One Skill To Rule Them All
When I started to apply the mindset of “understanding” to all the pieces I had learned, it was eye opening… or ear-opening? It felt like I had been asleep at the wheel for most of my music learning up until that point. Of course, I had my own conceptions and associations with the music, but no reliable approach that could transfer my knowledge from one piece to the next. Now I could recognize and hear the patterns that helped me learn and memorize pieces exponentially faster.
Working on my 1st album
I’ve always wanted to create an album, and I’m finally working on it! Maybe it’s the feeling of the clock ticking since I just turned 35 years old, or seeing through the excuses I’ve made in the past to delay starting this project. Or maybe it’s just recognizing that everything happens when it’s meant to, and I’ve ripened sufficiently as an artist to share something that feels authentic.
5 Unconventional Practice Techniques
The experience of getting stuck on a plateau is a common one for musicians. We reach a level of competence and then seem to stay there for months on end. Is there a way to break out of these ruts? Sometimes we need to think outside the box to spark some new ideas and keep moving forward.
Head, Hands, Heart
If I had to summarize all of the ideas I’ve collected on learning music into their simplest form, it would boil down to these three words: head, hands, and heart. I believe that the path to reaching your full potential as a musician includes all three, and the solution to helping many frustrated students is to focus on the area that is most neglected.
My Favorite Books on Music Practice
Over the years, I've encountered a number of books that have had a big impact on not just my practice, but also my overall view of music and life. These are some of my favorites
How My Journey Started
For as long as I can remember, music has mesmerized me. I grew up listening to the sounds of classical and jazz music which pulled me to the grand piano in our family living room. It was there that I started improvising little melodies.