The Musician’s Way This page intentionally left blank The Musician’s Way A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness Gerald Klickstein 1 2009 1 Oxford University Press, Inc., publishes works that further Oxford University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Copyright © 2009 by Gerald Klickstein Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 www.oup.com Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Klickstein, Gerald. The musician’s way : a guide to practice, performance, and wellness / Gerald Klickstein. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-19-534312-0; 978-0-19-534313-7 (pbk.) 1. Practicing (Music) 2. Music—Performance. 3. Musicians—Health and hygiene. I. Title. MT75.K74 2009 781.44—dc22 2008043840 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper Preface I’ll never forget the day that my parents brought home my first guitar—the awe I felt as I reached for the strings and was enveloped in the silken tone. My command of those strings has come a long way since then, yet I still feel that same sense of wonder whenever I unlatch a case and take a guitar in my hands. If you’re a musician, too, you know exactly what I mean. What is it about music that grabs the heart and fires the imagination? Victor Hugo wrote, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”1Words are destined to fall short when it comes to capturing the essence of music, but the skills involved in making music can be pinned down. And for aspiring performers, those skills are priceless. The Musician’s Wayarticulates fundamental skills that bring about musical excellence. It merges concepts drawn from current research with the insights that I’ve gathered across three decades in the performing and teaching pro- fessions. Part I, Artful Practice,describes strategies for practicing creatively and efficiently. Part II, Fearless Performance, maps out a route to conquer nervousness and connect with audiences. Part III, Lifelong Creativity,equips readers to look after their most important resource: themselves. It shows how musicians can prevent occupational injuries, boost creativity, and thrive amid the demands of their field. The chapters and sections are best read in order, but they’re also designed to function independently so that a musician interested in a particular topic can singly read the relevant portion. To achieve such independence, some points are reiterated, albeit sparingly. Many sections incorporate case examples. Such narratives are compos- ite sketches of students with whom I’ve worked, although identifying char- acteristics have been modified so that none depict specific persons. The book also employs a companion website, musiciansway.com. The site compiles vi Preface useful links, instrument-specific tips, and more—it provides readers with easy access to web-based information and allows the book to address issues concisely. The Musician’s Way can aid all vocalists and instrumentalists who are seeking to improve their abilities. Nonetheless, it’s framed around the learn- ing environment of first-year, university-level music students performing in the Western music traditions. It’s intended as a companion text to music les- sons and classes and also as a guidebook that music lovers can explore on their own. Whether you’re enrolled in school or not, if you have a passion for music, I hope that these pages will be a beacon on your journey toward limit- less artistic growth. Acknowledgments The Musician’s Wayarrived at its present form owing to the support of diverse people and institutions. I’m grateful to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Foundation for funding the sabbatical that enabled me to concentrate on writing. At Oxford University Press, I’d like to acknowledge Suzanne Ryan, Senior Editor for music books, as well as Associate Editor Norman Hirschy, Production Editor Liz Smith, and Editorial Assistants Katharine Boone and Lora Dunn. And to the individuals, listed alphabeti- cally below, who gave sage advice, read various drafts, or otherwise made helpful contributions: Thank you. Angela Myles Beeching Court Huber Joseph Pecoraro Guy Blynn Sarah Johnson Steven Pologe Alice Brandfonbrener Adele Klickstein Marion Pratnicki Sheila Browne Steven Lankenau Ellen Rosenberg Kris Chesky Eric Larsen Judith Saxton F. Joseph Docksey Barbara Lister-Sink Glenn Siebert John Ferri Kathryn Lucktenberg Mary Siebert Arlene Gostin Eric Maisel Jeffrey Solow Paige Greason Linda Moore Taimur Sullivan Ann Grimaldi Thomas L. Murray Jr. Ransom Wilson The photographs were produced thanks to Rick Lee Photography and these models: John Beck, marimba Laura Gutierrez Sheila Browne, viola Ryan Layton, guitar Ronnal Ford, oboe Genevieve Leitner, guitar Preface vii Daphne Nichols, piano Judith Saxton, trumpet Taya Ricker, violin Paul Sharpe, bass Notice This book includes research-derived information regarding how musicians can flourish or become harmed in their occupations. However, the ideas presented here are not offered as substitutes for expert medical or psycho- logical advice. Before you make decisions concerning your health and prior to beginning any exercise, diet, or wellness regimen, consult a healthcare professional. This page intentionally left blank Contents Part I Artful Practice 1 Getting Organized 3 Artful Practice 3 Defining Practice 4 Creating a Practice Environment 5 The Five Practice Zones 6 Planning Your Practice 7 Scheduling Practice Sessions 11 Choosing New Material 14 Self-Recording 16 2 Practicing Deeply, I 19 Practicing Deeply 19 Habits of Excellence 20 Essentials of Artistic Interpretation 23 Mental Imaging 34 Warming Up 37 3 Practicing Deeply, II 40 The Craftsmanship of Practice 40 Starting New Material 42 Managing Repetition 51 Solving Problems 54