playing music

Playing Music is about Succeeding in Preparation

June 26, 2010

I read a different prospective that we actually succeed, not by making disconnected moves, but by creating a context for success. Let’s examine what this might do for you…

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From Excitement of Learning Music to the Fear of Playing

May 5, 2010

There is a phenomenon that occurs when learning music that takes place over time. The excitement of the new beginner is fantastic and then slowly as one learns more and more and hears others play the fear of performing for others starts to set in.

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Change a Note Change a Chord

March 25, 2010

Changing a Note Changes a Chord, in so doing it expresses a new sound and emotion. Four basic chords and what you can learn in expressing music and expressing life.

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Finding Your Voice In Music

March 11, 2010

The question of finding my style or my music voice comes up eventually in learning music. There are as many answers to this as there are questions framed around the concept. I’m going to share my observations and experiments with you.

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Playing Music is Not Important!

February 25, 2010

I’m not going to go into a long dissertation on this, but the bottom line is that music is an optional vocation. Music is an extra, a gift of leisure if you will. It’s totally a voluntary effort. That’s why it takes effort to engage and learn music. It’s easy to put off practicing and learning, because there are no real consequences.

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Do Your Goals Limit Your Playing?

February 11, 2010

Reading chapter 4 of Effortless Mastery is about limited goals and getting beyond them. Really I see two sets of goals. The first of which is the ultimate goal of why you play. The second is that of practice. Two different objectives..

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Effortless Mastery and Kenny Werner Workshop

January 7, 2010

Kenny Werner Workshop and concert was a great opportunity to revisit the playing vs practicing concept and to reestablish a mindset of learning music. Every musician should pick up this book. Having sat in on the live workshop and program has given me new motivation and causing me to think about the study and art of music playing again.

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