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50 Things to Remember in the Practice Room
Being Aware/Conscious After a couple of weeks of intense practice we musicians tend to run in automatic mode. We know what to do and when to do it—but that doesn’t mean we are getting the most out of...
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High Standards vs. Giving Your Best
The Bar You set the bar high; you have to put in the hours to reach it. Only then will time kiss with effort to make a baby called results—common sense right? But what if you go crazy and set the bar...
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How to be a 1% Musician
The 1% Would you switch your personal life, your friends, food, culture, the things you know—for hotel rooms, airplanes, restaurants, travel, affairs and a brand new exotic life? Who wouldn’t? Any...
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Music Teachers and Game Hosts
Be the Host Do you teach? Then take a hint from game show hosts. It’s not enough to know the material. If you don’t host your show, the message won’t resonate. Everything you say, explain, write or...
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Now is not Now
The Series Now is not now, now is part of a series of NOWs that will get you where you want to be. That’s why “now” is the most important moment of your life. The problem is that NOW you are tired and...
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Deliberate Practice
Much has been written about Deliberate Practice: Check out these remarkable articles: How many hours a day should you practice and What Mozart and Kobe Bryant can teach us about deliberate practice)....
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How to Stay in Shape
Practice me or I will betray you Classical music performance demands organization, focus (mental) and endurance (physical). That’s it. You train these three areas and you are on track. The latter,...
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Is Pop Music Art?
The Concert Cheers, applause, ovation… somewhere between fifteen and twenty thousand people, right in front of me. I looked up and felt so tiny. The audience was impatient; meanwhile, I imagined what...
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First Times
Auditions, performances, new teachers, new environments, new languages and new girlfriends are usually intimidating. Everything new is! But some things/situations you must do/go through anyways....
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A Workshop for Musicians
Dear Empire, I am safely back in Germany; back on duty. After two weeks in Puerto Rico with my people, I’m ready for new projects, auditions, teaching and keep moving my blog forward. Today, I’m...
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Are You Tough Enough?
Are you tough enough to wake up early and practice your instrument? Are you tough enough to practice four hours a day? Or six? Are you tough enough to learn a new language? Are you tough enough to...
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Classical Musicians’ Greatest Challenge
Making money is not a challenge once you are an established musician. When you are people’s first choice for a gig, you overcame a huge challenge. It took years of training (without giving up) to...
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Clearing Your Head for Success (Practice Tips)
Before a practice session, try closing your eyes; take a moment to let all your thoughts go away. The only thought you need is: FOCUS. Think about the word: FOCUS—and stay still for two minutes. You...
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Is Your Ghost Listening ?
When you perform, your instrument becomes an extension of your body. You both are like one body (how romantic). But because you are one body, the sound you think you produce with your clarinet, is not...
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Money, Music and Happiness
Everything that IS; everything around you, will one day disintegrate. Every book, computer and trash-cans—all gone—even your instrument (God noooo!). Nothing material is eternal. I’m not talking you...
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On Phrasing
When you play notes, you play notes. When you play notes in a context, you are making sense of the music. When you play each individual note with a correlation to the next one and then the next one,...
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Strategy Vs. Shortcuts
In my country there is a saying that goes like this: the lazy ones work twice as much. That’s because lazy asses are always looking for a way to get there faster and without effort. The problem is,...
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The Starving Musician
Where do I find the courage to pursue a career in music when all I hear is: you will starve! Allow me… The solution is simple: think of yourself as a salesman and you won’t starve. You will sell stuff...
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The Chatter in Your Head
The chatter in your head is keeping you from enjoying the moment—and from learning. When you read a book and realize you are just reading but thinking about something else, the chatter got your...
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How to Teach Music
Three students playing out of tune will require three different ways to explain the fix; because each one of them has grown individually. They learned in different ways. Their unique path brought them...
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