood,
what the music stands for.”
–William Pleeth, cellist (The Musician’s Way, p. 71)

When we approach an unfamiliar composition, I recommend that we map out a preliminary interpretation before we deal with technical issues.

But once we have basic musical and technical issues in hand, how do we elevate our interpretation to concert level? Here are 6 ways.

Continue Reading

“Display confident body language, come what may.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 194

Are you confident in your ability to deal with on-stage mistakes?

I’ve found that rising musicians seldom practice handling errors, so they typically don’t manage them as gracefully as they could. Continue Reading

“Make the most seemingly insignificant part feel good for the rest of the ensemble.”
-Wynton Marsalis, trumpeter (The Musician’s Way, p. 123)

We musicians spend vast amounts of time practicing alone. But to make music collectively, we need skills beyond those we rely on in solitary practice.

So, to help aspiring performers become ace collaborators, here are 6 tips that ignite synergy in groups. Continue Reading

“Whenever you practice or perform a composition, celebrate its unique message.
Feel the excitement of listening to the music for the first time.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 74

All of us musicians learn and then set aside countless pieces over the years.

Sometimes, we excitedly return to old favorites but then feel glum when we realize that music we once performed with ease is now surprisingly difficult. Continue Reading

Pablo Casals

“Don’t give notes. Give the meaning of the notes.”
–Pablo Casals, cellist (The Musician’s Way, p. 34)

What does it take to give meaningful performances?

To begin with, we have to awaken our imaginations so that every pitch we play or sing vibrates with life.

Then, we have to respond deeply to the emotional fabric of a composition, which is the subject of this post. Continue Reading

“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

“The purpose of technique is to free the unconscious.”
–David Mamet, author (The Musician’s Way, p. 94)

When we acquire robust technical skills, barriers to musical expression drop away.

We internally ‘hear’ musical gestures, and then we make those gestures ring out with a naturalness that seems effortless.

Yet despite the spiritual nature of technical mastery, I find that aspiring musicians often confuse ‘technique’ with ‘mechanics,’ and, as a result, they don’t develop the technical command that they need. Continue Reading