The Musician's Way Blog

“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.

Here are 6 major ones. Continue Reading

“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

“No pitch is merely a pitch; each one has a living quality.”
-The Musician’s Way, p. 20

The February 2013 edition of The Musician’s Way Newsletter has arrived in subscribers’ inboxes and is being widely shared.

As usual, the newsletter incorporates more than 15 articles that explore issues of music making, practice, creativity, career building, technology and more.

You’ll find resources to easily publish websites, ticket concerts, and improve ear training skills. There are announcements about technological innovations and professional opportunities. Continue Reading

“The beauty in playing the instrument is not to be better than the next person
but to stay true to oneself, to set one’s own standards and keep to them.”
–Andrés Cárdenes, violinist (The Musician’s Way, p. 305)

In many ways, we succeed or flounder as artists based on the standards we uphold.

Here are three reasons why.

Continue Reading

The June/July edition of The Musician’s Way Newsletter brings together 18 articles and online resources of value to musicians and all creative people.

For instance, resilience is essential to creative work because it enables us to learn from setbacks and keep progressing. An article by Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code, outlines ways to build resilience.

Another piece by musician and psychologist Robert Woody shows why having a warrior-like attitude toward practice ignites our motivation. Continue Reading

“Successful musicians will do things that faltering musicians won’t”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 306

The April/May issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter features a unique collection of news, tips, inspiration, and resources. 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

“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

“The road to improvement is paved with evaluations.”
The Musician’s Way, p. 296

Whatever our level of artistic development, we’re always aiming to grow.

And one of the primary ways that we advance is through critiques – especially from colleagues and mentors. Continue Reading

“Creativity arises out of the tension
between spontaneity and limitations.”
–Rollo May, The Courage to Create, p. 115

I’ll bet that nearly all of us could be more creative than we are.

Why don’t we create abundantly?

One reason is that we often flee from the friction that arises during the creative process. Continue Reading