The Musician's Way Blog

“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

“Artistic performers are prepared performers.”
-The Musician’s Way, p. 155

Imagine that you’re backstage, minutes before the start of a concert: Are you feeling confident, or are you worried that things could go awry?

Unlike less-experienced musicians, who are often jittery at shows, we veterans approach the stage with enthusiasm because we have a trick up our sleeves. Continue Reading

“The route to becoming an accomplished musician is seldom smooth and trouble free.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 202

We musicians may dream of performing brilliantly at every show, but, in reality, things don’t always go as well as we’d like.

Especially for students, playing or singing in public can bring upsetting surprises: shakiness, memory slips, music wafting off the stand – you name it. Continue Reading

“Auditions may be among your most significant career-building performances.
Why not enjoy them?”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 222

Having heard countless auditions over the years, I’ve learned that few young musicians audition well – time and again, gaps in their preparation cause them to underachieve.

This post will help you perform commanding live auditions. Continue Reading

“Errors are inevitable, but suffering as a result of them is optional.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 193

Of all the skills I teach to performers, one of the most challenging ones for them to master involves the handling of on-stage mistakes.

All too often, errors churn up persistent, toxic emotions. Continue Reading

“Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.”
–Arthur Koestler, author

The tricky passage that finally rings true, the ‘aha’ moment, the transcendent performance – all are creative achievements that result from learning.

In effect, the more adept we become at learning, the more facile we’re likely to be with the creative process. Continue Reading

“The key to harnessing on-stage energy is to use it for music-making purposes”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 186

Let’s say that you’re walking on stage to begin a performance: Your heart’s beating somewhat fast and your hands feel cool; maybe your mouth turns dry.

Are you eager to launch into your program or worried that things could go awry? Continue Reading

“Research has shown that people who adopt mastery goals
experience the lowest levels of performance anxiety.”
–Music Educators Journal, Dec. 2010.*

When we step on stage, nothing affects our state of mind more than our goals.

Mastery goals inspire us to be artistic and fearless.

Avoidance and comparison goals, in contrast, sap our creativity and confidence. Continue Reading

“Ultimately, your musical progress will depend more on your skillfulness with the creative process than on any talent.”
–The Musician’s Way, p. 313

We dedicated musicians invest heavily in growing our abilities because we know that the personal payoff is immense: Few things in life rival the joy of making music.

Why then do countless young artists who have talent and opportunities to excel nonetheless practice halfheartedly, miss application deadlines, avoid publishing websites, and otherwise dither? Continue Reading

Stéphane Grappelli

“Before you play, you must prepare your way.”
Stéphane Grappelli, violinist (The Musician’s Way, p. 157)

In my previous post, “The Preparation Timeline,” I contended that when we book a performance, audition, or recording session, a written timeline bolsters our creativity by helping us plan – it frees us to focus on our art.

But even when in the weeks leading up to an event everything runs smoothly, on the day of a performance numerous logistical matters need coordinating. Continue Reading