“MadelineBruser has put together a valuable and insightful look at the art of practicing. Ifmorepeoplereadthisbook,perhapswemightseeanincreaseinthenumberofinspiredandjoyfulmusicmakerswho,ratherthanviewingpracticeasapunitiveactivity,regarditasthesupremeopportunitytoexploretheirowncreativity.”

—AmericanMusicTeacher

“MadelineBrusergivesusinsight,wisdom,andtremendouspracticality.”—DonCampbell,authorofTheMozartEffect

“I’veoftenthoughtofpracticeas‘playing’—inthestretching,somersault,skipping,serenelyspecial sense of theword—andThe Art of Practicing reaffirms that. It gently and joyfullyremindsusofthebeautifulreasonswelovemusicandbecomemusiciansinthefirstplace.”

—RichardStoltzman,clarinetist

“Theattitudeandapproachpresentedinthisbookringtrueandcaninspireustoopenuptomusicwithstimulatedimaginationandinquisitivenessandtoplay‘fromtheheart’everytimewesitdowntoplay.Irecommendthisbookanditsideasveryhighly.”

—PeterSerkin,pianist

“Anexcellentsourcebookformusicians…logical,well thoughtout,andclearlywritten,aswellasmedicallytenable…thoughtful,sensitive,andverypractical.”

—AliceG.Brandfonbrenner,M.D.,foundingdirector,MedicalProgramforPerformingArtists,RehabilitationInstituteofChicago,andeditor,MedicalProblemsofPerforming

Artists

“This isabook to readandreadagain,whetheryouareaperformingmusicianoraseriouslistener.”

—WashingtonTimes

Copyright©1997byMadelineBruserTHEARTOFPRACTICINGisatrademarkofMadelineBruser.

AllthephotographsinthisbookweretakenbyAllanBaillie.ThephotographsinFigures16,17,31,32,33,47,48,and49arecourtesySteinwayHall.ThethreedrawingsaretakenfromTheBodyMoveablebyDavidGormanandmodifiedbyWilliamConableinHowtoLearntheAlexanderTechnique.Theyareusedby

permission.

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrieval

system,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.

PublishedintheUnitedStatesbyThreeRiversPress,animprintoftheCrownPublishingGroup,adivisionofRandomHouse,Inc.,NewYork.

www.crownpublishing.com

ThreeRiversPressandtheTugboatdesignareregisteredtrademarksofRandomHouse,Inc.

OriginallypublishedinhardcoverintheUnitedStatesbyBellTower,animprintoftheCrownPublishingGroup,adivisionofRandomHouse,Inc.,NewYork,in1997.SubsequentlypublishedinpaperbackbyBellTowerin1999.

Thisbookisnotintendedasasubstituteforthemedicaladviceofphysicians.Anyapplicationoftherecommendationssetforthinthisbookisatthereader’sdiscretionandsolerisk.Thereadershould

regularlyconsultadoctorinmattersrelatingtohealthandparticularlyinrespecttosymptomsthatmayrequirediagnosisormedicalattention.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataBruser,Madeline.

Theartofpracticing:makingmusicfromtheheart/byMadelineBruser.Includesbibliographicalreferences.

1.Practicing(Music)2.Music—Performance—Psychologicalaspects.3.Music—Performance—Physiologicalaspects.I.Title.

ML3838.B781997781.44—dc2196-45585

eISBN:978-0-307-83374-7

v3.1

TomyteacherChögyamTrungpa,Rinpoche

andtomusiciansandotherswholongtoexpressthemselvesfromtheheart

Acknowledgments

Manypeoplegavegenerouslyof their time,energy,andwisdomtobring thisbookintobeing.I would like to thank my kind agent, John Thornton, who was the first to

welcomemeintotheworldofpublishing.Inadditiontochampioningandsellingthis book, he skillfully edited each chapter. I am equally indebted to ToinetteLippe, dedicated editorial director of Bell Tower, who also welcomed mewarmly. She allowed me to write in my own voice yet made just the rightchangestopolishthemanuscript.MyfriendJoeSpieler,oftheSpielerAgency,providedadditionalsupportandencouragement.I am grateful to Lord Menuhin for his thoughtful foreword, and to the

followingmusicians and teacherswho, through generous interviews, providedvaluable information on the use of the body: Stephen Burns, James Carson,Jeannette Lovetri, Frances Magnes, Melanie Nevis, Patrick O’Brien, KarenRitscher, and Janet Weiss. I am equally grateful to the following healthprofessionals, who gave valuable interviews as well: Dr. Fadi J. Bejjani; Dr.Patrick Fazzari; Caryl Johnson;Dr. Emil Pascarelli;Dr.Mark Seem;DeborahCaplan, P.T.; Robert Cohen; Martha Eddy; Diane Nichols, M.S.W.; JoniYecalsik; JamesWang, P.T. (who also served as photo adviser for Chapter 3,“Stretching”);HopeMartin(whoalsoeditedChapter6,“BasicMechanics,”andwas a photo adviser for that chapter); and JoanCampbellWhitacre (who alsoedited “Stretching” and “Basic Mechanics”). And special thanks to physicistDavidI.Caplanforhiseditingof“BasicMechanics”aswell.Additional thanks to Arawana Hayashi, Wendy Hilton, Peter Lieberson,

AndrewMattison,AdamRosenbloom,andRichardSylvesterforcontributingtoindividualchapters.AllanBaillietookthemanyfinephotographsthatappearinChapters3and6,

and my good friend RochelleWeithorn was stylist and makeup artist for thephotographs. I amgrateful to both of them for their expertise, generosity, andgoodspirits.IwouldalsoliketothankEricavanderLindeFeidner,whoarranged

two photography sessions at Steinway Hall in New York with efficiency andcare,andtheentireSteinwayHallstafffortheirkindcooperation.Special thanks to Irene Johansen, who prepared the musical examples and

providedvaluableeditingforChapter11,“SpontaneousInsight.”ThanksalsotoSamMooreforhisexpertassistancewiththemusicalexamplesandforhelpfulfeedbackonindividualchapters.Some of the “Questions andAnswers” that appear in this book, as well as

materialinthemainbodyofseveralchapters,aredrawnfromseminarsarrangedby the following people and institutions: Bruce Chapman and the CanadianConservatoryofMusic;MarjorieFoxallandtheNovaScotiaRegisteredMusicTeachers Guild; Michael Meltzer, Peter Becker, and Leo Spellman fromSteinway Hall; Michael Massaro and the Rockland County Music TeachersGuild;JosephGurtandtheMusicDepartmentofEasternMichiganUniversity;andJohnAnkeleandCurrentProductionGroup.Special thanks to thestudentsandteacherswhosewonderfulquestionsappearinthebook.I am particularly indebted to writers Douglas Barasch, Ellen Perlman, and

BarbaraStewart,whoprovidedextensiveeditingoftheproposal,believedinthisbook,andtaughtmetheartofwriting.Judith Lief, Greg Morton, and Monica Stordeur also provided valuable

editing, and Barbara Bash, David Bruser, Lawrence Bruser, Trish Burgess,Stephen Burns, James Carson, John Cheek, Allison DeSalvo, Bill Douglas,Mimi Dye, Richard Fields, Lillian Freundlich, Julie Gore, Steve Gorn, EllenGreen, Julie Leiter, Suzanne Macahilig, Bill McGaw, Mark Moffett, RobertPrecht,TedRiccardi,KarenRitscher,andDavidSablegavehelpfulfeedback.Thanks also to Carl Adams, Sharon Ascher, Richard Bishop, Dr. Alice

Brandfonbrenner,WilliamConable,ClaraGoetz,ElliotJaeger,JonathanKramer,Michael Krugman, Peggy Levine, Caryll McGill, Jean Newstead, JoanPfitzenmaier,JaniceRagland,JessicaSarapoff,AmySchwartzman,JudithScott,Maureen Shannon, Shira Silverman, Andy Steigmeier, Roseanne Thom, MiuTsang,LiangWang,Dr.FrankWilson,andLydiaYohay.Iamgratefultomypianoteachersfornurturingmytalentandpassingontheir

musicalandpianisticknowledge:PriscillaMichael,MarcellaTonn,JandeJong,Alexander Libermann, Jeanne Stark-Iochmans, Menahem Pressler, IrwinFreundlich,ReginaldStewart, JohnCrown,PaulHersh, andNathanSchwartz.MythanksaswelltothemusicschoolsatwhichIreceivedvaluabletrainingandexperience—IndianaUniversity,theJuilliardSchool,theMusicAcademyoftheWest,theUniversityofSouthernCalifornia,andtheSanFranciscoConservatoryofMusic.Manystoriesthatappearinthisbookfeaturestudentswhoplayedinlessons,

masterclasses,andworkshopswithmeoverthelastseveralyears.Theirbravery,sincerity,andintelligencehavecontributedagreatdealtothespiritandletterofthisbook.IamgratefultoLeeCheekforherwonderfulunderstandingandsupportand

herhelpfulcontributions,andtoBetsyCapenforhervaluableadviceandwarmencouragement.Iwouldespeciallyliketothankmyhusband,ParlanMcGaw,wholivedwith

thisbookduring its creation.He listened longandattentively tomy ideasandmyheart,helpedmeunderstandmyownintentionsmoreclearly,andprovidedmuch helpful advice. His love, support, and Promethean sense of humornourishedmethroughoutthewriting.Asifthatweren’tenough,heeditedeachchapterwithinsightandexpertise.Finally, I am profoundly indebted to Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, master

artist and meditation teacher, who presented the Shambhala and Buddhistteachingsonwhichmuchof thisbook isbased,andwhopersonally instructedmeinmakingmusicfromtheheart.Withouthim,Icouldneverhavebegunthisbook.IhopethatwhatIhavewrittenistruetohisteachingandthatitwillgivetothereaderasmallpartofwhathegavetome.

Contents

CoverTitlePageCopyrightDedication

AcknowledgmentsForewordIntroduction

PartOne:TheStartingPoint1.MeetingYourself

2.StruggleandFreedom

PartTwo:ATen-StepApproach3.Stretching4.SettlingIn

5.TuningintoYourHeart6.BasicMechanics

7.TheSparkofInquisitiveness8.ThreeStylesofStruggle

9.Simplicity10.PurePerception

11.SpontaneousInsight12.TheDancingBody

PartThree:NaturalCommand13.PlayingbyHeart

14.GenerosityEpilogue

NotesRecommendedReadingResourcesforMusicians

AbouttheAuthorAlsofromThreeRiversPress

Foreword

Madeline Bruser has much to contribute toward the practical, psychological,and spiritual approach to productive practicing. So often it is regarded aspenance when it can be an exhilarating and rewarding effort. This book willcontributedirectlytothisresult.Moreandmorewerealizethatpracticingisnotforcedlabor;moreandmore

we realize that it is a refined art that partakes of intuition, of inspiration,patience,elegance,clarity,balance,and,aboveall,thesearchforevergreaterjoyinmovementandexpression.Thisiswhatpracticeisreallyabout.Too many generations have been twisted into slavery and suffered the

consequences of frustration, all manner of aches and pains, physical andspiritual,aswellasmentaldepression.Ms.Bruserhastherightapproach,andIwelcomethisbook.

YehudiMenuhin

Introduction

Theword “practice” conjures up a variety of potent images and feelings.Forsome, it arouses dread andmemories of long hours spent confined in a smallroomwith a book of finger exercises and ametronome. Such practicing feelsmore likeapunishment thanamusicalexperience.Forothers,practicing isanescapefrompainfulaspectsoflife—perhapstheonlyactivityinwhichtheyfeelfree toexpress themselves.For the fortunate few,practicing is theoverflowofjoyandvibrantcuriosityfromahealthyandfulfillinglife.Manyofusrecognizealittleofourselvesinallofthesedescriptions.Butwhateverourexperienceis,all of us find practicing a constant challenge to our physical, mental, andemotionalcapabilities.Everypieceofmusicpresentsnewdifficulties,andeach timewepractice it

newwrinklesappear.Onedaywemayfeelcomfortablewithourinstrument,andthe next we may feel stiff and uncoordinated. One minute a phrase flowssmoothlyfromourfingers,andthenextitsuddenlyfallsapart.Wearetryingtoturnapageofnotesintoaharmonious,pulsing,musicalwhole,andittakesallthesensitivity,intelligence,andprecisionwecanmuster.Alongwiththejoyofexpanding our music-making capacities, we often experience tension andfrustration.Inmanycases,thesheerphysicalstrainfromstrugglingforanidealperformanceevenleadstoinjury.Thisbookisabouthowtofreeourselvesfromphysicalandemotionaltension

as we practice so that we can unleash our innate musical talent. When ourfingersget tiedup inknots inadifficultpassage,wecan loosenupandfindacomfortablewaytoplayit.Whenwe’restrugglingtocreateaperfectlyshapedphrase,wecanstoptonoticeeachsoundanddiscoverthesubtletieswe’vebeenlooking for. By giving ourselves room to relax,we awaken our vital energiesinsteadofstiflingthem.This book grew from seminars called “TheArt of Practicing” that I began

givingtomusiciansin1985.Myownworkatthepianohadchangedradicallyinthe late 1970s, when I started practicing mindfulness meditation. I triedmeditationthedayafteranunsuccessfulaudition,thinkingthatitmighthelpmebemorerelaxedandconfidentaboutperforming.Iwastiredofhavingsomuch

trouble sleeping the night before competing and of worrying so much aboutmemory lapses. More important, although I had achieved a fair amount ofsuccessasaperformer,IwasdissatisfiedwithhowIfeltonstage.Somethingtoldme that a completely different kind of confidencemust be possible, differentfromanythingIhadexperiencedbefore.Meditation was simple. I sat still and focused onmy breathing in order to

developanawarenessofordinaryeventsinthepresentmoment.Thisdisciplinesloweddownmychattering,goal-orientedmind.Ilearnedtorelax,notworrysomuchabout thepastor thefuture,andperceivepresenteventsmoreclearly.Infact, I relaxed somuch that I stopped practicing the piano altogether. I didn’tknowwhen,orevenif,Iwouldeverreturntoit.Aftertwomonths,Iwasreadytocomeback.Tomydelight,myentirepracticingexperiencewasaltered.The relaxation and awareness cultivated duringmeditation spilled over into

mywork at the piano. I foundmyself taking half-minute breaks on the benchwhilepracticing,nolongerinahurrytoaccomplishanything.Itfeltgoodjusttositthereandtakemytimedecidingwhattodonext.SubtletiesI’dnevernoticedbefore—about the movement of my hands and the harmonies in the music—became striking and engaging.Gradually, I developed a newunderstanding ofthe physiological mechanics of playing. I also found that listening moreattentivelyimprovedmyphysicalcoordination.Awholenewrangeofsoundscameoutofthepiano—bothanewgentleness

and a more penetrating, forceful sound when the music needed it. The fiveinefficienthoursadaythatIusedtoputinatthepianowerewhittleddownintothreefocused,productivehours.Inshort,Iaccomplishedmorewithlesseffort,andwithmuchmorepleasure.Mystudentstriedthenewtechniquesofmoving,listening,andrelaxingthatIdeveloped,andtheirplayingimproveddramatically,too.ThesetechniquesbecametheArtofPracticing.FromthefirstseminarIgave,Iwasstruckbythehungermusicianshavefor

guidance in their practicing. Beginning and advanced students, amateurs andprofessionals—all longed for a way to sustain their original inspiration whiletryingtomeetthechallengeoflearningagreatpieceofmusic.Somehadinjuredthemselvesbypracticingimproperly.Otherssimplyfeltuncomfortablewiththeirinstruments and frustratedby their inability toexpress themselves.Manywerefrightenedandanxiousaboutperforming.Theyaskedintelligentquestions,andsomeofthese,alongwithmyanswers,formamajorpartofthisbook.The Art of Practicing is a step-by-step approach that integrates movement

principles with meditative discipline, which consists of focusing on sounds,sensations, emotions, and thoughts in thepresentmoment. It cultivates a clearandrelaxedmind,anopenheart, freeandnaturalmovement,andvivid, joyful

listening.Bothbeginnersandaccomplishedmusicianscanusethisapproach.Infact,meditativedisciplinenurturesafresh,openstateofmindcalled“beginner’smind,”whichissometimeslackinginprofessionals,whobringyearsofhabitstotheir work. I have enjoyed teaching beginners, as well as advanced students,becausetheyhaveopenminds.AndIhaveoftenbeenstruckbymusiccomingthrough a beginner’s fingers with more freshness, spontaneity, and pureexpressivenessthanmanyprofessionalshave.Part One of this book describes our common experience with the initial

inspiration to make music and the ensuing struggle of practicing. Part TwopresentsthetenstepsoftheArtofPracticing,whicharedividedintofourgroupsoftechniques:preparatorysteps,physicaltechniques,psychologicaltechniques,and sensory and intellectual techniques. Part Three discusses performing as anaturaloutcomeofhealthypracticing.Although I present the Art of Practicing as a series of steps that progress

logicallyfromonetothenext,itisnotnecessarytofollowthesestepsinstrict,linear fashion. At certain moments during a practice session it may feelappropriatetojumpforwardorbackoneormoresteps,andyoumaygothroughallthestepsseveraltimesinonesession.Inpresentingthisapproach,myintentionistocommunicatewhatIknowfrom

my experience as a concert artist and teacher, a meditation instructor, and astudent ofmovement. Above all, I wish to encouragemusicians to trust theirexperience of their own bodies and minds, and to believe that within theirstruggleandconfusionliethepassionandintelligencethatarethekeystojoyful,productivepracticingandpowerfulperforming.

PARTONE

TheStartingPoint

CHAPTER1

MeetingYourself

When one of my students was six years old he attended a piano recital byArthurRubinstein.Theconcertwassoldout,andhisseatwasamongmanyonthestage, justa fewfeet fromthegreatpianist.Withhis fatherononesideofhim and his piano teacher on the other, he sat transfixed throughout theperformance.Fiftyyears later,hestill remembersRubinstein’s faceagainst theblackened auditorium, the angle of the lights falling on the stage, and thethunderouschordsthatopenedtheprogram.Fromthefirstsoundsheheard,heimmediatelyknewthatfortherestofhislifehewouldbeboundinapowerfulrelationshipwiththepiano.Manymusicians remember similarmoments,when they first recognized the

significanceofmusicintheirlives.Myownmemoryisofsittinginthedarknessof a concert hall as a child and staring up at the pianist on the stage. As heplayed,Iknewthatthemagicemanatingfromthepianowasnotjustsomethingoutsideofmyself,butthatitwaspartofme.Ifeltthatthespotlightshiningonthe performer was also shining into my heart, illuminating a musical worldwithinme.Inthesefirstperceptionsofpowerandmagicwemeetourselvesasmusicians.

Whetheryouarefiveyearsoldandirresistiblydrawntothepianoinyourhome,oryouareanadultwhosuddenly falls in lovewithmusicanddecides to takelessons, the knowledge that you belong in the world of music is deep andindestructible.Itispartofyourbasicnature,asmuchasthecolorofyoureyesorthesoundofyourvoice.Evenyourchoiceofinstrumentmightfeelchoiceless;youhearapianooracelloandsomehowknowthat that is the instrumentyoumustplay.AmanwithwhomIwenttomusicschoolbegantakingpianolessonswhenhe

wasfive.Whenhewaseight,heheardaviolinforthefirsttime.Hecamehome

andtoldhisparents,“Ifyoudon’tbuymeaviolinI’mgoingtoburnthepiano.”Heisnowasuccessfulconcertviolinist.WhenRubinsteinwasthreeyearsold,hesatunderthepianoandwatchedhis

oldersistersplay.Ayearlater,hisparentspresentedhimwithaviolin,thinkingthat the piano was a common instrument, unsuitable for his already obvioustalents.Hepromptlybroke theviolin inhalf.Thusbegananeighty-seven-yearloveaffairwiththepianothatthrilledtheworld.Such passion is familiar to us as musicians, whether we are amateurs or

professionals. It is part of an unshakable confidence in ourmusicality.Yet nomatterhowconfidentweare,wefeelvulnerableinthevastworldofmusicandmusicians.Childrenfeelunaccomplishednexttoadults.Amateursstrugglewiththe belief that their musical sense is undeveloped compared to that ofprofessionals.Allofusknowweneedguidance inourmusical journey.Whenwegotoateacherwehopethatheorshewillappreciateoursincerityofheart,and that the discipline we learn will enable us to express ourselves from theheart.This vulnerability is healthy. Students worry that being vulnerable means

beingopen toattackand todestructivecriticismfromteachers.Butvulnerableliterallymeans“abletobewounded,”whichincludeslettingyourselfbepiercedemotionally by things.You feel so touched by a piece ofmusic that it breaksyour heart. A performer who feels penetrated by music in this way cancommunicate its power to the audience. A student who is vulnerable to herteacher can receive thewarmth and encouragement she needs to grow. If youacknowledgeandrespectyourvulnerability,youcanchoosetoavoiddestructivepeople,andtospeakupwhensomeonetreatsyouimproperly.Vulnerabilityistheessenceofbeinghumanandalive.ANewYorkTimesart

criticoncedescribedseveral still-lifepaintingsbysaying theobjects“lackedasense of vulnerability andwarmth, as if they had never been caressed by thepainter’s hand or eye.”He seemed to imply that even these inanimate objectscouldcomealiveifhandledwithmoregentlenessandappreciation.Ipicturedaseries of dull, lifeless fruits and bottles, needing to be seen as they really are,colorfulandvibrant,anddeservingtheattentionofafinerartist.Thisisourownneed,tobeknownandappreciatedforwhowereallyare.Itisthisvulnerabilitythatdrawsustomusic,tothewarmthandbrilliancegreatcomposerssharewithus.Throughtheirmusic,theytouchusandbringoutourtendernessandartisticintelligence.Passion,confidence,andvulnerabilityareevidenceofmusicaltalent.Ifmusic

werenot inourblood,wewouldn’thavesuchstrongfeelings.Countless timesstudents ask, “Do you think I have talent? Do you think I’ll be able to play

well?”Eachperson’stalentisunique,andsomearemoregiftedthanothers,butan intensedesire toplaywell indicates thatmusic isalreadyinside theperson,pressingtowardthesurfaceandneedingtocomeout.Knowthis,andtakeheartfromitasyoumakeyourparticularjourneywithmusic.

CHAPTER2

StruggleandFreedom

Although we start out inspired to practice, sooner or later we begin to feelfrustrated.Wecan’tgettheresultswewant,andwedon’tknowwhy.Wefeelasthough we are working too hard, yet it seems we must not be working hardenough.Westarttodoubtourability.Thepiecethatoncefeltfreshbeginstofeelstale.Much frustration is caused by inefficient use of the body. Instrumental or

vocal technique that goes against principles of healthy posture andmovementcreatesunnecessarytension,whichinhibitsmusicalexpression.(Chapter6willdiscuss posture and movement in depth.) Frequently, however, tension andinefficienttechniquestemfrommentalandemotionalattitudestowardourselvesandourpracticing.One such attitude is that practicing is supposed to be repetitious and

regimented—completelydifferent fromperforming.Whenweperform,we areonthespot.Everymomentfeelschargedwithpossibility.Weareacutelyawareof being in a wide-open space in which anything can happen. But when wepractice,weboxourselvesin.IhaveoftenthoughthowstrangeitisthatIcanbesitting at the piano in my own living room, completely alone and free to doanything I want, and yet fall into some habitual and unsatisfying way ofworking.Wedon’tknowwhattodowithourfreedom.Werepeatpassagesinajoyless,

desperatewaytogaintechnicalsecurity.Weadheretoarigidplanforpracticinga piece.We push ourselves to meet a deadline and feel inadequate when ourwork isn’t going well. This severity, this habit of being hard on ourselves,destroys inspiration, making it difficult to develop the joy and spontaneityneededforperforming.RecognizingthisgulfbetweenthejoyofperformingandthedrudgeryofpracticingledmetodeveloptheArtofPracticing.

TheArtofPracticingisaboutart,aboutcreatingsomethingfreshandgenuine.In this approach, practicing is not so different from performing. Instead ofpracticinginamechanicalorprogrammedway,wepracticebeingspontaneous.The spontaneity that marks a strong, communicative performance is actuallycultivated during practice sessions. Although learning a piece necessitatesrepeatingpassagesandgoingslowlyrather thanatconcert tempo, thequalitiesof openness, uncertainty, freedom, and aliveness that characterize performingpermeatepracticing.Ifirstexperiencedthisspontaneityinapracticeroomatmusicschool.Ihad

beenpracticing for several hourswhen I suddenly realized that the soundwascomingdirectlyoutofthepiano.Insteadofsingingthemusicinmymind,asIusuallydid, and focusingon that imaginary sound, I heard the actual sound. Iwasshockedby itsvividness,andby therealization thatalthough thisbrilliantsensoryexperiencehadbeenavailabletomeforyears,Ihadbeenmissingit.Perhapsyourememberamomentwhenyouheardafamiliarchordandwere

unusually struck by its beauty.Ormaybe you remember occasionswhen yourmovements suddenly became more free and natural than usual. This kind ofreceptivenessandeasedoesnothavetobearareevent.Itissomethingyoucancultivate.

ListeningandProducingEveryonestartsoutinmusicasalistener.Asyoungchildren,wehearmusicwithfreshnessanddelight.Wefall inlovewithitandareentrancedbythesimplestsong.Butwhenwestartpracticinganinstrument,westoplisteningintently.Webecomesoinvolvedwithproducingsoundthatweforgettotakeitin.Insteadofsittingbackandenjoyingthesound,aswewouldlisteningtoagoodconcertorrecording, we get caught up with trying to make the instrument do what wewant,andtryingtomakethemusicsoundaswethinkitshould.Indirectingourattentiontowardthesedesiredresults,wetakeitawayfromthesoundthatcouldgiveuspleasureinthepresentmoment.This approach becomes a vicious circle. The less pleasure we receive, the

morewetrytoforcetheinstrumenttogiveittous,grippingittightlyinsteadofmoving simply and comfortably. This excess tension impedes the flow ofmusical vibrations through the body, further reducing our responsiveness tosound. We thus deprive ourselves of the joy of full-bodied engagement withmusic.

LongingandAmbitionOne of the Chinese symbols for the word “joy” also means “music.” Thepictographshowstwodrumsandabell,onastand:

Copyright©CaravanInternational,Inc.Reprintedwithpermission.

This synonymy rings truewith everyonewho lovesmusic. Even if a piece isextremelysadwefeeljoyintheabilitytoexperienceandexpresssuchpowerfulemotion.Wehaveaprofoundneedtosharethesefeelingswithotherpeople,andsuchcommunicationgivesourlivesmeaning.Oneof thegreatestchallengesofmakingmusic is tomaintainsomecool in

theheatofourpassionandjoy.Itiseasytobecomeimpatientwhenittakesuslonger to learn a beautiful piece thanwewould like.We ache to get it in ourfingers,ourvoice,ourbody, tomakephysicalcontactwith themusicwe love.Thislongingisourgreatestasset.Itisourcommunicativeenergy.Itistheraw,throbbingenergyoftheheart.Butlongingisdifferentfromambition.Longingisourinnermostfeelingabout

life.Weyearn toconnect topeople, tomusic, to theworld, andweknow thateveryexperienceandeveryrelationship, indeedlife itself, inevitablyends.Theopening of Mozart’s G minor symphony is a powerful expression of suchyearning.YoucanalmosthearMozartsobbingoverlife’sbeautyandtransiency.Popular songs like “Imagine,” by John Lennon, and “The Man I Love,” byGeorgeGershwin,alsoconveypoignancyandlonging.Sometimes,inthemiddleofahecticdayofshopping,Iamstoppedinmytracksbythesoundofsuchasong coming over speakers in the store, melting my heart and helping merememberwhat life isabout.Musicsatisfiesourdeepneed tofeelour longingheart,acoreofsoftnessinourselves.Welosetouchwiththisheartwhenwebecomeoverlyambitious.Ambitionis

healthy, but it becomes destructive when we drive ourselves too hard. Webecomesoanxioustogettheresultwewantthatwepushourbodiesandmindstodothingsbeforetheyareready.Suchstrivingmightmakeusfeelsuperficiallygoodaboutourselves,butitcreatesstruggleanddiscomfortinsteadofeaseand

pleasure.Struggledoesnotproducebeautifulmusic.Music is suchadirectmeansof

communicationthattheperformer’sstateofmindisimmediatelytransmittedtothe listener.Apianistwho looks as thoughhe is slaving over a hot keyboard,hunching over andworking very hard, creates a sense of claustrophobia. Youcan’t breathe easily because he’s so worked up. But a performer who walkscalmlyontoastage,takeshistimesittingdown,andwelcomestheopportunityto perform with relaxation makes you feel relaxed. When he plays withexhilarationandease,youfeelexhilaratedandatease.Comfort,ease,andjoycanbecultivatedthroughpractice.Todothis,wemust

give up excessive ambition and the desperate struggle for results, and letourselvesfeelthepainofourlonging,ofhavingtowaittomakemusicthewaywewantto.Wecanlearntorelaxwiththislongingandtoenjoyitssoft,warmpresencein theheart.Thiswarmthwill thenshinethroughthemusicwemakeandtouchtheheartsofothers.ThetechniquesoutlinedinPartTwoaredesignedtoaccomplishthisrelaxation.I remember a particularly striking, spontaneous experience of letting go of

ambition.Iwasmakinganauditiontapeinarecordingstudio.IhadplayedtheChopinGminor ballade several times through and stillwasn’t satisfied.Aftertheeighthtake,mybodyfeltdrenchedinpainfromwantingtoplayitwell.Theengineer’svoicecameover thespeakers likeadeathknell:“Tenminutes left.”Thepiecewasnineminuteslong.Ijustgaveup.Iletmyselfcompletelyfeelthepainandplayedwithouttryingsohard.Tomyamazement,mybodyrelaxed,thepaindissolved,andthemusicsoundedfluidandclear.Itwasthebesttakeoftheafternoon.

ReceivingandGivingGivingupourstruggleopensustothemusic.Andtheperformer’sjobistodojustthat—toopenfullytomusic,toletitcomein,physicallyandmentally,andto become an unobstructed channel for its transmission to other people. Wecannot possibly give music to others without first receiving it ourselves.Practicingistheprocessofreceivingwhatwaswritten.Receiving canbedifficult.Manyofushavegrownup in environments that

didnotsufficientlyencourageustoenjoyorappreciateourselves.Yetweneedsuchencouragementandwarmthtostayreceptivetoourfeelingsandtomusic.Isometimespointouttostudentsthattheirfrustrationwithapieceisanindicationthattheycaredeeplyaboutit.Onestudenttoldmeitwasoneofthemosthelpfulthings ever said to him. He was able to stop berating himself and began to

appreciatehimself instead,whichopenedhimupenormouslyto themusic.Wedon’t usually use experiences of dissatisfaction as signals to be gentle withourselves. Instead, we blame ourselves or become aggressive with themusic.Tensionescalates,andthemorewepracticeapiece,theworseitgets.

WaysofStrugglingMusicianscreatetensioninavarietyofways.Oneofthemostcommonistryingtoplayapiecefastbeforeyouareready.Whenyoupushyourbodytomovefast,ittightens,whichonlypreventsitfrommovingasfastasyouwantitto.Evenifyouareworriedaboutmeetingadeadline,takeyourtime.Another misguided approach is to try to play something pianissimo or

fortissimowhenyouarejustbeginningtolearnit,andwhenthenervoussystemisnotyet ready todo that; it’s toodifficult.Youtrysohard toplaysoftly thatyouproduceeitheratightsoundornosoundatall;oryouforceyourselftoplayloudly, which makes your muscles clench and become rigid, leaching theirpowerandcreatingastrainedsound.Itissimilartowhathappensifyougripthefront of your neck with your hand and then try to talk or sing: The physicalconstriction limits sound production. If, instead, you simply play comfortably,therequiredsoftnessorloudnesswillcomenaturallywithtime.Tension also comes from trying to manufacture a special kind of energy,

particularly if a piece is romantic or emotional. You think, “Chopinwas in afeverwhenhewrotethis,soI’mgoingtoproduceabigfever.”Yougetworkedup and heavy, huffing and puffing, which is exhausting. Or you think,“Beethoven was an angry person, so I should get angry in order to play thispiece.”Whenyouforceemotionthatway,youbecometight,andthecomposer’spower cannot flow throughyourbody.Fierce energy comes throughwhen thebodyislooseandfree.Aparticularlydangerousformofstruggleispracticingthroughphysicalpain.

Somemusicians feel it is necessary to experiencemuscle soreness, as if theywere pumping iron, when working hard to develop technique. This is acompletely false notion.Pain is an indication that you are overusing a limitedmusclegroup,usingthewrongmuscles,orusingtoomuchforce.Itisasignaltorelaxandslowdown.Atsomepointyourbodyreachesalimit.Thepainbuildsupuntilitbecomesincapacitating.Injuriesofthehands,arms,neck,back,jaw,lips, or vocal cords afflict many musicians, forcing them to stop playing orsinging for extended periods of time, and sometimes permanently.One of themost well known examples is pianist Leon Fleisher, whose celebratedinternational career came to an abrupt halt when his right hand stopped

functioningproperly.Lookingbackon the torturouspracticing thatcaused thistragedy, Fleisher commented, “There was something macho about practicingthrough the pain barrier. Even when my hand was exhausted, I kept going.AlthoughIthoughtIwasbuildingupmuscle,Iwas,infact,unravelingit.”1Thetendencytodriveoneselfphysicallyleadssomemusicianstorelyheavily

on finger exercises to improve their technique. One student spoke aboutspending hours practicing exercises by Phillip or Pischna. “Yourmuscles canache,”shesaid,“andtheexercisesaren’t interesting.Butdon’t theystrengthenyou?”Thevalueofanexercisedependsonyourstateofmind.Ifyoudon’tfindit interesting, then it isnotuseful.Muscularpain isnotnecessary, andmusclepowerisnotasimportantasgoodcoordination.Ifyouaregenuinelyinterestedin the technical concept of a particular exercise andyou listenwell andmovecomfortably,youcanlearnagreatdealaboutyourbody,anditcanbeenjoyableandhelpful.Imyselfhave rarelydoneexercises.Anexercise is simply a seriesofnotes

takenoutofnormalmusicalcontext,andusuallysequencedandrepeated.Manywritten exercises are lengthy and unmusical, and practicing them can easilybecome tedious. Concert pieces like Chopin études, on the other hand, areinteresting to practice because each solution to a technical difficulty yields anappealingmusicaleffect.Oneofmyteachershadawonderfulanalogyforusingrealmusicinsteadofexercisestodeveloptechnique.Ifhewantedtoexercisehislegs,hesaid,hewouldn’tpacearoundhisroom;hewouldgoforawalkinthepark,where he could enjoy the fresh air, the trees and flowers and birds, andmaybe even see some pretty women. Practicing exercises you don’t enjoy isconfiningandsapsyourenergy,whereaspracticingadifficultbutbeautifulpieceofmusicgivesyouenergy.Wefeelrevitalizedbymusic,andweneedthat.PsychotherapistDianeNichols,directorofthePerformingArtsPsychotherapy

Center inNewYork, saysmusicians areharderon themselves thandancersoractors, and have amore difficult timewith theirwork. This is partly becausemusiciansworkprimarilyalone,andwhentheyeventuallyplayforanaudienceit isoverwhelming.Also,performingmusicrequiresextremeprecision.Ifyourfingermoves an eighth of an inch in thewrong direction, people can tell youhavemadeamistake.Becauseoftheneedforthisprecision,musiciansarealsomore susceptible tonoticeablememory lapses thanotherperformers.Theyareafraidof“blankingout”ormakingblundersinfrontofanaudience.The fear of not being perfect drivesmusicians to overpractice and practice

without joy. I remember being in music school and walking around lookingthrough the littlewindows in thedoorsof thepractice rooms. Ineveryroomastudentwasgoing full steamat his or her instrument,without stopping, like a

locomotive. Rarely did anyone allow a minute’s pause for reflection orrelaxation,formaybeturningthepageandseeingwhatwasahead.Ifsomeonedidstoppracticingforaminute,hemayhaveheardastudentinthenextroomplayingthesamepieceatafastertempo.Oneofmyclassmatesdiscoveredthatanother piano student deliberately tried to make him feel bad by playing thesamerepertoirefasterandlouderinapracticeroomnearhis.This intenseperfectionismandcompetitiveness sometimes causesmusicians

todevelopanincapacitatingtensionthatdoctorscall“overusesyndrome.”Evenif they have a good technique and are not repeating the same passagesexcessively,theyoverusetheirtechnique.Afraidofnotpracticingenough,theyinjurethemselvesbypracticingtoomuch.

TrustingOurselvesAllofthesewaysofpracticingindicatelackoftrustinourability.Weareafraidthatifwejustrelaxandletourselvesworknaturallyandcomfortably,wewon’tbegoodenough.Sowedriveourselves,forceourselves,andhurtourselves.Indoingso,welosetouchwithourmostvaluableassetasartists—thewillingnesstobevulnerable,genuine,andspontaneous,tocommunicatefromtheheart.Communicating this openly in performance feels risky.You are on the spot

andcan’tcontrolwhatwillhappen.Butitisinvigoratingbecauseyouarewideawake to the presentmoment.Youwalk onto the stage and notice every littlething—howyourshoefeelsonyour foot,howthe lighthits thefloor,howtheshadows fall, every little sound in the audience. You think, “Oh, no! I don’tknowifIcandothis!Allthesethingsaregoingon!”Thesethingsaregoingoneveryday,alldayinyourlife,yetsuddenlyyouareawareofthem.Asyouplaceyour fingers on your instrument or open your mouth to sing, you feelextraordinarilysensitivetoeverymoveyoumake.TheArtofPracticingisadisciplinethatcultivatesthisheightenedawareness

in every moment of our practicing. We practice noticing the details of oursensory experience, letting the sensations of sound, touch, and movementsaturatethebodyandmindfrommomenttomoment.Bydeliberatelypracticingsuch receptiveness, we gradually become familiar with the experience ofbrilliantawareness,andwebegintofeelathomeinthebrightlightonstage.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question:Ifeel Ihavea longway togo inbeingable toplay things fast,and

thatifIdon’tpushmyselfI’llnevermakeit.HowcanIrelaxandtrustmyselfifIreallydon’tknowifIhavewhatittakes?Answer: Speed develops when the body is functioning comfortably, withminimumtension,sospeedcancomeonly ifyoudon’tpushyourself. It’s trueyouneverknow ifyoucanaccomplishsomething that seems far in the future,and eachpersonhas a different innate capacity for finger dexterity and speed.Nevertheless,youcan’tgetsomewherewithoutmakingthejourney.Speed is different from rushing. I saw amovie about Arthur Rubinstein in

which he sat very simply and playedwithout any sense of hurry whatsoever.Even playing a difficult piece, like the Chopin F minor concerto, he lookedtotallycomfortable,andthenotescamesimply,oneafteranother,withplentyofspeedbutwithatremendoussenseofrelaxationandfreedom.We have to continually remind ourselves to take our time, because we are

usually impatient. We want results. Slowing down doesn’t have to feel likeholdingback.Itcanbeanopportunitytorevelinsoundsandsensations,tonotbesoconcernedaboutwherewearegoingbuttoenjoythemomentandbecomecomfortablewhereweare.Speedwillcome.Ifyouplaythesamepassagetentimeswithouttryingtoget

faster, itwillget fasteranyway. Ifyou turnametronomeon the first timeyouplayitandthelasttime,itwillbefasterthelasttime.It’sanaturalprocess,likediscoveringyoucanrunafteryou’velearnedtowalk.Youcan’tdevelopyourpotentialbytryingtobesomebodyelse.Youhaveto

startwithwhatyouhave.Thenthingscanopenup.Thebodyworkswellwhenyoutreatitgently.

Question:Idon’tunderstandhowyoucanbespontaneouswhenyoupractice.Iftheway you practice determines how youwill perform, then shouldn’t you beverycarefulabouthowyoupractice?Answer: Yes, but not too careful, because then you don’t have room to beyourself. You can be careful with the music without walking on eggs, whichlimits your freedom, physically and mentally. You tighten up, so you can’texpressyourselffully.Q:ButIreadthatthepianistCzernysuggestedtryingtopracticesomethingtentimes consecutively without making any mistakes as a way to prepare for aperformance.Isthatagoodidea?A:That’stoorigid.Abetterideawouldbetopracticeperformingforpeopleandtobecomeaccustomedtomakingmistakes.Thenyou’llbeready,because,afterall, constant, absolute technical perfection is humanly impossible. It’s good to

getusedtothatfact.Beingnote-perfect isnot thepoint.Ofcourse it’snice ifyoucanplayevery

single note at the right time.Butmakingmusic involves a lotmore than that;otherwiseamachinecoulddoit.Youcan’texpressyourselfgenuinelyifyou’retrying too hard not tomakemistakes.Youhave to bewilling to stumble overyourwordsoccasionallywhenyoutalktopeople,sothatsomethingspontaneouscanhappen.Makingmusicisthesameway.ArturSchnabelmademoremistakesthan many pianists, but people usually didn’t mind. He touched his audiencedeeply because he was spontaneous. He had something to say and allowedhimselftosayit.Peopleoftenthinkthatyoucan’tbepreciseandrelaxedatthesametime,but

with the kind of discipline I’m suggesting, precision and relaxation cometogether.Because you are relaxed, you are free tomove easily and to expressyourselfclearly.Soyouactuallymakefewermistakes.

Question: I thought finger exercises were a necessary part of learning aninstrument.Howcanwedeveloptechniquewithoutthem?Answer: Musical compositions, along with simple scales, provide plenty ofopportunities todevelop technique.But somepeopleprefer touseexercises tofocus on a particular technique. That way, when they encounter the sametechnicaldemandinacomposition,theyarefreetoenjoythemusicmoreandtofocus on technique less.Other people,myself included, prefer to spend all oftheirpractice timeon realmusic, even if itmeans isolatingadifficultpassageandworkingwithitextensivelyasifitwereanexercise.Inanycase,technicallychallenging repertoire always requires that type of practice. Do what is mostenjoyableforyou.

Question:Howdoyoumotivatea student toworkharderwithoutmakinghertense?Answer:Thekeyis“healthy”or“relaxed”effort:neithertootightnortooloose,tootenseortoolazy,butfindingtheproperbalancebetweentheseextremes.Ittakesefforttomoveyourarm,butitcanbedonenaturallyandcomfortably.Youcan use yourmind in the sameway.You don’t have to force yourself to racethroughyourpracticesession.Ifastudentbeginstopracticeinthisrelaxedway,sheenjoysitmore,andhermotivationdevelopsnaturally.

Question: I’ve never felt a hundred percent prepared for a performance, so Idon’tunderstandhowit’spossibletooverpractice.Isn’tittruethatyoucanneverpracticeenough?Answer: It depends on what you mean by “prepared.” A hundred percentpreparationis impossible,becauseeverypieceofmusichasaninfinitenumberof facets; you can always do more. So you prepare as much as time allows.People very often overpractice. I find that if I rest more and practice less Iusuallyplaybetter.Overpracticingcomesfromfear,which locks themindandbodyandlimitsyourspontaneity.Overdoingitalsomakesyouphysicallytenseand exhausted.Musicians usuallywish they hadmore time to prepare—just acouplemoredays,oraweek—beforetheirperformance.Butwhenthemomentofperformancecomes,youhave toabandonyour idealism inorder toexpressyourselffreely.

Question: If you’re open in the way you describe, can you be receptive to apiecethatyou’renotstronglyattractedto?Answer: The ideal situation is to love the piece that you’re playing. Thenexpressing yourself comes more naturally, and you have more to give anaudience.Weallhaveourparticularaffinities.Butprofessionalmusiciansoftenhave to perform a piece they don’t feel passionate about. Accompanists playrepertoirechosenbythesoloist.Competitionsfrequentlyrequirecertainpieces;sodoteachers.Asoloistmighthaveanopportunitytoplaywithanorchestraifheiswillingtoplayaparticularconcerto.If you try to be receptive to a piece you don’t love, you can expand your

emotional range and grow as a musician. Without an initial passion for themusic,yourperformancemaybesomewhatlimited.Itmaybethat thepieceislimited.Or a piecemay not suit your temperament or personal style. But it’simportant to expand your musical and emotional range as much as possible,especially when you’re young. Later on, it’s important to recognize yourstrengths, and not to think you’re inferior or inadequate as a musician justbecauseyouhavecertainaffinities.

Question: It’s hard to find my own pace at music school because theenvironment is geared toworking fast.Howdoweavoidgetting caught up inthatrushandcompetitiveness?Answer:Alotisexpectedofmusicstudents.WhenIwasinschoolIoftenfeltthat the pacewent againstmy grain. But amusician-in-trainingmust become

familiarwithawidevarietyofmusical stylesanda lotof repertoire.Teacherssometimes assign a new piece everyweek. This is particularly difficult whenother students are able to learn pieces quickly and you have to competewiththem.Ormaybe you can learn a piece quickly, but you don’t enjoy doing sobecauseyouhavenotimetostudyitindepth.The school is trying to prepare students for the realities of the profession.

Sometimesyouareasked toperformapieceonshortnotice,oryourmanagermaywantyoutoknowtwoorthreedozenconcertossohecanbookyouforalotof concerts. Nevertheless, some very successful performers have smallrepertoires.Theyjustknowwhattheydobest,andthat’swhattheypresenttothepublic.Whenyou’reinyourtwenties,youfindoutwhoyouareasanartist—which

composers you prefer and which music suits your voice. Let your teacherintroduce you to a wide variety of music, and take time to search for newrepertoireonyourown.Maybeyouwilldiscoverpieces that inspireyoumoreand still provide the same challenges. If you feel the requirements are toodemanding,discussyourfeelingswithyourteacher.Don’tbeafraidtorequestaslightlylighterload,andexplainthatyou’dliketotrytoproducehigherqualityworkbyconcentratingonfewerpieces.When you feel overwhelmed by how much you have to do, take a few

momentstorememberyourloveforthemusic,andletyourselfenjoyitasmuchasyoucan.

Question:ManymusiciansIknowhavedevelopedinjuries,andI’vebecomesoafraid of getting onemyself that my body tightens up nowwhen I practice. Iknow I need to relax in order to avoid hurting myself but it’s as though I’mafraidthatifImovemyhandsandarmsI’IIdosomethingwrong.HowcanIletgoofthistension?Answer:Itcanbehardtorelaxintheclimateoffearandcompetitivenessthatsurroundsayoungperformer.Contractorsdon’tusuallyhirea freelanceplayerwho has had an injury even after he’s recovered from it. As a result, manymusicianschoosetohidethefactthatthey’resufferingfromtensionorpainuntilit disables them.So it’s a vicious circleof pain and fear.As awarenessof theprevalenceofinjuryanditscausesandcuresincreasesinthemusicalprofession,prejudice against the formerly injured is gradually decreasing. Unfortunately,fundingoforchestrashasalsodecreased,makingjobsextremelydifficulttoget,evenforthosewhohaveneverbeenhurt.Learningabouthowyourbodyworksandsharingyourconcernswithpeople

you trust can help you dealwith the fear and confusion surrounding pain andinjury.Itisespeciallyimportanttobekindtoyourselfwhenyounoticeyouaretighteningup.Yourfearisunderstandable,andthebetteryouunderstandit,thelessgrip itwillhaveonyou.Askyourselfwhatexactlyyouareafraidof.Youmaybeafraidthatyouwillhurtyourselfsobadlythatyouwillneverplayagain.Or you may be afraid that an injury would ruin your chances for a job orcompetition.Whateveryourfearisabout,ithasalottodowithhowmuchyoulovemusicandhowmuchyoulongtoexpressyourselfasanartistandperson.Appreciatingthesehealthyfeelingsanddesirescanhelpyourelaxandletgo.Itcan also help you be a good friend to others who are scared. The moreunderstanding and kindness we can develop toward those who have beeninjured,themoreeveryonewillbeabletocommunicateopenlyaboutpractice-relatedailments,receivehelpwhentheyneedit,andlearnhowtoavoidhurtingthemselvesinthefuture.

PARTTWO

ATen-StepApproach

CHAPTER3

Stretching

StepOne:Stretch.

Onthedayofaconcert,performersinstinctivelytakegoodcareofthemselves.We rest, eat good food, avoid stressful activities, and generally do everythingpossible to relax and energize ourselves for making music. We know that toperformwellweneedtofeelhealthy,emotionallybalanced,andconfident.Ifwearetense,exhausted,orupset,wecan’texpressourselvesfully.Backstagewetakedeepbreathsorstretchtorelaxandloosenup.Wemaysit

quietly to focus themind or conversewith stagehands or other performers toopenupemotionally.Someperformerseatafavoritehigh-proteinbreakfastthatday;somedrink fruit juice rightbeforeperforming tocombat lowbloodsugarcaused by nervous excitement. Whatever routine or ritual we follow, we aremoreconsciousthanusualofwhatwearedoingandwhy.We seldom take such care before practicing. We typically approach our

instrument income-as-you-are fashion,carryinga loadofphysical tensionandmentalclutter.Whetherweresenthavingtopracticeorweareeagertoconnecttothemusicandanxioustoaccomplishsomething,wedon’ttaketimetocalmdown,collectourselves,andeaseintoourwork.Practicingisachancetobewiththemusicyoulove.Youcanbringyourbest

to itoryoucancheatyourselfof theopportunity todiscover thedepthsof themusicandofyourowngifts.Yourbody,mind,heart,andsenseperceptionsareyour gifts. If you use them properly, they will serve you well. The Art of

Practicing begins with three steps that prepare you physically, mentally, andemotionallyformakingmusic.StepOneisStretch.Studentsoftenarriveatmystudioinafrazzledstate.They

have spent hours at school orwork, and they have just come from noisy citystreets. They need to unwind and decompress; their bodies look as thoughthey’vebeenscrunchedupinacanalldaywiththelidon.Theyneedtoremovethelid,jumpout,andrevitalizethemselvessotheycanapproachthepianowitheaseandsensitivity.Stretchingtakesoutthekinksandletsthebodybreathe.Manyofmystudents

begin every lesson with a few minutes of stretching. As they let go ofaccumulatedtension,theyvisiblyescapefromtheircompressed,“canned”stateandexpandintohumanbeingswithflexiblelimbs,juicesflowingfreelyagain.Healthprofessionalsfindthatmusicianstendtobesedentaryandoutofshape.

Eventwominutesofstretchingworkswondersbycirculatingbloodandoxygento thirsty tissues throughout the body.Nomatterwhat your instrument is, theenergyofyourwholebodyflowsintotheinstrumenttocreatethesound.Bodyenergyisselfenergy,andwhenyouletitcomeout,youexpressyourself.Whenfreshbloodandoxygenaren’tpumpingfreelythroughthebodytissues,

themusclesgettiredanddon’tfunctionwell.Energyislowinsteadofready-to-go. Stretching releases tense muscles, preparing them for work. Some healthprofessionalsadvisestretchingthemusclesyouuseforplayingyourinstrumentbothbeforeandafterpracticing.Theforearmsandshouldersofmanymusiciansgetaworkouteveryday;stretchingconditionsthemforandrefreshesthemafterthe steady streamof contractions theyperform. If you feel particularly stiff inthese areas, a physical therapist can recommend specific stretches to suit yourneeds.Stretchingthebackisparticularlyimportant.Themusclesintheposteriorof

thebody—thebackitself,thebackoftheneck,thebuttocks,andthebacksofthelegs—tend tobecramped fromdailyactivities.Thesemusclesholdusuprightagainst the force of gravity, and stretching them prepares them for thismajortask.Loosening the spine frees up the spinal cord and its attaching sensory and

motor nerves. The cord runs through the vertebrae, and its attached nervesemerge through openings in the sides of the vertebrae. Tight muscles andconnectivetissuecancompressthespinalcolumnandpartiallyblocktheoutletsfromthevertebralopenings.Sensoryperceptiondependsonthealivenessofthesensorynerves,whilemotoractiondependsonthereadinessofthemotornerves.Since stretching the spine can free up the spinal nerves that lead to both thesenseorgansandthemuscles,itcanincreasesensitivitytosoundsandsensations

andincreasemotilityofthemuscles.MyfriendJoanCampbellWhitacre,awonderfulmovementteacher,saysthat

physicalactivity,beyond the limitedmovementsofplayingyour instrument, isessentialtomusicalsensitivity:“Totheextentthatwedon’tmove,wecutoffourabilitytoperceiveandtofeel.Whentissuesareinactiveortense,theirsensoryabilitydiminishes.Thenerveendingsarenot receivinganadequateamountofstimulation.”Inaddition toawakeningthesensorysystem,stretchingcirculatesoxygen to

thebrain,allowingustothinkclearly.Officeworkerswhositinonepositionforextendedperiodsoftimebenefitfromperiodicstretchbreaks.Sodomusicians.Finally, if you breathe fully while you stretch, themovement of the breath

makes thespace inside thebodymore fluidso that theorganscanexpandandmovemore freely.Musical vibrations can thenmovemore easily through theorgans, bringingyou into amore complete engagementwith themusic asyouplayorsing.Youliterallycreateamorefull-bodiedtone.Thestretchesillustratedinthischapteraredesignedprimarilytolimberupthe

back,neck, shoulders,and forearms,aswellas to increasegeneralcirculation.Toget a feeling forhoweffective these stretchesare,practiceyour instrumentforafewminuteswithoutstretchingandthenagainafterstretching.

HowtoStretchSafelyandEffectivelyStretchingisbestdonewhenthebodyiswarmedupfromahotbathorshower,orfromlightexercise,suchasathree-minutewalk.Ifyoustretchwithcold,stiffmuscles,youcanstraintheminsteadoflooseningthemup.1Onewaytowarmupyourbodyistolieonthefloorwithyourarmsandlegsextendeduptowardthe ceiling, shake them out, and continuemoving all the joints of your limbsthrough their full range of motion in different directions. In this position thejointscanwarmupwithouttakingontheweightofthebody.2Or,youcanstandandshakeoutyourlimbs;leteacharmandlegshakeandfloparoundasifyouwerearagdoll.Letyourneckandspinegetintotheactandlooselyshakeyourwholebody.Tobemosteffective,stretchesshouldbeslow,gentle,andprolonged.Moving

too fast can strain a muscle or a joint.3 Don’t bounce back and forth to thestretched position. This “ballistic” bouncing aggravatesmuscle tissue and cancauseinjury.4Instead,easeintothestretch,relax,andbreathetoallowmusclestorelease.5Wearlooseclothingorloosenyourbeltandcollarsothatyoucanmovefreely.

If possible, take off your shoes. As you relax into each stretch, let yourselfbreathefullyandnoticehowthestretchaffectsyourbodywhenyouexhale.Joan Campbell Whitacre suggests coordinating your breathing with the

stretching in the following manner: “Initiate the stretch as you begin anexhalation.Continuebreathingandstretchonlyasfarasthetissuesarewillingtogo;don’tforcethetissuestostretch.Whenyouget toapointofdiscomfortorstiffness, see if you’re able to relaxwith it by deepening each inhalation andextending each exhalation. If you can continue to give in and experience areleaseofthediscomfort,you’reontherighttrack.”Don’tdoastretchifithurtsorifitfeelswrongforyourbody.Ifyoufeelincreasingpaininsteadofareleaseintension,gentlyeaseoutoftheposition.The stretches illustrated in this chapter are performed by yoga teacher Joni

Yecalsik.Don’ttrytoforceyourbodyintoapositionthatfeelsextremeforyou;juststretchasfarasyoucomfortablycan.Whendoingstretches#1,2,4,and5,itiscalmingforthebrainandnervoussystemtohavetheforeheadsupported.Ifyouarenot limberenoughforyourhead tohavecontactwithyour legsor thefloor,youcanusepillowsorachairseattosupportit.Withtheexceptionof#9,holdeachstretchfor5to60seconds,dependingon

what is comfortable for you and on how much time you have. If you’re abeginner or an older person, youmay not feel ready at first to stay in any ofthesepositionsforalongtime.Begentlewithyourbody.Aswithanyexerciseprogram,checkwithyourdoctororphysicaltherapistbeforeyouattemptthesestretches.

THIRTEENSTRETCHES

1.ForwardBend:Sitonthefloorwiththesolesofyourfeet together.Slowly

bendforwardwithyourarmsstretchedoutinfrontofyouandthepalmsofyourhandsonthefloor.Letyourheaddropasfarasitwillgo.Relaxyourarmsandyourentirebody.

2.SideStretch:Sitwithlegsapart,andstretchyourarmstowardyourrightfoot.Letyourheaddropasfarasitwillgo.Keepyourkneesunlocked,andrelaxyourbody.Repeat,stretchingyourarmstowardyourleftfoot.

3.ThePlow:Sittingonthefloor,rollbackwardfromyourhipssothatyourlegsextendoveryourheadandyourfeettouchthefloor.(Iftheydon’tyetreachthefloor,fillinthespacewithpillowsorachairseattohelpyoubalanceandrelax.)Letyourarmsrestontheflooratyoursides.

4.Backstretch1 and2: (1)Coming out of the plow, roll forward and extendyourlegsinfrontofyou.Placeyourhandslooselyaroundyourkneesandextendyourelbowstotheside.Letyourheaddrop;keepyourkneesunlocked.Noticehowyourbackandhamstringsfeel. (2)Repeat,but this timeplaceyourhandsaroundyourcalvesinsteadofyourknees;keepyourelbowsextendedouttotheside.Noticehowthispositionstretchesyourbackslightlydifferently.

5.Backstretch3: Sit on the floorwith your legs straight ahead. Extend yourarmsinfrontofyouwiththepalmsofyourhandsonthefloor.Dropyourheadandkeepyourkneesunlocked.Noticehowyourbackfeels.

6.KneeSpiral:Lieonyourbackwithyourarmsstretchedouttotheside.Bendyourrightkneeanddropitoveryourleftlegtowardthefloor.Turnyourheadtotheright.Repeatwiththeleftkneeovertherightleg,andtheheadturnedtotheleft.

7.ForwardBend,Standing:Standwithyour feethip-widthapart and slowlybendforward,lettingyourheadandhandsdropasfarastheywillgo.Don’tlockyourknees.

8.StandingTwist:Bendingforward,placeyour righthand looselyaround theinsideofyourrightkneewithyourelbowouttotheside.Stretchyourleftarmup toward the ceiling and turnyour head to the left, trying to see thebackofyourlefthand.Don’tlockyourknees.Repeatwithyourlefthandinsideyourleftkneeandyourrightarmextendedupward.

9.Side-to-SideTwist:Withlegsshoulderwidthapartandarmsstretchedouttotheside,gentlytwistyourupperbodybackandforthfromrighttoleft.

10.NeckandShoulderStretch:Claspyourleftwristwithyourrighthandandholditinbackofyourhead.Pullyourarmstotherightandthentotheleft.

11.ArmTwist:Crossyourrightarmoveryourleftattheelbowinfrontofyourbody.Move your two forearms toward each other and press your left fingersagainst your right palm. Close your right hand. Repeat with arms and handsreversed.

12.ForearmFlexorStretch:Placeacushionorfoldedtowelonatableinfrontofyou.Placethepalmsofyourhandsonthepaddedsurfacewithyourfingerspointing away from you. Let your fingers relax; don’t spread themuncomfortablyapart.Straightenyourarms,andleanyourbodyslightlyforward,withoutleaningyourweightonyourhands.

13.ForearmExtensorStretch:Extendyourleftarminfrontofyouwithyourelbowstraight.Letyourhanddropfromthewrist.Placethepalmofyourrighthandagainst thebackofyour lefthandabove the fingers;with therighthand,pull the left hand towardyou tobend the leftwrist farther.Repeatwithhandsreversed.

If you know other stretches that you enjoy doing, feel free to add them tothese,ordosomeoftheseandsomeofyourown.Listentoyourbody,anddowhatfeelsgood.Youcanalsostretchforacoupleofminutesinthemiddleofapracticesession

ifyoufeelstiffortight.Itwillloosenyouupandgetyourenergyflowingfreelyagain.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question:Doyourecommendgettingregularexercise,likerunningorworkingout,inadditiontodoingthesestretches?Answer:Yes.Swimmingisthesafestexercisebecauseitdoesn’tjaryourjoints.

SeveralyearsagoIstartedswimmingregularly,andnowIcan’timaginelivingwithout it. In addition to toning up themuscles and increasing your breathingcapacity and cardiovascular strength, vigorous exercise also producesendorphins,resultinginaliftinyourmood.Swimmingstrengthenstheshouldermuscles.Strongshouldersandupperarms

takesomeoftheloadofftheforearms,whicharepushedtothelimitinplayingmany instruments. Health professionals often advise instrumentalists to avoidliftingweights to strengthen theirarms,becauseusing thehands togripheavyobjectsisantitheticaltothedelicatemuscularcontrolamusicianneeds.Ontwooccasionsastudenthascometoalessonwithmewithunusuallytightarmsfromliftingweights during theweek. If youwant to strengthenyour shoulders andupper arms, you canuseweights that strapontoyourwrist or upper arm, andincreasetheamountofweightslowly.Youcanbuystrap-onweightsatsportinggoods stores, and a professional trainer, physical therapist, or movementtherapistcanteachyouhowtousethemproperly.Yoga, properly taught, provides both a workout and a release of tension.

Teachers of Iyengar yoga, in particular, adapt yoga poses to the needs ofindividual students. If you are stiff, you become more flexible; if you lackstrength,youlearntobalanceflexibilitywithstrength.Thismethodisespeciallyhelpfulifyouhaveaninjurybecauseittrainsyoutouseyourmusclestosupportyourjoints,helpingyoutoavoidpainandtorecoverfromtheinjury.

CHAPTER4

SettlingIn

StepTwo:Settledowninyourenvironment.

I remember sitting in the balcony ofAvery FisherHall andwatchingYehudiMenuhinwalkonstage toconductanorchestra.Heenteredslowlyandquietly,andIwasimmediatelyovertakenbyhisregalpresence.Ashesteppedontothepodium, acknowledged the applause, and raised his baton, his body seemedpoised to produce a performance that was already fully alive inside him.Maintainingamajesticsteadinessinhispostureasheconducted,hemadeonlysimple, gentle movement with his arms, yet each gesture commanded anexquisitewaveofsoundfromtheorchestra.Whentheconcertwasover,Iwentbackstage to meet him and was surprised to find that this man of toweringpresencewasshorterthanIwas.What I perceived in him onstage was an inner stillness; in front of three

thousandpeopleandinthemidstoftorrentialmusicalevents,hewasathome.Itwasasthoughheneverforgotthesilencefromwhichallthesoundaroseandtowhich it would return. This inner stillness, this ability to be steady and toaccommodate themost dynamic play of energies, is at the core of that prizedcommoditywecallpresence.Steadiness allows a performer to master the complex mix of emotions in

musicratherthanbeingthrownoffbalancebyoneemotionandleftunreadyforthenext.Youcanseethisqualityeveninthemostbravurainstrumentalplaying.InafilmedperformanceoftheElgarCelloConcerto,JacquelineduPréhandles

vigorous, rapid passages with aplomb, returning after each series of dramaticsweepsofthebowtoastateofcompletecomposure.Shecontinuallydivesintothemusic with exuberance and abandon, yet she projects an arresting naturaldignitythroughoutherperformance.We imagine that Jacqueline du Pré had great presence even when she was

practicing. Yet we think that presence is not something we can practice; weeither have it or we don’t. Few of us are as gifted as Yehudi Menuhin orJacqueline du Pré; such phenomenally talented performers naturally exude amagneticmusicalvitalityandwarmth.Butwecancultivateourown presence.We can bring more of ourselves, more inner strength and conviction, topracticingthanweusuallydo.Throughpropertraining,wecandiscoverpowerswithinusthatwedidn’tknowwehad.Thischapterandthenextoffertechniquesfordoingthat.

BeingPresentPresence is the state of being fully present, of body, mind, heart, and senseperceptionsbeingcompletelyengagedwiththeactivityof thepresentmoment.Foraperformer, thismeansnotonlybeingengagedwith themusicbut lettingthe energyof the audience affect you. In practicing, itmeans being at ease inyoursurroundingsandbeingawareofeachmovementandeachsoundthatyoumake.Presencebeginswith amind that iswide awake.After a goodvacationour

mind is fresh and alert, and we feel ready to plunge into practicing. Ourtechnique might be a little rusty, but we are fascinated with the details ofmovement, fingering, and phrasing. In themiddle of a stressful day, however,whenthemindisfilledwithtenthousandthings,orwitharunningcommentaryon how we should have said such-and-such yesterday to so-and-so, we canhardlyevenrespondtothenotesonthepage.Thebodyispresent,butthemindissomewhereelse.Weneedareliablewayofemptyingthemindofcluttersowecantakeinwhat’sinfrontofus.A practice called “mindfulness of breathing” has recently become widely

recognizedasahighlyeffectivemethodforclearing themindandrelaxing thebody. Discovered in ancient times by Shakyamuni Buddha as a form ofmeditation, this simple practice of focusing on the breath has immediate andprofound beneficial effects. Heart specialists teach it to patients to help themlower theirbloodpressure.People suffering fromsevere injuriesuse it toeasetheir pain. This is the technique used to accomplishStep Two: Settle down inyourenvironment.

PostureUpright posture is important for this breathing exercise because it allows thelungstofunctioneasily.Tobegin,sitonafirmseat(whichcouldbethechairorbenchyouusewhenplayingyourinstrument),comfortablyupright,lettingyourtorsorestnaturallyonyoursitbones.Thesitbonesarethetwobonesatthebaseof thepelvis;youcanfeel themwhenyoushiftyourweightfromside toside.Thesebonesaredesignedtobesaton;webalancedeasilyonthemasbabies,justsittingonthefloor.Butaswegotolder,wegotusedtoslouchinginchairs,andwe lost thehabitof sitting inanupliftedway. (Chapter6, “BasicMechanics,”willdiscusspostureindetail.)With your feet solidly on the floor, your hands resting on your thighs, and

your headup and facing forward, let your gaze drop to a comfortable level—about45degreesdown.Don’t try to focusonwhat’s in front of you; let youreyes relax. Let your jaw relax aswell.You can open yourmouth a little if ithelpsyoubreathemoreeasily.Mentallyscanyourbodyfromheadtotoetonoticeplaceswhereyou’retense.

Consciously let the muscles relax.Many actors are trained in this method ofloosening up beforewalking onstage; letting go of tension frees up their vitalenergiesforperforming.

BreathingAfterassumingthisposture,placeyourattentiononyourbreathasyouexhale.Justnoticeit.Youdon’tneedtopayanyparticularattentionasthebreathcomesin,justasitgoesout.Andyoudon’tneedtobreatheinanyspecialway;justletthebreathbeasitis.Dothisforatleasttwominutes.Ifyou’rereadingthisinaquietplace,doitnow,beforereadingfurther.Breathingoutisveryrelaxing.Usuallywedon’tletourselvesexhaleenough

during the day. We rush our breathing process, and sometimes we hold ourbreath.Payingattentiontothebreathbringsanawarenessofthesehabits.Youmight notice that yourbreathing is irregular.Sometimesyoumight not

exhalecompletely;youinhalealittlesoonerthanisnatural.Ifyoudon’tgiveinto any tendencies to control your breathing, it will start to relax and regulateitself.Oneofmystudentssaidthatduringthisexerciseshefelttheairgoingintoher

lungsmoredeeply,herbody feltmore relaxed, andhermindbecame tranquil.This is an accurate description of the process. The mind slows down partlybecause you’re not doing anything; you’re taking a break from activity. But

usuallywhenyou“donothing,”themindisstillfilledwithastreamofrandomthoughts. In this case, by consciouslydirectingyour attention to thedetails ofbreathing,youremoveyourattentionfromthestreamofrandomthoughts,andthemindis filledonlywith thesimpleprocessofbreathing.Youaccomplishaminivacationfromdailycares.Becausethispracticeallowsustobreathemoreeasily,itrelaxesthebodyas

well as themind.Asmoreoxygen enters the cells, thewhole systembreathesmoreeasilyandletsgo.Sometimesoneofmystudentsarrivesata lessoninaparticularlydistractedstateanddiscoversthatsomethingsheplayedwellthedaybefore now sounds edgy and rough. After doing this breathing exercise for acouple of minutes, she feels refreshed, and her playing becomes freer andsmoother.Togeta feeling for thepowerof this technique, trysingingorplayingyour

instrumentforaminuteorsowithoutdoingthebreathingexercisefirst.Thendotheexercisefortwominutesandstartagain.Noticethedifferenceinyourstateofmindandinthemusic.

EnvironmentAs your mind slows down and becomes less filled with random thoughts, itbecomesmorefilledwithpresentsensoryreality.Thetextureofthebreath,thesolidnessofyourbodyontheseat,andtheair,thelight,andthesoundsaroundyouentertheforegroundofyourawareness.Itfeelsgoodtobecomemoreawareof your body instead of living so much in your head.We need this physicalalivenesstomakemusic.After focusing on your breathing for a couple of minutes, you can expand

yourawarenessbydeliberatelynoticing thegroundbeneathyouand the spacearoundyou.Noticeyourbodygivingintogravityasyourestsolidlyontheseatorstandonthefloor.Themorerootedandbalancedyoufeel,theeasieritistorelaxandtobeawareofthespacearoundyou.Noticetheexpanseofopenspacebetweenthewalls.Lettheatmosphereintheroomaffectyou.This experience is so basic that we usually overlook it. But practicing this

kind of awareness prepares us for performance, when awareness of theenvironmentisintense.Inperformance,therushofadrenalinefloodingthebodyandtheenergycomingbacktousfromtheaudienceoverwhelmusandinterruptourusualmentalchatter,makingthemind“goblank.”Bypracticinglettingthemind unwind throughmindfulness of breathing,we become accustomed to anopen, uncluttered mind, and experiencing it during performance is less of ashock.

SettingtheStageOnceyousettledown,youattainsufficientpeaceofmindtofocusonyourwork.You have set the stage to express yourself. It’s like hanging up your friends’coatssoyoucanrelaxtogetherinyourhome,orsittingdownatawell-settabletoenjoyameal.Relaxingintheenvironmentallowsyoutoapproachpracticingwiththesamekindofeaseandjoy.Beingsettleddoesn’tmeanthatyourenergyisflatorthatthemusicwillsound

boring.Onthecontrary, itmeansyouarerelaxedandalert,andyourenergyisunfetteredandreadytomoveatyourcommand.Lettingyourselfbreatheenablesyoutobreathelifeintothemusic.Beginningaperformance fromsuchacomposedstate setsawonderful tone

fortheconcert.Itprojectsacalmconfidenceandareceptivenesstotheaudience.Anarrogantperformermight rushonto thestageas if todeclare“Here Iam!”andcharge into themusicbefore theaudiencehasevensettled into theirseats.Butatrulyconfidentperformertakeshertimeandwelcomestheaudiencewithawarmth you can feel.By practicingwith composure, you cultivate confidencefor performing; you learn to be comfortable wherever you are, and toaccommodatewhateverishappening.Soletyourselfbreathe,andstartyourpracticesessionwithaclearmind.Take

a minute to enjoy just being at ease in your surroundings. See what kind ofmusicyoumakewhenyoufeelcomfortableandsettledinyourownbody.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question:Why do you keep your eyes open in this technique? Isn’t it morerelaxingtocloseyoureyes?Answer:Thepointisthatyoudon’thavetoshutoutyourenvironmenttorelax.Youcanberelaxedandalertat thesametime.Youdon’thave tospaceout. Ifyou’resotiredthatyoureyesnaturallyclose,that’sfine.Butthenyoumightbetootiredtodogoodwork.Trykeepingyoureyesopen.Justbystayingwithit,youstarttosettledown.

Question: I don’t understand the importance of having an awareness of thegroundandspace.Whatifyou’reinaperformingsituation,withthatelementofdanger,andyounoticethegroundandspacetoomuch?Youmightgetthrownbythewholeenvironment,andthatwouldinterferewithyourcontrolofthepiece.Answer:Many performers think that if they noticewhat’s happening, if they

notice the audience andwhere they are, theywon’t be able to focus onwhatthey’redoing.That canhappen ifyoupractice in anarrow, self-involvedway,unaware of the environment, because you set yourself up for a contrast.Suddenly face-to-face with an audience, you find the openness of the spaceimpossible to ignore.Musicians frequentlyhavememory lapseswhen theygetdistractedbytheenvironment—theenergyinthehall,orthesoundofsomeonecoughing.Theylosefocusbecausethey’renotusedtoallowingtheenvironmentintotheirmind.Ifyoupracticeallowing theenvironment intoyourmind, itbecomespartof

your everyday experience. You get used to having a vivid awareness of theenvironment, and it ceases to be threatening. It becomes a nurturing, fertilesituationinwhichyoucanrelaxandthenfocusonyouractivityatthesametime.As long as you focus primarily on what you’re doing in that space, you canaffordtofeeltheenergyaroundyou.Thebreathingexercisehelpsyoubegintorecognizehowcomfortableandfreeyoucanbe.Openness to theenvironmentallowsmorecommunicationwithanaudience.

Someperformersprotectthemselvesfromthefearofperformingbypretendingtheaudienceisn’tthereorbytryingtoignoreeveryone.Instead,youcanincludetheminyourperformance.Theywillfeelthedifference,andthemusicyoumakewillhavemorevitality.

Question:Sometimes I stop during the day and think, “I haven’t breathed inhours.” My breathing gets so shallow that it feels as though I haven’t beenbreathing. I actually have to stop and watch myself breathe to realize I havebeenbreathingallthattime,butinaveryminimalway.It’sscary.Answer:It’sscarybecausethebreathingyouweredoingwasscaredbreathing.Q: That’s it. If you notice your breath is shallow, should you practice deepbreathing?Shouldyou try toget ridof this fearbydeliberatelychanginghowyoubreathe,orjustacknowledgethefear?A:Youcanjustacknowledgeitandletitbe.Thatwayyougivethefearroomtobreathe,anditeventuallyrelaxes.Deepbreathingisadifferenttechnique,andafewdeepbreathscanalsobehelpful.But Iusuallydon’t takedeepbreaths. Ifyou let your breath be as it is, youmight at some point spontaneously take abreaththat’sverydeep.Youdon’thavetoforceit.

Question:Noticingmyenvironmentmakesmewonderwhatthebesttimeofdayis to practice. When are you most receptive to the environment and to

practicing?Answer:This is averypersonal thing.Aswithanyotherkindofwork, somepeople do better in themorningwhile others prefer the afternoon or evening.Generally, the beginning of the day is good forme, because I feel fresh. Butsometimestheeveningisagreattimetopractice,ifyou’renottootired,becauseyou’vedealtwiththebusinessofthedayandit’snotonyourmind.Themostimportantthingisnottooverpracticebuttodohigh-qualitywork.I

usedtowastetimewhenIpracticedwithaclutteredmind.Ispentalotoftimeindulging my emotions at the piano instead of settling down and workingintelligently.Ifyou’reexhaustedortense,andyouknowyoucan’tdoanyproductivework,

don’ttry.Takingafewminutestorelaxandletyourbreathgooutcanhelp,butsometimesyoujustneedtorestortakecareofsomethingelsethatisdemandingyourattention.

Question:Doyoualsopayattentiontoyourbreathingwhenyou’reperforming?You breathe, obviously, but how much do you need to breathe when you’replaying?Answer:I’msureit’sdifferentifyou’reasingerorawindplayer,becausethebreathisessentialtoproducingthesound,butIdon’tthinkaboutbreathingwhenI’mplaying. Inorder to relaxbefore performing, I spend time focusingon thebreath.Thatclearsmymindandmakesmefeelmorepresent.

Question:When I perform, I just focus on the music and that helps me bepresent.Isn’tthatenough?Answer: Ithelps,but seewhathappens ifyou takea little time to slowdownbefore you start. On the day of a performance, musicians instinctively slowdown.Theyknowthatiftheyjustrushontothestagefortheirdebutrecitalafterridingona train, running to thehall, andbarelymaking it in time, theywon’tplaytheirbest.What you’re describing is great. I wish more performers would immerse

themselvesinthemusicandnotworrysomuchabouthowthey’redoing.Keepitup.

Question:Thisbreathingtechniqueseemstobeamodifiedformofmeditation.Do you do real meditation before you practice, and do you teach that to

students?Answer: I practice meditation, but I don’t tell my students to meditate. Thecommitment to regular meditation practice is personal and requires genuinemotivation.Ifastudentgetscuriousandwantstolearntomeditate,Ihelphimfind a goodmeditation instructor, but I don’tmixmeditation instructionwithpianolessons.They’retwodifferentthings.There are many kinds of meditation. In the kind I practice, you let go of

random thoughts andnoticewhat’s happening in thepresentmoment.When ameditatorsitsandpaysattention toherbreathing, that’swhatshe’sdoing.Thebreath isapresent-moment reality.Usually themindgoesfromone thought toanotherwithout a break.Meditationgivesyourmind a rest from its streamofpreoccupations.Itallowsyoutounwind.

CHAPTER5

TuningintoYourHeart

StepThree:Tuneintoyourheart.

My student Andrea describes playing background music for a weddingreceptionthedayaftershehadherheartbrokenbyafailedromance.Shesatataconcert grand piano playing old-fashioned love songs while the guests sat attables, eating and engaging in lively conversation. She had played for sucheventsmanytimes,butthistimewasdifferentbecauseshewassovulnerable.“Icouldn’tstopfeelingsad,”shesaid.“Itwaslikeaflood.Ijusthadtofeelitandplay, and something came through in the music that had never been therebefore.”Soonaftershebeganplaying,shenoticedthatseveralgroupsofguestshad stopped talking andwere listening attentively. Each time she stood up toleave the room for a break, they burst into applause. “They beamed these bigsmilesatme,”shesaid.“Ididn’tfeellikeabackgroundmusicianatall.IfeltlikeIwasgivingarealperformance.”“It sounds like your heartwas open,” I told her, “and they heard it. That’s

whatpeoplewantwhenyouplay.Theywanttohearyourheart.”IwastheaudienceforsuchaperformancewhenJulie,anotherstudent,came

to her lesson a few days after her dog died. She felt raw and tender; all herdefenses were down. Although she played the same Chopin études she hadstruggled with for months, she suddenly found the notes falling into placewithouteffort, straight from theheart.Herentire lessonwassomeof themoststellarmusic-makingIhaveeverheard.

Dowehavetobeletdowninaromanceorgothroughthedeathofalovedoneinordertomakemusicfromtheheart?No,butwedoneedtobeintouchwithourheart’slongingforlove,formusic,andforlife.Weneedtorememberour vulnerability: At any moment we might lose something that brings ushappiness, and ultimately, when we die, we must say goodbye to the entireworld. Such thoughts pierce the heart, and the initial shock of that piercing ispainful.Butitreleasesafloodofburiedemotions,leadingustodeeperlevelsofjoyandartisticpower.Whenwepractice,theheartisoftenobscuredundermultiplelayersofmental

and emotional preoccupations. We are distracted by countless judgments ofourselvesandbyrandomthoughts.Wemayfeelanxiousaboutgettingthemusicreadytomeetadeadline.Wemayresenthavingtopractice,orwemaybeoverlyexcitedaboutpracticinganddiveinwithinsufficientsensitivity.Thesehabitualmental and emotional states keep us fromnoticing the raw, sweet, unbearablytenderfeelingwehaveformusic.Wedon’tneedthesehabitualstatesofmind.Weneedaccesstothethrobbingheartbeneaththem.Summoningyourheart’spoweristhefinalpreparatorystepbeforepracticing,

Step Three: Tune into your heart.Whatever state ofmind you’re in, this stepallows you to penetrate the heart’s protective shield and enter the world ofintensewarmthandvitality.Thisbreakingopenofthehearthappensautomaticallywhenyouareaboutto

perform;youfeelyourheartbeating.Youalsofeelitwhenastrikingeventjoltsyour mind into full consciousness of reality: You’re sitting in a coffee shoplookingout thewindowanddaydreaming,when suddenlyyouhear a crashofdishes, some gasps, and someone yelling in panic, “Is there a doctor in thehouse?” Or you’re attending the wedding of a good friend, and as she walksdown the aisle to be married you are unexpectedly overwhelmed by yourhappinessforherandbegintocry.Recallingsuchfeelingsishowtotuneintoyourheart.Tobegin,tryreflecting

foracoupleofminuteson theopportunityyouhave topractice.Noteveryonehasthisopportunity,yetwetakeitforgranted.Wewanttogetitoverwithandgetontothenextthing.Orwefeellethargicandfindithardtogetstarted:“Ugh,Ihavetopractice.”Weneedtowakeup.Weneedtorememberwhoweareandwhatwearedoing.Wearenot just, ugh, practicing.Weare connecting to theheartandmindofagreatcomposer,andtotheextentthatweareabletodothat,weconnectwithandnourishourselves.In the documentary film From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China, a

Chineseman speaks about howhewas imprisoned in a dark cell for fourteenmonths because he had committed the crime of playing Western music. The

movie is filledwithbothChineseandWesternmusic,beautifullyplayed.As Iwatchedit, I triedto imaginethedepthof thisman’ssufferinginbeingdeniedsuchmusicalsustenanceandinbeingpunishedseverelyforengaginginthelife-givingactivityofmakingmusic. I realizedhowmuchwe take forgranted theopportunitytolivewithmusiceveryday.Whenmusicians develop injuries that interrupt their practicing for months,

they get depressed. Cut off from the communion with great music, they feeldeprivedofanessentialfood.Weforgetsoeasilyourneed topractice.Sostopforaminuteand thinkabout thechanceyouhave.Youneverknowwhenyoumight lose it.Even ifnothingever interruptsyourmusical life, sooneror lateryour lifewillend.Remembering this factcan inspireyou tomake themostofthetimeyouhave.Tuning into the heart is especially helpful when you’ve had a hectic day.

Sometimes a student comes into a lesson extremely keyed up and distracted.Even after sitting andwatchinghis breath goout for awhile, his playing stillsoundsjangledandmechanical.Iaskhimtoclosehiseyesandthinkabouthowhewouldfeelifhereceivedaphonecalllaterthatdaysayingaclosefriendorrelativewasjustkilledinanaccident.Ashesitsquietlyforaminuteortwo,hisface and body soften. Tension dissolves. When he opens his eyes and playsagain,thedifferenceislikenightandday.Inplaceofthejangledandmechanicalperformanceisadeeplyhumanandaffectingone.I’mnotsuggestingthatyoudwellexcessivelyonmorbid,painfultopics.Just

reflectonthepreciousnessoflife.Thismaysoundextreme,butit’ssimplybeingrealistic. It’s really possible that tomorrow youwon’t be here. I told this to astudent once, and she looked at me as though I were a little crazy. She waseighteen,anditwashardforhertoimagineherlifebeingcutshort.Afewdayslater she phonedme and said that her seventeen-year-old sister had just died.“NowIunderstandwhatyouweretalkingabout,”shesaid.Another student called fromAlabama once to cancel his lesson because he

was attending his cousin’s funeral. “Shewas only thirty-eight,” he said. “Shewasinacaraccident,andshewentintoacomaanddied.It’ssoshocking.Youneverthinkit’sgoingtohappentoyou,ortoanybodyyouknoworcareabout.”Asyouarereadingthis,someoneprecioustoyoumayhavediedwithoutyour

knowingit.Takeoneortwominutesnowtostopandimaginethatthisistrue.Whenyoureflectontheimpermanenceoflife,youfeeltheheartareaofyour

chestopenup—itfeelswarm.Oncetheheartisopen,itisavailableforwhateveractivityyouengagein.Thewarmthquicklyfloodsyoursystem.Yourbodyfeelsmore relaxed and fluid inside, and your movements becomemore gentle andprecise.Theenergyofyourheartfuelsyouractions.

HeartAwarenessoftheEnvironmentOnce you have uncovered your heart energy, you can extend it into theenvironment. Here you are in an ordinary room, with your instrument, andnothing’s happening. But you’re not just in this room. You can hear soundsoutside;maybeyouhearcarsonthestreetorpeopletalking.Whetheryou’reinacityorinthecountry,you’reamongavastvarietyofhumanbeingsandoflifeofallkinds.You’reinaworld.Feelthat.Then,lookatyourbookofmusic.Maybeitcostsonlysixdollars.Butitwas

writtenbyBeethoven,andit’ssittinginfrontofyou.Takeaminutetofeelthepower in that; this brilliant, profound, fiery person named Ludwig vanBeethovenwasalivetwohundredyearsago,andthemusichewrotestillmovesustoday.Sotheenvironmentcontainsthepossibilityofbringingthepowerandmajestyofthepastintothevibrantpresentmoment.Whenyouarepracticingforaperformance,thesituationisevenmoreintense.

Atadesignatedtime,eighto’clockonThursdaynightthetwenty-third,atsuch-and-such hall, people who have bought tickets will come in and sit down inrows,andyouwillwalkinandplay…Beethoven.Contemplatingsuchaneventis a little like gazing at a star-filled sky; you can’t help but feel humble andhuman.As you begin to appreciate your environment, you may feel the desire to

rearrange a few things in it to create an atmosphere that is conducive tointelligentpracticing. Ina spacious,uncluttered roomyoucaneasily relaxandfocusonyourwork.But if thepiano isheapedwithbooksandeverything isamess, youmay find yourmind feelsmessy, too, that it’s hard to focus on thedetailsofpracticing.Preparing the environment for an activity helps to ready us psychologically

forwhatwilltakeplace.Whenweinvitefriendsintoourhouseorapartment,weusually clean it up first,make room for our guests, and look forward to themarrivingandenjoyingthemselves.Sometimesweimaginethemnoticinghowourhomelooksandappreciatingitasanexpressionofwhoweare.Bypreparingforsomethingpersonalandintimate tohappen,weenergizeourselvesandbecomemorereceptivetoourguests.You can do the same thing forMozart.You are about to play hismusic, to

bringhimtolifeinthisroom.Evenifyouareinapracticeroomatschool,youcan put your coat and bag in an appropriate place and put your scores on themusicstandinanorderlyfashion.Wetendtotakepracticingcasually.Wethink,“Whatdifferencedoesitmake

ifIplayinanoffhandwaywhennobody’slistening?Sowhatiftheroom’sfull

ofjunk?”Butwhenthemomentofperformancecomes,wewishwe’dpracticedwith more heart. We think, “My God, everything depends on me. All thesepeople have taken the time and trouble to come and hearme.They’re payingmoney.”We wouldn’t dream of putting a piano onstage heaped with stuff. Itwould detract from the performance. A simple, elegant practice environmentpreparesusforthewideopenspaceofperformance,wherethespotlightisonusandourheartisexposed.Exposingtheheartisfrightening.Butwithoutapalpableheart,weareneither

fullymusicalnorfullyhuman.Theheartisastorehouseofenergythatisalwaysavailabletous.Themorewereleasethisenergy,themorejoyandmeaningwediscover inmusic and in life. Feel your heart. Trust it, in all its rawness andunpredictability.Thisisyourpower.Letitfloodyourbeing.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question:Howdoesfeelingsadprepareyoutoplayhappymusic?Answer: We think of happy and sad as opposites, but they’re actuallyinseparable, like life and death. Joy would be meaningless if we neverexperiencedsorrow,anditisbecauseofthecontrastbetweenthetwothatwegettears in our eyeswhenwe feel extremely happy. True joy always contains anelementofsadness,becauseitcomesfromaheartthatknowsthepreciousness,thetransitorynature,ofexperience.YoucouldplayMendelssohn’s “WeddingMarch” like ahappy idiot, oryou

couldplay itwith tearsof joy for themanandwomanwhoare embarkingontheir life journey together.The firstwaywouldbenothing special; the secondcouldthrilleveryonepresent.

Question:Iwouldliketocreatethespaciouskindofenvironmentyoudescribe,butIhaveanuprightpianoagainstthewall,anditneverfeelsspacious.Ifeelasthough I’m facing a dead end, that the sound isn’t free to go out and fill theroom.ShouldIputitinthemiddleoftheroom?Answer:Youhavetoworkwiththespaceyouhave.Youcouldhangamirroronthewallover thepianoatanangle thatgivesyouaviewofwhat’s inbackofyou.Youcouldalsomovethepianoawayfromthewallalittletocreatespaceforthesoundtoresonate.Youmightnotwanttoputthepianointhemiddleofthe room because the back of an upright looks like the underside of a grandpiano,with all the beams.But you could cover the backwith a nice piece offabric.

Question:WhenIpractice,mymindisalwaysbickeringwithme,saying,“Youshouldn’tbedoingthis;youshouldbedoingsomethingelse.Otherpeopleplaybetterthanyou.Whyareyoustilltrying?”HowcanIstaywiththeheartqualityofwhatI’mdoingwhensuchnegativethoughtsentermymind?Maybeyoudon’thavesuchthoughts.Answer:Everybodyhasthosethoughts.But they’rejust thoughts.Once,whentheconductorArturoToscaniniandthecellistGregorPiatigorskywereabouttogo onstage to perform together, one of them said to the other, “How are youfeeling?” “Terrible,” he answered, “because I’mno good.” “I’mnot any goodeither,” the first said, “but we’re no worse than the rest of them. Let’s go.”Realizingthatgreat,famousartistshavesuchdoubtscanhelpyourelax.What’sdangerousisthepersonwhothinkshe’shotstuffanddoesn’thaveany

sense of vulnerability.Once he’s onstage, he’s bound to feel nervous just likeeverybody else, and if he’s not prepared for that it can throw off hisconcentration.Some of our thoughts about our ability are realistic. After studying an

instrumentformanyyears,yougetanideaofhowfaryoucango.Butaslongasyou want to make music, do it, regardless of how you compare with others.Music isyours toenjoy, andyoudon’thave tochastiseyourself fornotbeinglikesomeoneelse.It’swhatyoudowithwhatyouhavethatmakesthedifferenceinyourlife.The more you feel your heart, the better you will play. When negative

thoughts come up during your practicing, just notice themwithout identifyingwiththem.Yourthoughtsarenotyou.They’rejustthoughts,habits.Yourheartisyou.

Question: It sounds fine to appreciate your environment if you’re at homelistening to thecarsridingby,butwhat ifyou’re inapracticeroomat schoolandhearingyourcompetitorspracticinginthenextroom,andyouknowthey’rehopingthatyoufallonyourface,thatyouwon’tbeabletogetthroughadifficultpiece?Answer:It’ssadthatsomuchenergyfrequentlygoesintowishingotherpeopleill and desperately holding on to one’s own professional territory or potentialprofessionalsuccess.Itmakeslifedifficultforayoungmusicianwhohasn’tyethad time todevelopasuccessfulcareerand isbound tohavedoubtsaboutherability.Ifyoufeelhurtbydestructivelycompetitivepeople,rememberthattheirdesiretoseeyoufailcomesfromtheirownsenseofweaknessandinadequacy.Atrulyconfidentstudentdoesnotneedtoputothersdowntofeelstrongherself,or

tocheatsomeoneelseoutofachancetosucceedinordertofeelgoodaboutherownfuture.Seek out friendshipswithmore sensitive studentswhohave thematurity to

admit theirown feelingsof inadequacyand to sympathizewithyou insteadofcuttingyoudown.Whenyouare inyourpracticeroom,don’tbeafraid tofeelyour vulnerability, and let it pour into themusic. You can take pride in yoursensitivityandknowthat thedestructiveattitudeofyourcolleagues iskeepingthemfromdevelopingthetendernessthatmusicneeds.Ultimately,youcanevenfeelsadforthem,thattheylackthecouragetobemorehuman.

CHAPTER6

BasicMechanics

StepFour:Useyourbodyinacomfortableandnaturalway.

In 1983, Joan Campbell Whitacre saw me perform and warned me that myhabitsof repeatedly leaning forward, swayingaround, anddroppingmywristsbelowthekeyboardweregoingtogetmeintotrouble.Shehadjustcomebackfrom a performing arts medicine conference where she learned aboutinstrumentaltechniquesthatcauseinjury.Irespondedtoherkindwarningwitharrogance:“Youdon’tknow,becauseyoudon’tplay.”Fortunately,ayearandahalf later,mypostureandwristpositionchangednaturallyasIbecameamorerelaxedperson.OnedayIsimplyfoundmyselfsittinguprightinsteadofleaningandswayingasIusedto,andalthoughmywristsremainedflexible,Inolongerletthemdropsolow.Iwasshocked.Thissimplerphysicalapproachfeltnatural,andwhenI tried

playingtheoldway,itfeltuncomfortableandforced.Ididn’tknowifIshouldtrustthenewwayofplayingafterdoingsomethingcompletelydifferentformywholelife.I asked amusician friend to listen tome play and tellme how it sounded.

After hearing ten minutes of Bach and Chopin, she delivered the verdict: “Itsoundsmuchbetterthanbefore.You’renotholdingontothemusicforyourself;it’scomingthroughmoretothelistener.You’recommunicatingmore.”Iknewshewasright.IrealizedthatalltheleaningandswayingIusedtodo

wasawayofstrugglingagainst themusic, that insteadof lettingit flowfreelythroughmybody,Ihadbeentryingtokeepagriponit,toforceittogoacertainway.Inolongerfelttheneedtodothat.Icouldsitandmovesimply,allowingthe music to flood my system and naturally pour out of me. Excited by thisdiscovery,I taught thenew,uprightposture tomystudents.Everyoneof themimmediatelyplayedmorebeautifully.Mostmusiciansarenotluckyenoughtospontaneouslydiscoverabetterway

of using their bodies. Theymay suspect something is wrongwhen practicingbecomesanendlessbattleforcontroloftheinstrument.Ortheymaydevelopaninjurythatforcesthemtolookforanewtechnicalapproach.ButmanyfeeljustasIdid:Theyenjoymakingmusicandareunawarethatitcouldfeelandsoundevenbetter.Everymusicianneedsaworkingknowledgeofthebodymechanicsinvolved

inusinghisorherinstrument.Postureandmovementhaveenormousimpactonone’sabilitytocontrolaninstrumentandonhowthemusicsounds.Regardlessof talent, musical imagination, and exhortations from teachers to play with amorevelvetorpenetratingtone,ifthebodyisn’tworkingefficiently,themusicthatcomesoutwillbeonlyafractionofwhatlivesinsidetheperson.StepFouristouseyourbodyinacomfortableandnaturalway.Completely

natural movement in making music requires a developed sensitivity andthorough studyextending farbeyond the scopeof thisbook.This chapterwillpresentafewbasicprinciplesofbodymechanicsandmovementdynamicsthatcan make the difference between a fluent technique and one that isuncomfortable and potentially injurious.Although itwill focus particularly onpiano technique, I will also describe how these principles apply to otherinstruments.In preparing this chapter, I interviewed physicians, physical therapists, and

movement educators specializing in the Alexander Technique, BartenieffFundamentals, Body-Mind Centering, and Laban Movement Analysis. All ofthem provided valuable information about physiology, body mechanics, andmovement dynamics from their extensive experiencewithmusicians’ physicalproblems. I also spoke to teachers of voice and other instruments who havesuccessfully retrained performers suffering from tension and injuries. If youwould like to contact anyof thesehealth professionals ormusic teachers, youwill find themlisted in theResourcesforMusicianssectionat thebackof thisbook.Beforegettingintoprinciplesofpostureandmovement,itmaybehelpfulto

discussafewimportantfactorsthataffectmusicians’bodies.

Mechanics,Habits,andEmotionsMusicians are often unaware of how they use their bodies. When an injuredinstrumentalist comes to a performing arts clinic for a consultation, a doctorsometimes videotapes her playing to see if her posture and movement habitscould have caused the injury. Often, she is shocked by the instrumentaltechniquesheseesonthescreen:Itisawkward,inefficient,andfulloftension.Onemusician said, “Iwouldn’t letmy students play thatway,” andburst intotears.Astudentplayinginoneofmymasterclassesleanedoverthekeyboardata

45-degree angle throughout her performance. When I adjusted her postureupright,shefeltmoreeaseinplaying.Nevertheless, intwosubsequentclasses,sheleanedoverjustasbefore,unawarethatshewasnotsittingupstraight.OnedayIranintoherinthesubway.ShesaidshewasonherwaytoMacy’stobuyafull-lengthmirrorsoshecouldcheckherpostureatthepiano.Usingamirror isagood idea.Alexander teacherHopeMartinexplains that

whenhabitsaredeeplyingrainedweloseawarenessofwhatwe’redoing.“Ourkinesthetic sense—our sense of the body’s position andmovement—adapts toourhabitsand reads themas ‘right.’Sowemay thinkwe’resittingormovingonewaywhenwe’re really doing something quite different.”More than onceI’ve sat or stood sideways in front of a mirror, turnedmy head to checkmyposture,anddiscoveredthatIwasleaningbackwardorarchingmybackwhenIthoughtIwasupright.Bodyawarenessisespeciallydifficultformusiciansbecauseoftheemotional

nature of music. Emotional energy floods the body in music-making anddistractsusfrommechanics.Imaginebeingoverjoyedorfuriouswithsomeonewhile carrying a cup of tea across the room; it’s hard to be smooth andcoordinatedintheheatofstrongemotionalenergy.Working with the production of musical sound involves pleasure and

sometimespain.Whenweexperiencepleasure,hormonesare released into thesystem,making us evenmore receptive to sensation. So sensation builds, andour feeling capacity keeps expanding.We hear a lush, passionate section in apieceofChopinandfeelarushofwarmenergyspreadingthroughthebody.Themorewehearitthemorewewanttohearitagain,untilwefeelsaturated.It’saloveaffair.Howwereacttoallofthissensationiscrucial.Wetypicallyreacttopleasure

bytryingtoholdontoit.Thehands,arms,back,andneckcontractandgraspasourpassionforthemusicbecomespossessive.Thiscontractingandgraspingistenseanduncomfortable.Wehabitually react to suchdiscomfortby tightening

evenmore, sometimes to thepointofcreatingpain.Resisting these tendenciestakesconstantpracticeandistheessenceofmusicaldiscipline.Understandingthesetendenciescanhelpusslowdownandbemoreawareof

how we use our bodies. The issue of emotional habits will be addressed inChapter8,butunderstandingandfocusingonsimplebodymechanicscangoalongwaytoreleaseusfromtheholdofemotionalreactions.

MusiciansAreAthletesMusicians don’t usually think of themselves as athletes, but they are. Whilesports like running and football tax the bigmuscles of the body, practicing amusical instrumentmakes extremedemandson smallmuscles. If amusician’slittle finger feels a bit strained, he might think it’s nothing compared to arunner’ssorelegs.Butitcanactuallybeamoreseriousproblem.Here’swhy.Muscles are composed of individual fibers. A small muscle depends on

relativelyfewfiberstoaccomplishatask.Whenweusesmallmusclestomakerapid, repetitivemovements forhourseveryday, those fewfibersaregettingamuchharderworkoutthantheslower-movingfibersinarunner’slegmuscles.Inaddition,themusclesattheperipheryofthebodyreceivelessbloodthanthoseclosertothecenterbecausethebloodvesselsaresmaller,makingsmallmusclesstillmorevulnerabletoinjury.Wethinkwearen’tworkingsohardbecauseourheartandlungsaren’tpushed

likethoseofabasketballplayer.Becausethewholebodydoesn’tfeeltired,wedon’trealizewhenweneedabreak.Sowegoforhoursonend,pushingthoselittlemusclesharderandharder,repeatingthesamemovementpatternscountlesstimes,unawareofthestrainthat’sbuildingup.

MuscularTensionandReleaseLikethestringsofamusicalinstrument,thebodymustbeneithertootightnortoo loose to be in tune formakingmusic.Most of us are too tight.We don’trealizethatweareusingmoremuscularforcethannecessary.Whentheskeletonisproperlyaligned,itdoesn’ttakemuchforcetomakeevenaveryloudsoundwithan instrument.Teacherswho retrainmusicians find that excesseffort is acommon problem. Instrumentalists grip too hard with their hands. Singerstightenthemusclesintheneckandtorsotryingtogetabigsound.Physical therapist and Alexander teacher Deborah Caplan helps musicians

release tight muscles. “I define releasedmuscles asmuscles that are working

efficiently for the task they’re performing,” Ms. Caplan says. “So if you’relifting fivehundredpounds, they’regoing tobeworkingharder than ifyou’relifting a feather. But many people lift a feather as though they’re lifting fivehundredpounds.”PhysicaltherapistJamesWangexplainsthatmusclesworkbestfromaresting

orslightlystretchedposition.Let’ssayyouareplayingachordonthepiano.Tomake thekeysgodown,youhave tocontractmuscles inyourarm.Whenyoucontract a muscle, different types of muscle fibers slide past one another inoppositedirections,makingthemuscleshorter.Ifyoubeginyourmovetoplaythechordwitharelativelyrelaxedarm(using

just enough muscular effort to hold the arm in position), the fibers in eachmusclehavealongdistancetotravel,whichgivespowertoyourmovement.It’slike delivering a punch from a foot away instead of an inch: The longer thedistance,themorepoweryouhave.Butifyouinitiatethemovementwithatightmuscle(onethatisalreadyquiteshortened),thefibershavelessslidingroom,soyourmovementhas lesspower. Ifyou imagine tighteningupyourwholebodyandthentryingtorun,itbecomesobviousthatexcessmusculartensionpreventssmooth,powerfulperformance.Dr.PatrickFazzaripointsoutthatweneedourmusclesnotonlyforpowerbut

also for endurance, speed, and control. Tightmuscles fatiguemore easily andcannotperformattopspeed.Andevenifyouareplayingorsingingashort,slowpiece ofmusic, finemotor control is impossible whenmuscles are tense. Dr.Fazzaricomparesabodywithtightmusclestoacarwhoseengineisrevvingtoomuchatastoplight:Whenthelightturnsgreenandyouhavetomove,youareoverly ready to go, and your vehicle (or your body) goes out of control. Incontrast, a car that is idlingproperly, or amuscle that is in a restingposition,withrelaxed,normaltone,willbeeasytocontrolwhenyouneedtomove.Youcanplaypianissimoorexecuteadifficult leapmoreeasilywhenyourmusclesarerelaxed.The importance of muscular relaxation extends beyond the muscles of the

playingorsingingmechanism.Whenthebodyislooseandopeninside,itservesas a resonatingchamber for the soundproducedby the instrument.Themusicvibrates freelywithin you because you are not constricted. These unrestrictedvibrations in the body travel back into the instrument and create a full, richsound.Fromherexperienceasavoice teacher, JeannetteLovetri says,“Everyone’s

voiceisbeautifulatthecore.There’snosuchthingasahumanvoicethat’snotbeautiful.”It’saquestionoflooseningupthemechanismandthewholebodysothat nothing obstructs what is naturally present within the person. Likewise,

goodcoordinationand thebeautiful instrumental sound that comes from it arenaturaltothehumanbody.Wejusthavetoundowhateverhabitsareintheway.

ExertionandRecuperationHealth professionals advise maintaining a balance between exertion andrecuperation in using the body. In comfortable, healthy movement, we allowenough time for muscles to rest between contractions. We also vary ourmovementpatternstoavoidputtingunduestressonanyparticularmusclegroup.We do not behave like machines; we listen to how our body feels and giveourselvesroomtorelax.Butthemusicianwhopracticesthesamepassagesixty-eighttimesinarowis

not listening to his body’s need for change and rest. Excessive repetition of amovement causesmuscle fibers to lose their elasticity and become shortened.Physical therapist James Wang believes overused muscles develop “oxygendebts.”Everytimeyoucontractamuscleitneedstogetanewsupplyofoxygenfromtheblood. Ifyoucontract it toooften, itdoesn’thaveenoughtimetogetthe oxygen. A body that lacks sufficient oxygen becomesmore acidic, whichdamages tissues. Mr. Wang believes that this damage happens locally inparticularpartsofmuscles,causingthemtolosepower.To avoid muscle strain, health professionals recommend taking frequent

practice breaks. Take a ten-or fifteen-minute break at least every forty-fiveminutes.Somedoctors recommendbreaksevery twenty-fiveor thirtyminutes.Andifyourbodyfeelsstiffortightduringasession,stretchforaminuteortwobeforecontinuing.Wemaythinksittingorstandinginonepositiondoesn’ttakemucheffort,but

ittaxesthemusclesthatsupportthebodyinthatposition.Ifyouwalkedfortwohoursyou’dfeelbasicallyfineafterward,becauseyouwouldhaveuseddifferentmuscle groups in alternation.But if you tried to stand in oneposition for twohourswithoutmoving,itwouldbeastrain.That’ssimilartopracticingwithoutabreak.Muscles need to change position.We even shift positionswhenwe sleep—

abouttwenty-eighttimesanight.Infact,ifyou’resotiredthatyousleeplikearock,youmaywakeupfeelingstiffbecausethebodywastoofatiguedtoshiftpositionmorethanafewtimesduringthenight.Somemusclegroupsdidn’tgetenoughofabreak.

EffectsofChildhoodTraining

Startingtostudyaninstrumentatayoungagecancreateuniqueproblems.Dr.FadiJ.Bejjanipointsoutthatbeforetheageoftentheskeletonisstillmalleableand is shapedbyhowyouplayyour instrument, so childrenneed to learn therighthabitsfromthebeginning.Musiciansarealsoespeciallyvulnerablebetweentheagesoftenandsixteen,

when the body grows very fast but its parts are growing at slightly differentrates. The bones might grow a little faster than the ligaments or tendons.Childrenadapttothesechangesinawkwardwayswiththeirinstruments,whichcan have a harmful effect. Dr. Bejjani feels that during this awkward periodmusicianssetthemselvesupformostinjurieslateron.Hepointsoutthatatthisage musicians also start entering competitions and auditioning, which causesthemtopushthemselvesandthuscreatefurtherphysicalstress.Teachersneedtobesensitivetotheseissues.

RespectingYourIndividualBodyTeachersalsoneed toencourage students tocapitalizeon theirphysical strongpointsandtoavoidrepertoirethatdoesnotsuittheirbody.HandtherapistCarylJohnsonpointsoutthatinadditiontohandsizeandshape,handflexibilityvariesgreatly from one person to the next. Some musicians naturally have looseconnective tissue in theirbody. If the ligaments (whichconnectbones tootherbones) and the fascia (which encase the muscles and connect them to othermuscles)areparticularlyloose,itcanbehardtomaintainastronghandposition.Ms.Johnsonisapianistherselfandhasunusuallyflexiblehands,whichshe

findstobebothanadvantageandadisadvantage.“Icanplayfour-orfive-voicefugueswithnoproblem,” she says. “But I’m in troublewithRachmaninofforLiszt,inpieceswhereyouneedabigreachandstrength.”Manypatientscometoherwithinjuriesthatcouldhavebeenavoidediftheyhadstucktorepertoirethatdidn’tstresstheirhands.In addition to musicians’ vulnerability to their teachers, those who play in

orchestras are subject to the ideasandattitudesof conductors. It isdifficult tonoticetheneedsandsignalsofyourbodywhenanauthorityfigureisinstructingyoutodothingsacertainway.Manymusiciansforcetheirbodiestodowhateveris asked of them because of the economic imperatives that go with theirprofession.In applying the physiological and movement principles presented in this

chapter,Iencourageyoutopaycloseattentiontohowyourbodyfeelseverystepof theway.Do not go faster than you can, and do not force your body to doanything.Yourpracticetimeisyoursalone.Itisatimetoletgoofpressuresand

to let your body relax, open up, and make music. If you notice tension ordiscomfort, stop and let it subside before you continue. If you wish, use theinformationinthischaptertotrytodiscernwhatyouhavedonethatmighthavecaused the tension. If discomfort recurs or persists, stop practicing, consult aphysician,andseekexpertadviceonyourtechnique.

PRINCIPLESOFPOSTUREANDMOVEMENT

Performersdisplayawidevarietyofphysicalstyles.GlennGouldandVladimirHorowitz sat low and crouched over the keyboard; Arthur Rubinstein sat upstraight. Some musicians lean forward, others lean back. Some move in alldirections,otherssitbasicallystill.Somecurltheirfingers,othersplaywithflatfingers.Isanyonewaytherightway?Ordoesitalldependonyourpersonality?Performingartsphysiciansfindthatmusiciansdohaveindividualdifferences

in their bodies that require adaptations in technique. But they also know thatbasicprinciplesapply toeveryone.Bonesarebones,andmusclesaremuscles.Theywork in a givenway. Health professionals agree that some of themosttalented musicians would play even better if they used their bodies morenaturally. Although some performers can subject their bodies to unhealthytechniques for years without serious consequences, others have more delicatephysicalresponsesandbecomeinjuredinashorttime.Here is a basic introduction to posture andmovement formusicians.Many

sections have headings indicating that they apply to specific instruments.Youmayskipinformationonwhateverinstrumentsyouwishandreadonlymaterialthatappliestoyou.

PostureIattendedasymposiumonperformingartsmedicineatwhichadoctorshowedslidesillustratingcommonphysicalproblemsofmusicians.ThefirstslidewasofanoldEuropeanpaintingdepicting agroupof peopleplaying chambermusic.The harpsichordist was hunched over the keyboard with elbows akimbo. Thestring players were similarly contorted, heads strained to the side, spines andarmsinextremecurvedpositions.Theirfaceslookedpained.Hethenaskedustoimagine this picture with the instruments removed. The room broke intolaughter.We are conditioned to think that making music is a license for using our

bodies in strange and uncomfortableways, and for holding these postures forhours,days,andyearsonend.Wedon’tliketoquestionorchangeourhabits,forfearoflosingourartisticpowers.Butthesestrenuousposturesdonotservethebestinterestsofeitherourselvesorthemusic.Goodpostureallowsthelimbsandbreathingmusclestobefreeandflexible.

When the torso is stable, it functions like the trunkofa tree:The limbsmovefreelywithoutinterferingwiththebalanceofthewholeorganism.Iusedtothinkthat to get power and expressiveness at thepiano I had to lean forward.Mostmusicians share this habit of straining toward their instrument in some wayinstead of finding a comfortable posture and letting their arms and hands (orvocalmechanism)dothework.Some instruments require a fair amount of torso movement, but how you

moveiscrucial.Innormaluprightposture,withthespinenaturallyaligned,thehead balances easily on top of the spine.When you slump forward, or hunchover,youmove theheadoutof itsbalancedalignmentwith the spine,and theneckmusclesmustworkmuchhardertoholdupthehead.Thistensiontravelsdownintotheshoulders,torso,arms,andhands.Italsotravelsupwardintothejaw and the facial muscles. The entire music-making mechanism iscompromised.Ifyouneedtoleanforward,keeptheneckinlinewiththerestofthe spine and bend from the hip joints. (Information on nonupright posture inplaying specific instruments appears in “Necessary Deviations from UprightPosture”onthispage.)Inaneffort tositorstandupstraight,somemusiciansgotoanextremeand

arch their backs, throwing their shoulders back. This posture overtightens thelowerback,makingitanineffectivesourceofsupportandputtingconstantstrainona fewmuscles. Inamorenaturalspinalalignment, themuscles in the torsodon’thavetoworkhard.Thebones,togetherwiththeconnectivetissue,takeon

theloadofthebodyandsupportyouagainsttheforceofgravity.

PostureandFreedomoftheArmsInplayinganinstrument,thearm(includingthehand)functionsbothasasystemofleversandasaconduitforvisceralenergy.Itcarries thechargeofemotionsandhormonesfromyouintoyourinstrument.Therefore,forbothgoodleverageandmusical expressiveness, this elegant route from torso to fingertipmust befree of unnecessary tension. Shoulder, elbow, and wrist must be efficientlypositionedandsufficientlylooseforenergytoflowthroughfreely.Tensionintheneckandshoulderscanputpressureonnervesthatleadintothe

hand, creating pain or numbness in the hand or forearm.Health professionalsoften find that adopting proper posture alleviates such conditions by releasingtensioninneckandshouldermuscles.Becausemany neckmuscles extend down across the shoulders, tensing the

neck by slumping forward creates tension in the shoulders. Try slumpingforward as you read this and see what happens in your neck and shoulderscompared to when you sit upright. Notice that the tension in the neck andshoulderstravelsintothearmmuscles,too.Dr. FadiBejjani describes the chain reaction thisway: The head represents

about ten percent of your body weight. When the neck is not positionedadvantageouslytosupportthehead,theshoulderstakeontheload.Becausethisloadistoomuchfortheshoulders,itgetstransferredtotheelbows,thentothewristsandhands,thuspotentiallyhamperingtheirfine-movementcapabilities.Musicianssometimeslowertheirnecksandheadstolookdownattheirhands.

Since the spine continues through the neck, lowering the neck alters thealignment of the entire spine,which creates tension in theneck and shouldersthattravelsintothearms.Ifyouneedtolookdown,trymovingonlyyoureyes.Or tiltyourheadforwardfromthe topofyourneck(at the levelofyourears)instead of dropping your neck. This way, your spine can maintain a natural,comfortablealignment.Some pianists who wear bifocals tilt their head backward to see the score

whileplaying.Thispositionalsostrainstheneckandtheplayingmechanism.Ifyou wear bifocals, consider buying another pair of glasses to meet therequirementsofplayingyourinstrument.Many musicians habitually round their shoulders and hunch over when

playing,whichlimitsthemovementofthecollarboneandshoulderblade.Theseboneswork togetherwith thearmboneswheneveryoumoveyourupperarm1

(seeFigure15).The twocollarbonesand twoshoulderblades formayokelikestructure, called the “shoulder girdle,” which is suspended over the upper ribcagewithmuscle and other soft tissue in between.Hunching over throws theshoulder girdle forward and compresses the space between it and the ribs infront,limitingthemobilityoftheshouldergirdleandarms.

Figure15Theupperarmboneattachestotheshoulderblade,whichattachestothecollarbone.Allthebonesmovetogetherasonemechanism.

Thecollarbonemoves from its jointwith thebreastbone.Try sittinguprightand putting your left hand on your right collarbone. Move your right armforwardandnoticethatthecollarbonemoveseasilywithit.Nowhunchoveranddothesamething.Noticethatthecollarbonecanhardlymove.Althoughtheshoulderbladeattachestoboththecollarboneandtheupperarm

bone,itdoesnotattachtotheribsinback.Instead,itfloatsinmuscleandglidesover your back. It is therefore free to move along with the collarbone andprovidesgreatmobilityofthearm.When I was giving my first seminars on the Art of Practicing, a few

nonpianists asked me to help them with their playing. Although I believestrongly that without mastery of an instrument it is impossible to teach itproperly,Iagreedtoworkwithafewoftheseinstrumentalistsasanexperiment.

Oneofthemwasacellistwhoconstantlyhunchedoverthecellowhileplaying.Iaskedhimtolengthentheendpinsothathecouldplayinamoreuprightpositionmuchofthetime.Immediatelyhisarmsmovedwithmorefreedomandpower,andabigger,morevoluptuoussoundcameoutofthecello.When theshoulderbladehas full rangeofmotion, the freedomaffectseven

thefingers.JoanCampbellWhitacrefindsthatwhenamusicianbeginstomovehis shoulder blade more freely, he becomes more aware of the connectionbetween the shoulder blade and the fingertips. This feeling of freedom andconnectivityresultsingreaterfreedomandprecisioninusingthehand.Withouta free shoulder blade, the hand and forearm have to compromise their naturalpositionand/ormovementtoperformontheinstrument.To feel how mobile the shoulder blade can be, sit or stand comfortably

upright,reachinbackofyouwithyourlefthand,andtouchyourrightshoulderbladewhilemovingyour rightarmforward,back,and to theside.Then try tofeel thismobilitywithout actually touching the shoulder blade.Finally, play afewnotesonyourinstrumentandfeeltheconnectionbetweentheshoulderbladeandthetipofeachfinger.Slowlyplaypartofapieceofmusic,maintainingthisfeelingofconnectedness.Noticehowthisconnectednessaffectsyourplaying.Musiciansoftenfail to takeadvantageof themobilityof theshoulderblade.

Often when I ask a student to move her arm forward, she moves her torsoforwardat the same time, as if the twobodypartswereglued together.Usingtorsomusclestohelppushkeysdownisinefficient.Thesemusclesarebig,andmovingthemisagreatdealofwork.It’smucheasiertoletthearmmovefreelywhilekeepingthetorsoinoneplace,orlettingthetorsomoveslightlybackwardinreactiontotheforwardmovementofthearm.Many instrumentalists, such as violinists, wind players, and percussionists,

exhibitanothercommonhabitthatrestrictsarmmovement:Theyraisetheirribcagealongwiththeirarmswhileliftingandplayingtheirinstruments.Alexanderteacher andpercussionistMelanieNevis says thishabit isusually carriedoverfromtheactivitiesofdailyliving.“Ifyoudoitwhenyoureachuptotheshelfforyourdishes, you’ll probablydo itwhenyou lift your instrument.”Movingthiswaycausesthebacktoarch,creatingstrain.Movingthearmsindependentlyfrom the torso allows the spine to maintain a more natural and comfortablealignment.If,insteadofraisingtheribcage,youcollapsetheuppertorsoslightly(amild

version of slumping), you limit breathing in the upper portion of the lungs,whichextendupwardtotheleveloftheshouldersandoutwardtothesidesofthebody.Thisrestrictionofmovementwithintheuppermostpartofthetorsolimitsthe freedom of the shoulders and arms. Joan Campbell Whitacre helped one

conductorreleasetensioninhershouldersbyteachinghertostandinawaythatallowedherupperlungstomovemorefreely.Asaresult,“herarmswerefreerandshecouldexpressmorefreelywiththebaton.”Freedomandpowerofthearminuprightposturehaveagreatdealtodowith

the stability of the body. Sit or stand upright and move your arm straightforward, as if punching something. Then lean forward and punch again. Thepunchhaslesspowerwhenyougiveupyoursolidbaseofsupport.For pianists, leaning forward, whether you slump or not, cramps arm

movement,which limitsarm flexibilityandpower (seeFigures16 and17). Inlater sections I will describe specific piano techniques that providemaximumpowerwithoutsacrificingtheeaseofacomfortablyuprighttorso.

Posture,Circulation,andtheVisceraCollapsing the spine in any way, whether you simply round your shouldersforwardorcrouchoveryourinstrument,constrictsthechest.Whenthechestisnaturallyuplifted,theheartandlungshavemoreroomtooperate.Theresultingfree circulation of blood and oxygen nourishes the body, improving function.Beyond this purely functional level, keeping the soft, vulnerable front of thetorsouncrampedandopenallowsemotionalenergytoflowmorefreelythroughtheviscera.Thevitalenergyof theheart,organs,andglands ismoreavailableformakingmusic.Ayoungwomanplayedinoneofmyworkshopswithhershouldersrounded

slightlyforward.WhenIhadheradjustherupperbacktoafulluprightposition,tearsfilledhereyesandsheprotestedinachild’svoice,“Idon’tlikeit!Itmakesmemad!Iwanttoprotectmyself!”Iwasimpressedwithherself-awareness.Sheunderstood that she needed to let her shoulders be free, but it made her feelpainfully exposed because it opened her up emotionally. In spite of herresistance,shecourageouslyreleasedthetensioninhershouldersandplayedinamoreupliftedposture.Herplayingimmediatelysoundedwarmerandricher.Thenewpositiongavebothheremotionsandherarmsfreerange.

Figure16Theauthordemonstratesaninefficientpostureforplayingthepiano:Slumpingforwardcrampsarmmovementandcreatestensionintheneck,shoulders,andarms.

Figure17Inuprightposture,thearmscanmovefreelyandtheheadbalanceseasilyontopofthespine,

easingtheloadontheneck,shoulders,andarms.

Uprightpostureispartofbeinghuman.Animalswalkonfourlegs,andtheirsoft, vulnerable “front” faces the ground. But we face one another fully andexchange emotional energy that way. Laban movement analyst Martha Eddypointsoutthatwhenwesitorstandinanupliftedway,ourorgansexpand.Thisfullness,whichincreaseswhenmusicalvibrationsenterthebody,notonlylendsvitalenergytothemusicbutalsoprovidessupportforthetorso,easingtheloadonthemuscles.Notice how you feel standing or walking in a comfortably uplifted posture

versusleaningforwardorbackward,orhunchingover.Thefeelingyourposturecreatescomesthroughinthemusicyoumake.

Posture,Breathing,andtheThroatFor singers and wind players, lung power is crucial, and the torso must beuncompressedandreadytoexpand.Goodpostureallowsfreemovementofallthebreathingmuscles,includingthediaphragm,thethoracicmuscles,andalltheabdominals.Collapsingthespineandchestconstrictsthesemuscles.Archingtheback also makes breathing difficult by constricting the back muscles. Both acollapsedandanarchedposturealsoputstrainontheneck,furtherrestrictingairflow(seeFigures18and19).AccordingtotrumpeterStephenBurns,goodpostureisthekeytohavingan

“openthroat”—acrucialaspectofbrasstechnique.Hepointsoutthatroundingtheshouldersforwardproducestensionintheneck,whichstrainsthethroatandtongue.Tighteningthepectoralmusclesalsocausesnecktension.Someplayerslift their chin in an effort to free the throat (seeFigure19). This habit causesoverstretchingoftheneckmusclesand,inlong-neckedplayers,canevencausetheinnerliningoftheneck(thethroatitself)toprotrudethroughthesemuscles,causingpain.Becausethebaseofthetongueisinthethroat,necktensionalsointerfereswithtonguemovement,makingarticulationlabored.

Figure18TrumpeterStephenBurnsillustratestwocommonproblemswithposture:Keepingthefeettooclosetogetherprovidesinsufficientsupportfortheupperbody,andcollapsingthechestconstrictsbreathing.

Figure19Archingthebackandliftingthechinconstrictairflowandcausestraininthethroatandtorso.

Figure20Standingwiththefeetshoulderwidthapartcreatesasolidbaseofsupportforthetorso.Uprightposture,withthekneesunlocked,allowsthelungsandthebreathingmusclestomovefreely.

Whenwindplayers stand toplay their instruments, bending their knees andpushing their feet into the floor transfers body weight to the floor andsimultaneouslystimulatesaflowofenergyupwardthroughthelegsandintothelowertorso.Thismovementengagesthelowertorsoandlimbsinweightsupportand transfer, and it releases unnecessary tension in that area, making it moreavailableforgeneratingpowerthroughbreathing.Ifyousitwhileplayingawindinstrument,youcaneffectasimilarreleaseof

energyinthefollowingmanner:First,establishyourposturebyplacingyourfeetshoulderwidthapartandbalancingyourweightsolidlyonyourfeetandyoursitbones—the twobonesat thebaseof thepelvis thataredesignedforbalancingeasily in sitting posture (see Figure 21). When you inhale, relax your entiretorso, allowing the diaphragm tomove naturally and the lungs to displace the

musclesandorgansofthelowertorso.Lettheribcageexpandandrise.Whenyouexhale,letthisprocessreversenaturally.Keepyourposturalalignmentandallowtheabdominalmusclestomovefluidlyandtheribcagetofloatsothatthechestdoesnotcollapse.

Figure21Thetwositbonesprotrudeatthebaseofthepelvis,whichattachestothelegbonesatthehipjoints.

Somewindplayers cross their legswhile playing seated,which compressesonesideofthetorsointhehipregionandpreventstheweightofthatsideofthetorso from resting solidly on the sit bone. As a result, the breathing musclesbecome engaged in keeping the torso upright and are, therefore, not fullyavailableforthemovementsofbreathing.Thisposturealsolocksthehipjoints,furtherpreventingnaturaltorsomovementandenergyflow.Some singers stand on their toes to sing high notes. Voice teacher James

Carsonadvisesagainstthispracticebecauseitcreatestensioninthelegmusclesand the abdominal, inter-costal, and chest muscles. This tension continues upintothethroat,thepalate,andthehead,preventingpropercontrolofthebreath,which leaves the singer with only one choice: forced breath pressure. It alsorestrictsthemusclesthattunethepitchmechanismandinhibitsthemovementsof the speechmuscles in the tongue and palate.To avoid these problems,Mr.Carsonrecommendskeepingbothfeetflatandsolidonthefloor.

FindingaGoodPostureTofindagoodsittingposture,balanceuprightonyoursitbones(seeFigure21).Youcan feel themwhenyoushiftyourweightonyour seat fromside to side.Alexander teacherHopeMartinsuggests thinkingof thesitbonesas“feet thatsupportyourtorso.”Thisimagemayhelpyousettlefirmlyandcomfortablyintoyourseat.Fromthatsolidbase,letthespinelengthenupwardnaturally.Letyourshouldersextendouttothesides.Allowingyourneckand jawmuscles to releasewillhelpyourhead find its

natural balance on top of the spine and will help the entire spine align itselfproperly.Feelhowyourskeleton rocksgentlybackand forth restingeasilyonthesitbones.Mentallyscanyourbodyfromhead to toe, releasingany tensionyounoticeinthemuscles.Feelathree-dimensionalexpansionfromthecenterofyourtorsoout,lettingyourselfbreathefully.Keeping both feet solidly on the floor gives essential support to the back.

Pianistssometimeskeeptheirleftheeloffthefloor,whichmakesitimpossibletomaintainanevenpelvis,requiringtorsomusclestoworktoohard.Guitaristswho use footstools often create a similar imbalance. Guitar teacher PatrickO’Brien explains that if a guitarist is short, he can use a footstool withoutdistortinghispelvisverymuch,butatallplayercreatesmoreproblemsbyusingafootstoolbecausehehastobendfartherovertheinstrument.Mr.O’Briensaysthat propping up the guitar with a specially designed cushion, or with anadjustabledevicecalledan“AFrame,”allowsguitarists“tostraightenouttheirpelvisforthefirsttimeincenturies”(seeFigures22and23).

Figure22GuitaristPatrickO’Brienshowsthatbendingovertoreachtheguitarcrampstheuppertorsoandarms.Usingafootstooltobringtheguitarmorewithinplayingrangethrowsthepelvisoffbalance,which

strainsthelowerback.

Figure23Proppinguptheguitarwithaspeciallydesignedcushionallowstheplayertositnaturallyuprightandtousethearmswithease.Eliminatingthefootstoolandkeepingbothfeetsolidlyonthefloor

straightensoutthepelvisandprovidessupportfortheback.

If you stand to play your instrument, or if you sing, go through the sameprocess, starting with both feet planted solidly on the floor as your base ofsupport.Feelhowyourentirebodybalancesoveryourfeet.Gravitykeepsyourooted,andlegandtorsobonesandmuscleseasilyholdyouup.

DynamicBalancingPostureisdynamic,notstatic.Becausewe’realive,subtlemovements,suchasbreathing, constantly occur even when we’re “sitting still.” So it’scounterproductivetotrytoholdarigidposture.Instead,weneedtostaysupplein order to respond easily to what the music and instrument require at everymoment.Ifyouplayyourinstrumentinaseatedposition,yourweightshiftsslightlyon

yoursitbonesallthetimeasyoubreatheandmoveyourarms.Ifyouplayinastanding position, it shifts on your feet. With some instruments, such as the

violin, it’snatural to shiftyourweight fromone foot to theother asyouplay,particularlytobalancecertainarmmovements.Violinists andviolists sometimesplace their left foot slightly in frontof the

right,sothatwhentheywanttostressnoteswiththebow,theycanleantowardthe fiddle and their left footwill be properly positioned to receive their bodyweight.Keeping thekneesunlockedallows thebody tomovewhen themusicrequires it and also allows energy to flow freely through the legs and into thetorso.Bodyweight also shifts in reaction tomovement of an instrument.When a

violinist’s bow hits a string, the violin moves in reaction. Violinist FrancesMagnesadvisesplayerstolettheirbodyfollowthemovementoftheinstrumentrather thanholding themselvesrigidly inplace. Ifyou try toprevent thefiddlefrommoving,yourbodybecomes tenseand the instrumentbecomes“a frozenpiece of wood,” she says. “The wood has to be alive. It has to move inaccordance with the phrasing and other aspects of the music.”When you letenergy circulate freely back and forth between your body and the instrument,youmakemoremusic.Sit bones and feet are curved structures. Let yourself rest on them by

balancing dynamically, not by trying to hold yourself statically in position.You’llrestmucheasierthatway.

BalancinganInstrumentHolding an instrument affects your posture, and posture affects how you holdand play your instrument. Physical therapist and Alexander teacher DeborahCaplan advises instrumentalists to first sit or stand in a neutral, efficientalignmentwithoutholdingtheinstrument,andthen“bringtheinstrumenttoyou,ratherthancompromisetheefficiencyofbalancingthedifferentcomponentsofthebodyinordertogototheinstrument.”Then,asyoumoveintopositionforholding the instrument, allow this movement to occur as comfortably andefficientlyaspossible.

Violin,Viola,andLargeWindInstrumentsMs.Caplanpointsoutthatwhenyouarestandingandholdinganinstrumentlikeaviolinora trumpet,having theweightof the instrument in frontof thebodyrequires you to lean backward in some way to compensate and to maintainbalance. Many players arch their backs to achieve this compensation. Ms.Caplanadvises leaningback from theankles,whichdoesn’t require leaningas

farasleaningfromthewaistanddoesnotdistortthealignmentofthespine,theribcage,ortheshoulders.ViolistKarenRitscherfindsthatarchingthebackovertightensthelowerback,

makingitunavailableasasourceofsupportfortheinstrument.Shefeelsthattheentire body, including the legs and the pelvis, should provide support for theinstrument.Ms.Ritscherrecommendsusingthecollarboneandthechestratherthan the left shoulder to hold the viola, which frees that shoulder and arm tomoveeasilyandmakesitunnecessarytostrainthenecktotheside.Inorderforthechesttosupporttheinstrumentinthisway,youneedtomaintainanupliftedposture(seeFigures24and25).Ms.Ritscherpointsoutthataviolinistcan“getawaywith”usingtheshouldertosupporttheviolin,buttheviolaistooheavy.Becausethispostureallowstheheadtofaceforward,theplayercanreadthe

scoremoreeasily.Ms.Ritschersaysthatmanyplayershabituallykeeptheireyeson the fingerboard and resist facing forward, but that with the exception ofoccasionalglancesat the fingerboard toobservea specific long shift, theeyesandheadcanbedirectedforwardwithnolossofaccuracyinplaying.Manyviolinandviolaplayerstightenthemusclesintheneckandsqueezethe

instrumentbetweenthechinandthecollarbonetoholditinplace.Butbyrelyinginsteadontheweightoftheheadtokeeptheinstrumentinplayingposition,youeliminateunnecessarystrainontheneckandshoulders.Simplyreleasetheneckmusclesandlettheheaddropfreelyontotheinstrument.2FrancesMagnes finds thatmany violinists don’t hold their instrument high

enough. She recommends holding it with the scroll at mouth level. “I find itplayseasierthatway.Ifit’slower,you’refightinggravityallthetime.”Sincetheviolaisheavierthantheviolin,however,alowerpositionismorecomfortable.

Figure24ViolistKarenRitschershowshowviolistsandviolinistsoftenrelyonthechinandtheleftshouldertoholdtheinstrumentinplace.Theneckmusttwisttotheside,creatingstrainintheneck,

shoulders,andarms.

Figure25Byusingthecollarbonetohelpsupporttheviola,theplayerfreestheneck,shoulders,andarmsfromunnecessarystrain.

StephenBurns recommendsa“pyramid” typeofposture for trumpeters: the

feetshoulderwidthapart,providingawide,solidbaseofsupport,andthelegsleadingupatopposinganglestowardthehead.Ifthefeetaretooclosetogether,thelateralsenseofbalanceisthrownoffbecausethefoundationistoosmalltosupportplayingtheinstrument(seeFigures18,19,and20).

FluteAccording to flutist Janet Weiss, good posture prevents a flute player fromplacingtoomuchweightonthepartsofthebodythatsupporttheinstrument.Ifyou collapse the chest while playing, the flute moves down, away from thesupportof thechin, requiring the left indexfinger, right thumb,andright littlefinger towork too hard to hold it up.This tension in the handmakes playingdifficult. Collapsing the chest also creates a disadvantageous angle for theembouchure.Changingtoanuncompressedposturecorrectstheseproblems(seeFigures26and27).Ms.Weiss adds that the flute never stays in one position all the time. The

balanceconstantlyshiftsfromonesupportpointtoanother.

NecessaryDeviationsfromUprightPostureSome instruments require occasional deviations from upright posture to reachextremehandpositions.Toplayattheverytoporbottomofthepianokeyboard,forexample,youmayhavetoleantotheside,dependingonthelengthofyourarms and the hand position and movement required. To reach notes at theextremeendofthefingerboardontheguitarorcello,yourspinehastomoveandcurve beyond its neutral, upright position. In all such cases, breathe fully toavoid compressing your torso. Instead of hunching or straining, maintain afeelingoflengthalongyourentirespinewhileyoumoveyourback,andkeepasense ofwidth across your shoulderswhile you reachwith your arms.At thepiano, rotatingyour torso to the side allowsyou to reachdistant keyswithoutleaningtoofar.

Figure26FlutistJanetWeissdemonstratesinefficientposturefororchestralplaying:Hunchingovertoseethemusicandtheconductormakesbreathingdifficultandcreatesadisadvantageousangleforthe

embouchure.Italsocausestheweightoftheinstrumenttofalltooheavilyonthefingersthatsupportit,creatingtensioninthehands.

Figure27Bendingforwardfromthehipjointsallowsthespinetoremainstraight,whichgivesthelungsmoreroomtofunction.Italsoallowstheplayertoholdtheflutemoreeasilyanduseamorecomfortable

embouchure.

Percussionists often have to lean forward to reach distant instruments.Melanie Nevis, who is both a percussionist and a teacher of the AlexanderTechnique,adviseskeepingthetorsolengthenedandbendingfromthehipjointsrather than hunching over and collapsing the shoulders. If you are standing,letting your knees bend slightly will help you bendmore easily from the hipjoints(seeFigures28and29).

Figure28PercussionistandAlexanderteacherMelanieNevisdemonstratesawkwardpostureforreachingdistantinstruments:Roundingthebackandtheshouldersstrainsthemandcrampsarmmovement.

Figure29Keepingthetorsolengthenedwhilereachingfordistantinstrumentseasestheloadontheshouldersandallowsthearmstomovewithfreedomandpower.

Orchestral flute players have to lean forward to see the score, to see theconductor, and to avoid hitting the person next to them with the flute. JanetWeiss recommends that instead of hunching over and collapsing the chest, asmanyplayersdo,playersshouldkeeptheirtorsolengthenedandbendfromthehipjoints,sothattheirbreathingisn’tconstricted(seeFigures26and27).

GettingHelpwithYourPostureBecauseitisdifficulttofeelexactlyhowwearesittingorstanding,itishelpfultoreceiveguidanceonyourposturefromamovementeducator.Apractitionerofthe Alexander Technique, Body-Mind Centering, the Feldenkrais Method, orLabanMovementAnalysiscanhelpyoualignyourspineanduseyourmusclestoachieveeasybalanceandsupport.Askhimorhertowatchyouplayorsingandto tellyouifadifferentwayofsupportingandbalancingyourweightwillallowyoutomovemorefreelyandnaturally.

UsingtheHandsandArmsGrasping

Oneofthefirst thingsababydoesafterit’sbornismakegraspingmovementswith its hands, wrapping its fingers readily around whatever adult finger isoffered.Parentsareoftensurprisedatthepowerofthattinyhandreachingouttoholdontolifeandotherlivingcreatures.Theinstincttograspissodeepthatwedon’t usually stop to question the ways we use our hands or howmuch theymean to us.We take their power for granted until something reminds us howprecioustheyare.Iremembercuttingmylittlefingerbadlyonthelidofatincaninthekitchen.

Seeingthebloodgushoutfromunderathickflapofflesh,Ienvisionedtheendofmyentiremusicalcareerandscreamedatthetopofmylungs,“Myfinger!”Luckily, no serious damage had been done, and a few stitches patched upmypreciousfinger.Weworkhardwithourhands,andtheybringusgreatrewards.Wemaximize

theserewardsifweuseourhandswithgentleness.Grabbinganinstrumentwithtoomuchforcestrainsthehandsandarmsanddecreasessensitivity.Butyieldingtoour tendernatureandusingaminimumofgraspingpowerallowsthehandsandarmstorelaxsotheycancontainmorefeeling.Wediscoveratruerintimacywiththeinstrumentandthemusic.WhenIwasfourteenIbeganstudyingwithawonderful teacher inBerkeley

namedAlexanderLibermann.Hehad a very commonsensewayof explainingthings.Oneofthefirstthingshehadmedowaspickupapencilandnoticethemovementmyhandmade.HepointedoutthatIautomaticallyknewexactlyhowmuchpressureittooktoholdthepencilwithouteithersqueezingitordroppingit.Heexplainedthatplayingthepianowasthesame.Insteadofhittingthekey,you“take”it,liketakingapencilinyourhand.Hetaughtmetousejustenoughstrengthtopushdownthekey,andnothingextra.Thiskindofawarenessisessentialinplayingallinstruments.Excesstension

inanyoftheplayingmusclespreventsvitalenergyfromflowingfreelyfromthebody into the instrument. The details of achieving freedom in your playingmechanism require the personal attention of a qualified teacher. The nextsectionswillpresentafewbasicprinciplesformovingthehandsandarmswithminimumeffort.

MinimumHandTensionHealthprofessionalstalkabout“thepositionoffunction”ofthehand—aneutralpositionfromwhichthefingersfunctionwiththegreateststrengthandefficiency(seeFigure30).Dr.EmilPascarellisuggestsfindingthispositionbyextendingyour forearm, not bending your wrist in any particular direction, and turning

your hand palm up. The natural curve your hand assumes is the position offunction. If you keep that curve and simply turn your hand over onto a pianokeyboard,youhaveastrong,comfortable,loosehand.Whateverinstrumentyouplay,stayingasclosetothismodelaspossiblewillhelpyouavoidstrainingyourhand and arm. Deviating from it excessively by keeping your fingers raised,curled,orunnecessarilyfarapartwillcausestrain.

Figure30Inthepositionoffunctionthehandformsanaturalarch.

Instrumentalteachersfindthatstudentsusuallyplaywithtoomuchtensionintheir fingers. Somemusicians overexert their fingers to exercise theirmusclesand strengthen them.The fingers themselves don’t have anymuscles in them;themusclesthatcontrolthefingersareintherestofthehandandmainlyintheforearm.Tendonsextendfromthesemusclestomovethefingers.Soovertensingthefingerscreatesexcesstensionintheforearm.Thistensionpreventsthefreeflowofenergyintothehand,makingplayingdifficultandcreatinganunpleasantsound.

PianoMinimum hand tension in playing the piano begins with sitting at the properheight. If your elbow is lower than the top of thewhite keys, your hand andforearm must reach up to the keyboard, which places the fingers at adisadvantageousangleforpushingdownkeysandrequiresthehandtoworktoohard.Sittingtoolowalsopreventstheweightofthearmfromdroppingdirectly

into the keys to produce sound. The hand and forearm must overwork tocompensate.Topreventsuchstrain,adjusttheheightofthebenchbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Situprightonthebenchanddropyourarmsatyoursides.2.Placeyourhandsonthekeyboardinpositiontoplaywithyourforearmsperpendiculartothelengthofthekeyboard.3. Let your elbows drop naturally rather than holding them against yourbodyorstickingthemouttotheside.4.Raiseeachwristtothelevelofthearchofyourhand(seeFigure31).5.Ifyourelbowsarenotlevelwiththewhitekeys,adjustthepianobenchuntil they are. Use a yardstick or metal tape measure to check that thedistance between the floor and your elbow is the same as the distancebetweenthefloorandthetopofthewhitekeys.

Figure31Whenthewristislevelwiththearchofthehand,thefingersneedtobendonlyslightlytodepressthekeys.Thispositionalsoallowstheweightofthearmtodropdirectlyintothekeys,assistingthefingers

inproducingsound.

Whileplaying,avoiddroppingyourwristsbelowkeyboardlevel.To train your fingers tomovewithminimum effort, place one hand on the

keyboard,keepingthewristlevelwiththearchofthehand.Practiceplayingone

note at a timewith a loose fingerwhile keeping the other fingers relaxed andrestingonthekeys.Don’tusearmmovementatfirst;simplybendthefingertopushthekeydownwithouttryingtogetabigsound.Bendingprimarilyfromthebaseandmiddleknuckles,ratherthanthetipjoint,willallowyoutomaintainastrong,comfortable,archedposition.Whenyoumoveyourindexfingertoplay,theotherfourfingersshouldrestonthekeyswithouttensioninsteadofhoveringoverthekeysorstickingupintheair(seeFigures32and33).Slowlyplayfivewhitekeysinsuccession,startingwiththethumb.Wheneach

keyisdown,checktomakesurethatyourotherfingersarerelaxedandrestingonthekeysbeforeyouplaythenextnote.Ifonefingerisupevenamillimeter,theliftingmuscles(extensors),whichareonthetopsideoftheforearm(thesidein linewith thebackof thehand),arecontracting tohold itup.Sinceyouaresimultaneously contracting the bending muscles (flexors), which are on theundersideoftheforearm(thesideinlinewiththepalmofthehand),topressakeydown,yourentireforearmbecomesunnecessarilytight.Thisphenomenonof“co-contraction”createsaharshtoneandlimitsspeedandexpressiveness.Tokeep theplaying finger as loose as possible, visualize thebonesof your

finger moving instead of focusing on muscle power. Think of the joints asopeningswheremovementtakesplace,andvisualizethelubricatingfluidinthejointsflowing.Bendeachfingerlooselytowardthepalmofyourhand.Thethumbworksdifferentlythantheotherfingers.Ifyoumoveittowardthe

palm,itgoesundertheotherfingers.Weneedthismovementaswelltoplaythepiano;asimplelegatoscale,forinstance,requirespassingthethumbundertheother fingers every fewnotes.But topushakeydown, the thumbmustmoveverticallyinsteadofbendingfromtheknuckle.Ifyoulearntousethefingersthiswaywithoutaddinganyextrapushfromthe

arm,youwillhavethefirstfoundationofefficient,comfortablemovementandabeautifultone.Evenifsomefingersareatfirsttooweaktoproducesound,keepusingtheminthisrelaxedwayuntiltheyacquireenoughstrengthtomakesound.Once this control of your fingers becomes a habit, yourmindwill be free tofocusonaddingarmmovementstoyourtechnique.Thesewillbediscussedlater.

Figure32Keepingfingersraisedabovethekeyswhileotherfingersareplayingrequiresunnecessaryeffortfromthemusclesintheforearm.Theexcesstensionspreadsthroughoutthehand,inhibitingspeedand

expressiveness.

Figure33Lettingfingersrestonthekeyswhentheyarenotplayingminimizestensioninthehandandforearm,whichincreaseseaseandimprovestonequality.

Whenplayingwithrelaxedfingersbecomesahabitandyouhavedeveloped

wrist and arm freedom as well, you can add a little bit of pressure with thefingerpads(thecushionypartof thefingertips) toproduceapenetratingsound.Don’tletthehandbecometense;justslightlysqueezethekeywiththefingerpadandkeepthehandaslooseaspossible.Keeping the hand loose also requires not keeping the fingers spread apart

longer thannecessary.Opening thehand ismorestrenuous than leaving it inaneutralposition.Choosefingeringsthatminimizetheamountoftimeyourhandisstretched.Also,whenreachingadistantkeyrequiresyoutoopenyourhand,release the stretch immediately afterplaying thatnote.So,on thekeyboard, ifyou stretch from your right thumb onmiddleC to your little finger on theCabove,letyourotherfingersmovebacktoalessopenpositionassoonasyou’veplayedthehighernote.It’slikeopeningandclosingafan:Openyourhandtoafull reach, then release the reach to allow the muscles to recuperate. Addingwristandarmmovement,whichIwilldescribelater,willmakeiteasiertoreachdistantkeys.

GuitarGuitaristPatrickO’Briensaysthatatleastnineoutofteninjuredguitaristswhocometohimforretrainingplaywithtoomuchtensionatthetipsoftheirfingers.He recommends minimizing the use of the tip joints and bending the fingersmostly from the other joints. The reason for this correction is to avoid co-contraction of the flexor and extensormuscles in the arm.Whilemost fingermovements use either the flexors (on the underside of the forearm) or theextensors(onthetopsideoftheforearm),bendingfromthetipjointsmakesthemusclesonbothsidesofthearmcontractsimultaneously.Youcanfeel this foryourselfbyexperimenting.Placeyour lefthand lightly

aroundyour right forearm.Looselybendoneof the fingersofyour righthandwithout bending the tip joint.Notice howyour right arm feels.Nowbend thesamefingermostlyfromthetipjoint.Noticethedifferenceinyourarm.In addition, bending from the tip of a finger makes other fingers move

inadvertently. Thismeans you are creating further tension in your arm.Thosefingersarethenlessreadyforwhattheyhavetodonext,becausetheyarebusydoingsomethingelse.Mr.O’Brienalsopointsout thatwhenyoustrikeastringusingthe tip joint,

youleavethestringonatinypointinthecenterofthefingernail,whichresultsinasharp,thintone.Ifyouusealongerportionofyourfingertoplay,thelastpartofthenailtoleavethesurfaceofthestringisabroadsurface,whichmakesamellowersound.

Mr.O’Brienexplains,“Ifastringmovesbackandforthparalleltothefrets,itdoesn’tmakemuchsound.Butifthestringispusheddownbeforepluckingsothatitpopsupandmovesperpendiculartothefrets,itmakesaresonantsound.Relaxing the tips of the fingers allows the playing fingers to press the stringsdowntowardthefaceoftheguitar,whichresultsinafullsound.Buthookingthetipsof thefingerspushesthestringstotheside,sothat theyvibrateparallel tothe face of the instrument, resulting in a small sound.”Figures34 through 37showthecontrastbetweenthesetwowaysofpluckingastring.Theuseofthelefthandinplayingtheguitarisguidedbysimilarprinciples.

Many players tense the shoulder and pull the hand far behind the neck of theguitar. If you use this position, the fingers at rest are already on the strings,instead of poised above them, so that to release a string you have to lift thefingersinsteadofjustrelaxingthem.Theliftingoftencreatesco-contractioninthe left arm: You are simultaneously lifting some fingers (using extensormuscles)whilebendingothers(usingflexormuscles).Toavoidco-contraction,Mr.O’Brien recommends relaxing the left shoulder andpoising thehandoverthe strings so that thenatural lengthsof the fingers fall over the strings ratherthanstraining.Tomakeastringgodown,flexyourfingerfromtheknucklethatconnectsittotherestofthehand.Toreleaseit,simplyrelaxyourfinger.

Figure34Bendingafingerfromthetipjointtopluckaguitarstringcreatesexcessivetensionintheforearmmusclesthatcontrolthatjoint.

Figure35Bendingprimarilyfromtheotherjointseliminatesthatextratension.

Figure36Inadditiontocreatingexcessivetensionintheforearmmuscles,bendingthethumbfromitstipjointalsopullsthestringparalleltothefaceoftheinstrument,whichcreatesathin,metallicsound.

Figure37Relaxingthetipofthethumbrelaxesthemuscularco-contractioninthewristandforearmandpressesthestringdowntowardthefaceoftheinstrument,creatingafuller,richersound.

ViolaViolist Karen Ritscher applies similar ideas to using the left hand on herinstrument.Shesuggestsfindingapositionthatallowsthefingersto“justdropoutoftheknuckle”insteadofstraining.Ms.Ritschersaysthatwhileplayersaregenerally taught to find a hand position by placing their index finger on thefingerboardfirstandthenstretchingtheirotherfingerstowardthestrings,mostpeopleneedtostartwiththelittlefingerandworkbackward.Ifyouletthelittlefingerfindanatural,comfortablepositionfirst,itwon’thavetostretchtoofar.Sincemany people, particularlywomen, have especially short little fingers inproportiontotherestofthehand,adoptingthispositionhelpskeepthehandfreeofunnecessarytension.Figures38and39showthecontrastbetweenthesetwopositions.Ms.Ritscheralsopointsout that stringplayers typicallypress toohardwith

thefingersofbothhands.Itdoesn’ttakemuchforcetoputdownthestringsortohold thebow. If the fingers of the left hand are too tight they lose sensitivity,which makes it impossible to find exact placements for playing in tune. Shetrainsviolists tobecomesensitive to justhowmuchpressure isnecessarywitheachhand,andnottoletonehandinfluencetheother.Noticeifyourlefthandpresses harder than necessary in reaction to bowing fortewith the right hand;simpleawarenesscancorrectthishabit.

Figure38Placingtheindexfingeronthefingerboardoftheviolafirstandthenstretchingtheotherfingersintopositionstrainsmanyplayers’lefthands.

Figure39Lettingthelittlefingerfindacomfortablepositionfirstandthenplacingtheotherfingersonthestringsismorenaturalformanywomenandotherplayerswhoselittlefingersareparticularlyshort.

Aswithotherheld instruments, avoidclutchingwith the thumb.Relaxyourgripontheinstrumentandlearnhowlittleforceittakestoholdontoit.

FluteJanetWeissisanotherexpertonhowtoplaywithaloosehand.Shediscoveredyearsagothatthetraditionalflutedidn’tfitherhand,andshebecameapioneerinredesigningtheinstrumenttomakecertainkeyseasiertoreach.“Theymakeinstrumentslikesocks,”shesays.“Onesizefitsall.”Inresearchingthehistoryof the flute, she found that there isnomusical reason for the instrument tobeexactlyasitis.Sincethen,shehashelpedmanyotherplayersmaketheirflutesmoreuser-friendly,tailoringthemtotheirindividualhands.Ms.Weiss had one of her keysmoved an eighth of an inch down from its

originalposition,andsheputaone-millimeterliftontopofthekey.Sheaddedaquarter-inch extension to another key so that her little finger could reach iteasily.Shealsohadherthumbkeyredesignedforbetterleverage.Withouttheseadjustments,herhandwasconstantlystrained.“Theinstrumentwe’replayingisincorrectformanypeople,”shesays.“It’sliketryingtodanceinapairofshoesthatdon’t fit.”Flutistswith small handsneed to change their instrumentmorethanthosewithbiggerhands.Figures40and41showhowMs.Weiss’modifiedfluteeliminatestheneedtostrainherhand.After redesigning a student’s flute,Ms.Weiss diagnoses where his playing

positionisfaulty.Asmentionedearlier,improvingposturefreesthehandsfromhaving towork toohard to support the instrument. “Youcan’twigglea fingerandbearweightonitatthesametime,”shepointsout,“yetpeopletrytodoitallthetime.”

Figure40Reachingsomeofthekeysonthestandardflutestrainsmanyplayers’hands.

Figure41Byalteringkeyswithtailor-madeliftsandextensions,theflutistcanplayherinstrumentwithoutstrainingherhands.

Asastudent’splayingimproves,Ms.Weisshashimpracticelongtoneswithrelaxed fingers. She finds that most flutists squeeze the keybed instead ofpressingwithaloosehand.Becauseteachershavetraditionallyemphasizedtheimportance of practicing long tones, students tend to play themwith a lot ofstress.Shecantellifaflutisthasbeentensinghisfingerstoomuchifhisfingersarestiffafterplayingalongtone.Whenthefingersareloose,he’simproving.

OtherWoodwindInstrumentsMs.Weisssaysthatmanyotherwoodwindinstrumentsarenotuser-friendlyforallplayers, and thatan increasingnumberofwoodwindplayersaremodifyingthekeysontheir instrumentstofit theirhands.Someclarinetistsalsouseneckstrapstoholdtheirinstrumentsinordertotakeweightoffoftherighthandandavoidstrainingit.Ms.WeissfavorstheAmericanstyleofholdingtheclarinetverticallyoverthe

British style of pointing the instrument somewhat forward. When the hornextendsoutinfrontoftheplayer,hisrightthumbhastheburdenofsupportingtheinstrumentagainstgravity.Butwhenthebelloftheclarinetispointeddown,the thumb is partially relieved of this burden, thus freeing the hand ofunnecessarytension.Iftheedgeofthebellrestsontheknee,thehandhasevenlesswork todo to support the instrument.Ms.Weissadds,however, thateachplayerhasauniquebodyandmustfindtheanglethatworksbestforhimorher.

Forsome,averticalpositionmayfeelextreme,andaslightlyslantedonemayworkbest.Playersofreedinstrumentsfrequentlyovertensetheirhandsinmakingreeds,

andthistensioncarriesoverintohowtheyplaytheirinstruments.Usingareed-makingtoolwithalongerandwiderhandlecanrelievesomeofthehandstraintheseplayersexperience.

TrumpetTrumpeterStephenBurnssaysthatmanyplayersusea“deathgrip”—theygripthe trumpet toohardwithoneorbothhands,whichpushes the instrument toohard into the face and can injure the lips. “The rimof themouthpiece is verysharp,”hesays.“It’slikeacookiecuttergoingintodough.”Mr.Burnsadviseskeepingtheinwardpulloftheinstrumenttoanabsoluteminimum—justenoughto keep the instrument in place, so that the inward pull is delicately balancedwiththeoutwardpushfromtheairflowandthelipcushion.Mr.Burnsalsoadvises letting the right little finger reston topof the finger

hook,insteadofputtingitinthehook,tominimizehandtension(seeFigures42,43,and44).“Youonlyneedthehookifyou’reholdingtheinstrumentwithonehandtoturnapageortouseamute.”

Figure42Lettingthelittlefingerrestontopofthehookandeasingthegriponthetrumpetpreventsinjurytothelips.

Figure43Keepingthelittlefingerinthehookofthetrumpetandgrippingtheinstrumenttootightlypullsthehorntoohardintotheface,whichcaninjurethelips.

Figure44Playingwithtense,flatfingerscausesstiffnessinthehandandarm.

PercussionPercussionist and Alexander teacher Melanie Nevis helps players of allinstrumentsdiscovertheminimumamountofmuscletensiontheyneedtohold

theirinstrumentortopushdownkeys.Percussionistswhocometohertypicallygriptheirstickstootightly.Thetensiontravelsupintothearmandshoulder.Sheasksstudentstoholdanobject,suchasabook,intheirhandandmoveitthroughspace,graduallylesseningtheirgrip.Iftheydropthebook,they’vegonetoofarandcanthenexperimentwithfindingtheminimumgripneededtoholdthebookwithoutexcesstension.

RetrainingYourHandsLearningtoletgooftensiontakesmental,notphysical,effort.Onceamuscleistightened,theonlywaytoreleaseitistoallowittorelease.Youcan’tmakethemusclereleasebyusingadditionalmusculareffort.Teacherswho retrainmusicians ask them to limit their practice time so that

they can work with great mental focus. If the student is recovering from aninjury, some teachers limit practice time to as little as fifteen minutes a day.Otherssuggestpracticingonlytenminutesatatimesothatthemindisfreshandalert.Whetheryouhavehadaninjuryornot,inordertoprogramnewmovementpatterns into the nervous system, eachmove youmakemust be donewith asmuchawarenessaspossible.Workslowly,payingattentiontoonemovementata time without anticipating the next move. As you practice, the new way ofmovingwill take less and less conscious effort tomaintain.Eventually, itwillbecomeautomatic—anewhabitthatreplacestheoldone.If you are recovering from a practice-related injury, it ismost important to

noticewhenyourmusclesbegintofeelslightlytiredandtostopatthatpoint.Ifyoupushyourselffurther,youmayexperiencepainandreinjureyourself.

WristFlexibilityandPositionThefingersenableustohandleobjectswithprecisionandrefinedcontrol.Thewrist,arm,andshoulderservetopositionthehandinspace.Theirhighdegreeofmobilitysuitsthispurposewell.The wrist contains eight bones that roll around against one another like

marbles,providingtremendousflexibility.3Eachinstrumentrequiresthewristtobeusedinadifferentway.Somerequiremuchmoremovementthanothers,andsomerequireusingthewristprimarilyinaneutralposition—thatis,apositionofbalanceinwhichthewristdoesn’tbendinanyparticulardirection.Whetherthewristbonesaremobileorstabilized,thewristfunctionsasadynamicbridgethatallowsenergytoflowbetweenthefingersandtheforearm.

EXTREMEPOSITIONSPerformingartsphysicians find thatmusicianswhorepeatedlybend theirwristinto extreme positions often develop carpal tunnel syndrome—an injury inwhichforearmmusclesbecomesotensethattheyputpressureonamainnerveleadingintothehand,causingnumbnessandincoordination.4

PianoSitting too low at the piano requires the forearm to reach upward to thekeyboard.Thewristmustthereforemaintainahighpositiontoplacethefingersat an advantageous angle fordepressing thekeys.This constant flexionof thewristcausesstrainandpreventsenergyfromflowingnaturallyfromthearmintothehand.Somepianistsdropthewristbelowaneutralpositionattimes.(Figure30,on

thispage,showstheneutralpositionofthewrist.)Droppingthewristbelowthislevelrequiresyourhandtoreachupwardtothekeysevenifyouaresittingattheproperheight.Inadditiontomakingthefingersoverwork,thispositionstressesthewrist.Theseproblemsarecommonwithcomputerusersaswell.Manycorporations

have been served multimillion-dollar lawsuits because they did not provideworkers with properly designed chairs, desks, and computer accessories,requiring employees to work in uncomfortable positions that resulted in handandarminjuries.Toprevent suchstrainat thepiano, sit at theproperheight, asdiscussedon

thispage and thispage, and avoid dropping yourwrist below keyboard level.Although the wrist may be raised momentarily at times, it must not be heldstaticallyinaraisedposition.Propermovementofthewristisdiscussedonthispagethroughthispageandthispagethroughthispage.

TrumpetTrumpeter Stephen Burns says some players hold their elbows up too high,which requires the wrist to extend to an extreme degree. As with otherinstruments, this position interrupts the smooth flow of energy from theshoulders, causing strain (seeFigures43 and44).Headvisesusing “a simple,flatwrist,creatingagentlebridgeoffingers,wrist,andarm”(seeFigure42).

ViolinandViola

Violinist Frances Magnes describes an opposite problem that some violinistshaveinholdingthebow:Theydroptheelbow,whichrequiresthewristtoflextoo far. This position destroys the connection through thewhole arm into thebow,making it difficult to control the sound and the direction of the bow.Aproperlypositionedelbowandwristallowtheplayertomodulatethedegreeofpressureonthestringeasilyasshemovesbackandforthfromthetipofthebow,whichrequiresmorepressure,tothefrog,whichrequireslesspressure.

STIFFNESSINANEUTRALPOSITIONHoldingthewriststifflyinaneutralpositioncanalsocausetensionorinjury.

GuitarGuitaristPatrickO’Brienadvisessometimesholdingthewristinposition“withgentlefirmness”ratherthanlockingitintooneplace.“IfIaskyoutolockit,”hesays,“youwillprobablyhookthetipsofyourfingersandlockyourwholearm.”

FluteJanetWeisssaysmanyfluteplayersoverdothebasicflutetechniqueofkeepingthe wrist steady and fail to move it to reach distant keys. Relying solely onstretchingtheirfingerstotheside,theyinjurethetendonsinthosefingers.

PianoUsingthehandinanextremelystretchedpositiononthekeyboardcanbeoverlystrenuousifthewristisnotslightlyraised.Lettingthewristmoveupalsoallowsarm muscles to work easily. The arm provides needed power that can’t beproduced by finger movement alone. In an old school of piano technique,teachersputacoinonthebackofastudent’shandandpunishedhimifitfelloff,becauseitmeantthewristhadmoved.Ioftenseepianistswhoareunaccustomedtomovingtheirwrists.Oncetheylearnhowtomovethemproperly,theirplayingopensupduetotheincreasedflowofenergyintotheirhands.InlatersectionsI’lldescribespecificwaysofusingthearmandlettingthewristmovenaturally.

StringInstrumentsTheimportanceofwristflexibilitywasdramaticallyillustratedinaviolinmasterclass given byYehudiMenuhin inNewYork. Some of the students had beentaughttoholdthebowwiththeirthumbflat,whichcausesstiffnessthroughthe

wrist while bowing. He had them bend the thumb slightly, which allows thewristtomovefreely.Theresultsamazedme:Thissmalladjustmentofthethumbfreed the entire playing mechanism, unleashing the musical power of eachplayer. Every phrase expanded into a huge arc of sound that filled the hall.(KarenRitscherdemonstratesthesetwowaysofusingthethumbinFigures45and46.)FrancesMagnes points out that the violinist’s left wrist must also bend to

different degrees. As the hand shifts position up the fingerboard, especiallyabovefourthposition,youneedto“pushthewristout,”shesays,orflexitawayfrom the instrument, so that the fingers can reach the strings. She calls thisposition“beingontopofthefiddle.”Itallowsyoutomaintainyourholdontheinstrumentwithyourthumbwhilereachingfaruponthestringswithyourotherfingers.

ULNARDEVIATIONManyinstrumentalistshabituallystraintheirhandsouttotheside.Aprofessionalaccompanistcametohisfirstlessonwithmesufferingfromtendinitis(painful,inflamedtendonandmuscle)atthebaseofhisthumbduetothehabitofbendinghiswristsidewaystowardthelittlefinger.Knownas“ulnardeviation”(becausethe hand deviates toward the outer forearm bone, the ulna), this position putsgreat strainon the thumbsideof thewrist.Whenhe learned to raisehiswristslightly to accomplish wide stretches, he stopped turning his hand so farsidewaysandhispainsubsided.Other instrumentalists develop the same problem.According toDr.Richard

Norris:

Figure45Holdingthebowwiththethumbflatcausesstiffnessinthewrist,limitingmovement.

Figure46Usingabentthumbtoholdthebowallowsthewristtomoveeasilysothatenergyfromthearmcantransferdirectlyintothebowandontothestrings.

String players should be careful to avoid a position of extreme ulnardeviationinthewristwhenplayingup-bowatthefrog.Theacuteflexionofthe leftwristoccurringduringbig stretchesor in thehighestpositionson

the“chinstrings”[violinandviola]alsocausesthetendonstopullaroundasharpangle,witharesultingincreaseinfriction.Ulnardeviationiscommoninpercussionists,…therighthandsofelectric-bassguitarists,andtherighthands of harpists in the high positions unless the right elbow is held up(abducted)asintheSalzedotechnique.Notallinstrumentalistswilldevelopthisproblem,buttherearecertainoccupationalhazards.5

JanetWeisssaysthatoneofthemainproblemsinplayingaflutethatdoesnotfit your hands is that it requires too much ulnar deviation. Redesigning yourinstrumenttomakeitmoreuser-friendly(asdescribedearlier)caneliminatethisproblem(seeFigures40and41,onthispage).

UsingtheArmandWristtoHelptheFingersThearmisheavierandstronger than thefingers,so itprovidesagreatdealofpower. Imagine trying to lift a heavyobject ormake a loud soundon a pianowith finger exertion alone. Such excessive strain is unnecessary. Even softsoundsonapianoareoftenbestcreatedbyusingtheforceorweightofthearmtohelpoutthefingers.Tounderstandthedifferencebetweenfingerleverageandarmleverage,usea

keyboardtoplaythesameseriesofnotes(orplayonatable,imaginingthekeys)inthreedifferentways:

1.Useonlyfingerflexion(bending)topressthekeys.2.Withoutbendingthefingers,movethearmforwardandback,lettingthewristmoveupanddown.Thefingerfunctionsasanextensionofthearm,andthemovementofthearmmakesthekeygodown.3.Useacombinationoffingersandarm,bendingthefingersnormallyandletting the arm move forward and back so that the wrist moves up anddown.

Most of the time, combining finger and arm movement is easiest and mostnaturalbecausealltheleversoftheplayingmechanismsharethework.

TraversingKeyboardandFingerboardThe forward movement of the arm, and consequent raising of the wrist, isparticularlyusefulwhentransferringtheweightofthearmfromalongfinger—

suchastheindexormiddlefinger—toashorterone—suchastheringor littlefinger.6

PianoTrybalancingyourarmweightonyourthirdfingeronatable,oronawhitekeyof a keyboard instrument. Let your arm “stand” on that finger, shifting theweight of the arm from side to side to feel that theweight is balancedon thefingertip.Thenshiftyourarmweighttothefourthfingerandnoticehowthearmhasto

moveforwardtobalanceontheshorterfinger,raisingthewrist(seeFigure47).Thewristdoesn’tneedtomoveverymuchtogiveyouthefeelingof“standing”onthefinger.Movingthewristuptoofarweakenstheconnectionbetweenarmandhand.Youwanttofeelafirmnessinthefingertipthatcomesfromtheweightofthearmdroppingintoit,andaconnectionbetweentheshoulderbladeandthefingertip. Rather than statically holding the wrist up away from the pull ofgravity,letthewristresponddynamicallytothemovementofthefingersothatthe impactofpushing thekey travels throughthewrist into theforearmand isdistributedthroughtheentirelengthofthearm.

Figures47&48Lettingthearmmoveforwardtoassistashortfinger,suchasthefourth,inpushingdownapianokeymayraisethewristmomentarilyabovethearchofthehand.Intransferringarmweightfromthefourthfingertothefifth,whichisevenshorter,thearmmustmoveforwardfarther,causingthewristto

moveevenhigher.Keepingthewristinaraisedposition,however,causesstrain.

Finally, transferyourarmweight to the fifth finger.Notice that thearmandwristmovestillfarther(seeFigure48).Byusingthistechniqueyoulightentheloadonyourfingersandkeepenergy

flowingthroughyourwrist.Donotkeepthewristinaraisedposition,butletitmovenaturallyinresponsetothemovementofthefingers.Thisshiftofarmweightalsoworksformovingtoblackkeysbecausetheyare

fartherbackon thekeyboard.7Selectapassage thatusesbothblackandwhitekeys on the piano and experiment with this movement of the arm. It’s likenavigatingacrosstheterrainofthekeyboard,beingawareoftheupsanddownsofyourhandandofthetopography.Maureentriedthistechniqueatherlessonbutcouldn’tgetthehangofit.Then

she suddenly exclaimedwith a big smile, “Oh, I see! It’s likewalking on thekeys!”Thisisanaccuratedescription.Whenyouwalk,youtransfertheweightofyourbodyfromonefoot to theother.Becausethefingertipsarecurvedandtogetherformacurvedline,ifyouareplayingfastitfeelsmorelikerollingoverthe keys. This walking or rolling sensation in playing is comfortable andprovidesa feelingof intimacywithyour instrument.Thehandfeelsmolded tothecontoursofthekeyboard.

CelloCellist JeffreySolowuses theword “walking” to describe left-hand techniqueforhisinstrument:

The left arm functions, to a large extent, by “walking” on its fingers. Inactualwalking,torsobalanceshiftsforward,whereuponitiscaughtontopofthemovinglegs.Similarly,whenthebalanceoftheupperarmshifts,itmustbecaughtbyanother fingeror thearmwill fallover. [You]canfeelthisby“walking”[your]armalongatabletoporalongthebackofachair.Thiswalkingimagecanbestrengthenedbyimaginingthatthefingerboardisastaircaseand thefingersstandon thehorizontalsurfacesof thesteps.Picturingthishelps[you]feelthat[your]balanceisalignedverticallyintheearth’s gravity even though [your] fingers look angledback in relation tothesurfaceofthefingerboard.8

Springing,Buoyancy,andFeedbackPiano

If you are “walking” your arm slowly across a keyboard, try springing gently

from your fingertips to propel the arm forward. This movement is similar tospringingfromyourfeetwhenyouwalk:Insteadofrelyingexclusivelyonbighipand thighmuscles to liftyourfeetoff theground,youalsoengagesmallermuscles, of the lower legs and the feet. Initiating amovementwith a smallerbodypartdistributesthelabor,makingthemovementmoreefficient.Inthespringingmotion,thefingergraspsthekey(youcanfeelthisonatable

just as well), pushing against it and propelling the arm upward and forwardwhile you hold the key down. This technique is easier andmore natural thanpushing thearm forward from the shoulderorupperarm. It is similar towhatswimmersdowhentheyreachtheendofaswimmingpoolandturnaroundtoswimback:Theypushofffromthesideofthepoolbyspringingfromtheirfeet.Springing createsmomentum, it feels good, and it provides a change of pacefromothertypesofmovement.When you spring from the surface of a key, your initial contact with the

instrumentissoftandsensitivebecauseyoufocusonthecushionysensationinthe fingerpad (the fleshy part of the fingertip) rather than on exertion of theupper armand shoulder. JoanCampbellWhitacre describes thedifference thisway: “Youneedbig,powerful armand shouldermusclesprimarily topositionthearmandhandsothatthefingerscanmakecontactwiththeinstrument.Whenyouworkharderwiththesemusclesthanthisactionrequires,yourintentionistobepowerful.Butwhenyouinitiatefromthefingertips,yourintentionistotouchtheinstrumentwiththefeelingofthemusicandtoworkfromthatsensationintoagradualrecruitmentofthepowerneededtofullyexpressthefeeling.Theresultisamoresensitivetouch.It’smechanicallyefficientandcanbeaspowerfulasitneedstobe,butitremainssensitive.”Becausespringingforwardfromthefingertipsprovidesagreatdealofpower

withminimumeffort,it’saneasywaytomakealoudsoundonthepiano.Italsoallowsyoutoeasilyplaytwoormorekeysatatimewithonehand.Tryplayinga chord using only finger movement; you will notice it’s somewhat difficult.Then play the same chord using armmovement to help the fingers; itwill beeasier. The slight grip of the fingertips creates a penetrating sound. Theloosenessofthearmmakesthesoundfullandrelaxedaswell.Becausespringinggivesyoupower, ithelps in shapingphrases. Ina simple

two-notephrase,forexample,youcaneasilycreateadecrescendobyspringingonthefirstnoteandsimplypressingthesecondkeywithyourfinger.Theenergyofthespringwillcarryyourhandtotheendofthephraseandhelptocreatealegatoeffect.Springingfrequentlyworkswellalsoinplayinglongnotesbecauseitallows

youtokeepmovinginsteadoffreezinginplace.Occasional,well-placedsprings

inaslowmelodyhelpyoukeepasenseofcontinuity.Springing makes the arm feel buoyant, and pleasant vibrations from

contactingtheinstrumentfeedbackintothebody.Besuretomaintainasenseofconnectionbetweenyour fingertipsandyourshoulderbladeso that theenergycanflowfreelythroughthearminbothdirections.Tryspringingyourfingertipsonatabletopandnoticetheeffectonyourarm

andbody.It’slikewalkingwithaspringinyourstep—theenergyfrompushingagainst the groundwith your feet feeds back into your feet and through yourlegs.Youfeelsolidandsupportedbytheground,butalsolight.Springingfromyourfingertipsgivesyourinstrumentaltechniquethelightnessandprecisionofacatspringingfromitsfeet.

StaccatoonthePiano—AVariantofSpringingStaccatoisoftenbestaccomplishedonthepianobyspringingthehandandarmupoff thekeys,which Icall“bouncing.”The fingertip initiates thebouncebygrasping or “biting” the key and propelling the arm straight up, just as youwould jump with your feet from a trampoline. This movement is easier thanbrushing thekeywith the fingertip (moving the finger toward thepalmof thehand),aspianistssometimesdo.Yousimplyletthewholearmbounceupfromthekeys,andthenletitdropsothatthehandlandsonthekeysinpositionforthenextnotebeforeplayingit.Tolearnthistechnique,think“bounce,land”witheverynote.Landingmeans

lettingyourfingersrestonthekeysaftereverynoteinsteadofholdingtensioninthehandbykeepingthefingersintheair.Iteconomizesonmovement:Insteadofplayinganoteandthensearchingforthenextkey,youaimforthenextkeywhenyoubounceoffthefirstone,andyougodirectlytoit.

BuoyancyinBowingandDrummingBuoyancyalsooccursinplayingotherinstruments.KarenRitscherdescribesthestring player’s bow arm as buoyant. She devised a technique of using giantrubber bands (purchased in athletic supply stores) to wrap around a violastudent’sshoulderandforearm,givingthesensationofbuoyancyinthearm.It’sa way of learning how gravity and uplifted energy play against each other,providingeaseandpleasureinmovement.FrancesMagnes teaches a balanced use of pressure and release in bowing.

One technique she teaches is to begin a strokewith a “bite”—to press harder

thanusualatthefrogandthenreleasethepressureassoonasyoustartmovingthebow. “Thatmakes for a very clean, precise beginning,” she says.Thebitegives the sound a sharp, focused quality. The release gives it a fullness andwarmth.DrummerRichardSylvestersayspropersticktechniquehasabuoyantquality.

Holdingthestickclosetothedrumhead,youdirectthestrikingactionawayfromyourbodyandthedrumheadsothatthestrikingpointisnottheendpointoftheactionbutisjustonepointinanarc.Withthistechnique,thearmfeelsbuoyantand free. “If you just hit downward with the stick, it’s dead,” he says. Thedrumheaddoesnotvibrateasmusically.Trythesetwoapproachesusingapencilonatabletofeelthedifference.

Buoyancy,Support,andtheCirculationofEnergyIfyourinstrumentrestsonthefloorwhileyouplayit,likeapianooracello,theinstrumentprovidesadegreeofphysicalsupportfor thebody.Whenspringingorbowing,insteadofjustgoingthroughthemotionswithyourhandsandarms,tuneintotheenergythatcomesbackintoyourbodyfromtheinstrument.LabanMovementAnalystMarthaEddydescribesacelloorapianoas“avery fancycane,insomeways,”thatsupportsthebody.Feelhowyourarmswouldjustfalldownward if the instrumentwerenot there tosupport them.Give in togravityandlettheinstrumentsupportyou.Thearmswillthenrelax,andmovementwillfeeleffortless.The arrowsmarked on the photos in Figure49 show how springing allows

energytocirculatefreelythroughthebody.

1.Theforceofgravityonyourentirebodycounterbalances2.theupwardforceonthefingertipswhenthepianokeyshitbottom.3. Springing from the fingertips to propel the arm upward and forwardsendsanimpulsefromthefingertipsupthearmand4.downthespine.5.This impulse reaches the sit bones, sendinga counter impulseup fromtheseat.Thecounterimpulsecontinuesupwardthroughthespineand6.forwardthroughthearm.

Figure49

Energythuscirculatescontinuouslythroughthebody.JoanCampbellWhitacredescribesthisfreegiveandtakeofenergyassimilar

toahandshake:“Youcanshakesomeone’shandasmuchtoreceivewhatthey’regivingtoyouastogivewhatyou’reofferingtothem.Thenyoutakesomethingintoyoufromthem,andthecommunicationismorecomplete.”

Rotation

Many instruments, including piano and string instruments, require a forearmmovement called “rotation.” This is the movement we make when turning adoorknob.To understand how rotationworks, extend your forearm in front ofyou with the palm facing up. Then turn the arm over so that the palm facesdown.Figure50showsthatwhenthepalmofthehandfacesup,thetwoforearmbones—theradiusandtheulna—areparallel.Asthepalmturnsdownward,theradiusrotatesaroundtheulnasothatthetwobonescrosstoformanX.Placeyourlefthandonyourrightforearmbonesatthewristtofeelhowthis

rotation happens.Notice that only the forearm seems to shift position, not theupperarm.Butifyoupressagainsttheupperarmbonewhiledoingtherotation,youwillnoticethatitmovesslightlyalso.

Figure50

Notice that when the two forearm bones are parallel, there is considerablespace between them.This space is occupied by variousmuscles, tendons, andconnective tissues.Although this space changes shapewhen the radius rotatesaroundtheulnatobringthetwobonesintoan“X”relationship,itdoesnotcloseup. Therefore, during rotation, focus on maintaining this space to allow theforearmmusclestoremainrelaxed.

PianoThe springing motion on the piano often involves some degree of forearmrotation.Forexample,ifyoutransferyourarmweightfromthetipofyourthirdfingertothetipofyourfourthorfifthfinger, thearmhastomovetowardthatoutercornerofyourhand.Thisdiagonalmovementcombinestheforwardspringwitharotationoftheforearm.Theforearmrotatesouttotheside,changingtheangleofthepalmofthehand.The example of piano music below (Example 1) is marked with arrows

indicatingwhereaspringingmotionisused.Thethird,fourth,andfiftharrowsmarknotesthatrequireadiagonalspringingmotion,whichincludesrotationofthearm.

Purerotation,uncombinedwithanyforwardmovementofthearm,isalsoanimportant technique. In Example 2, subtle springing motions are used tonegotiatetheeighthnotes(springonthenotesplayedbythefourthfinger)whilerotationaccomplishesaclearmelodiclineinthesamehand.

Rapid back-and-forth rotation of the arm accomplishes brilliant trills andtremolos.Itistheonlyrepetitivemovementthebodycanmakethatisasfastasthefingertrill.Gettingthearmintotheactgivestrillsmuchmorepower.

StringInstrumentsStringplayers,particularlyviolinistsandviolists,havetorotatetheirleftforearmtopositionthehandonthefingerboard.ViolinistFrancesMagnessaysthatwhenthe player’s forearm is not sufficiently rotated, the fingers come down on thewrongplacesonthestrings,resultinginpoorintonation.Whenaviolinistlearnstoholdtheinstrumentwithamorerotatedforearm,thefingersaremorelikelytofallwheretheyneedtoforplayingintune.Ms.Magnesteachesherstudentsthatin a good position “they should be able to see just a little bit of their elbow”when they look down. “Overdone is as bad as underdone,” she says. “If yourotate too far, your armgets tight and you feel like you’re tying yourself intoknots.”Thebowarmalsoneedstorotate.“Everystrokehasadepthtoit,”saysKaren

Ritscher.“Yougointothestring,andasyouleanyourweightintothetipofthebow, theradiusrotatesaroundtheulna. Ifyou justdropyourweightverticallyintothestring,yougetasquawkysound.Thestringcan’tvibrate,soyoukillthesound.But ifyouuse rotation tomove thebow, the strokehasmoreelasticityandproducesafreersound.”

“Droppingin”withtheArmInbuoyantmovementslikespringing,weuseourmusclestocounteractgravity.Often we need to know how to take advantage of gravity instead. We takegravity forgranted.But thinkhowpowerfulandall-pervasive it is—without itwe’dgofloatingoff intospace,alongwithpianos,cellos,cars,andeverythingelsethat’snotattachedtotheground.In transferring arm weight from one finger to another (the “walking”

movements described earlier for pianists and cellists),weuse gravity tomoveefficientlyoverthekeyboardorfingerboard.Gravitycanalsoserveuswellwhenwemakelargerarmmovements.

PianoandStringInstrumentsBowingastringinstrumentorelicitingaringingsoundfromapianooftenworksbestwhen,insteadofworkinghardwiththearm,youjustlettheweightofthearm drop into the instrument. Instead of pushing the strings or keys, you usegravitytomakethemplay,withjustenoughmusculareffort toholdthearmatthemosteffectiveangleandcontroltheforceofthedrop.9To drop freely, the arm has to be loose. Try lifting your arms up and then

tightening themuscles; it becomes impossible to drop your arms. To let them

drop toward your instrument, you need to release themuscles. Then the armswillfallautomatically.FrancesMagnesputsherhandunderaviolinstudent’sforearmandaskshim

to rest theweightofhisarm inherhand inorder to feelhow the forearmcandropfreelyintothebowandontothestrings.“Ifyou’renotrestingthearmonsomething,” she says, “it’s hard to get a sense of its weight.” Releasing theforearmthiswaywhilebowingproducesa round, full sound,whereaspushinghardwiththearmresultsinatight,brittlesound.When a pianist has difficulty letting the arm drop freely, I suggest the

followingexercise.Situprightonafirmseatandplacethepalmofyourhand,fingersopen,onyourthigh.Makeafewquickgrippingmotionswiththefingersto get a sense of the spring power in your hand.Now spring yourwhole armstraightupintotheairandletitfallbackdown.Ifyourarmisveryloose,yourhandwillspringeasilyabovethelevelofyourheadandfallfastandhardwithasmackonyourleg.Ifit’stight, itwillresist thespringandfallwithlessforce.Repeatingtheexerciseafewtimescanhelploosenthearm.PaulusedthisexercisetoloosenhisarmforplayingaChopinwaltz.Before

doingtheexercise,hisplayingsoundedrestrained.Whenheplayedagainafterdoing the exercise, the piano rang with such fullness that it sounded like adifferent instrument. He looked at his arm in awe, wondering where thispowerful,newlimbhadcomefrom.

ExperimentingwithDifferentArmTechniquesYou need a teacher to guide you in applying these techniques to a variety ofmusicalpassages.Whenworkingwitharmmovementonyourown,trytofeelahealthybalancebetweenmobility and stability of thewrist. If thewrist is tooloose,thelineofenergyfromthearmintothehandisbroken.Ifit’stootight,theflowofenergytowardthefingersstopsatthewrist.Getting stuck in any one pattern of using the arm overtaxes one group of

muscles, creating tension that can lead to injury. As in any other physicalactivity,itdoesn’tfeelgoodtodothesamethingoverandover.Payingattentiontohowyoufeel,varyingyourmovements,andtakingfrequentbreakstostretchand relax are the best insurance against unpleasant and possibly harmfulpracticing.

SpecialIssuesforVoiceandWindInstruments

MinimumTensionintheMouth,Jaw,Throat,andTongueGripping, grabbing, and straining are not limited to the hands and arms. Forsingersandwindplayers,learningtousethetongue,throat,andfacialmuscleswith ease and efficiency is a challenge. According to voice teacher JeannetteLovetri,partofthedifficultyisinchangingthehabitsformedindailyliving:“Inthisculturepeopleholdtremendoustensionintheirnecks,shoulders,jaws,andtongues,”shesays.Watchingthishabitasyougoaboutyourdaycanhelpyouloosenupintheseplaces.

VoiceBecause the muscles of the throat, tongue, and jaw are all interconnected,tensioninoneofthesepartsaffectstheentirearea.VoiceteacherJamesCarsonsaysthatmanysingersaretaughtthattheyshouldfeelnothinghappeninginthethroatwhilesinging,sotheymakeaspecialeffortnottousethemusclesofthethroat,whichonlycreatestensioninthem.Instead,asingerneedstodevelopanawarenessofthemusclesinthethroatandusethemproperly.Todevelopsuchawareness,Mr.Carsonteachessingers to“thinkthesound”

theywanttoproduceandthennoticehowtheirvocalmechanismautomaticallymoves, in response to that thought, tomake the sound. Ifyou think the sound“guh,” for example, you can feelmovement in the back of your throat as thevocalcordspreparetoproducethesound.“Youcansensetheexactspotonyourvocalcordsfromwhicheachpitchwillgenerate,”Mr.Carsonsays.Thismethod,which allows a singer to control both pitch and timbre, comes from the OldItalian School of singing taught in the nineteenth century by suchmasters asAntonio Cotogni, who trained the great tenor Beniamino Gigli. The methodcarriedoverintoGermany,wheresopranoLilliLehmannlearnedandtaughtit.Because this approach allows the vocal mechanism to respond naturally to asinger’s intentions, it helps prevent excessive effort in producing correct pitchandagoodsound.Justasminimumleft-handtensiongivesstringplayersthesensitivitytoplay

intune,minimumtensioninthevocalmechanismallowssingerstosingintune.VoiceteacherJeannetteLovetripointsoutthatwhenthemusclesinthethroatarestiffandinflexible,thevocalcordscannotstretchandthinouteasilyenoughtoproducehigherpitches,sonotesarefrequentlyflat.Mr.Carsonexplainsthatwhenthevocalmechanismisworkingproperly,the

vocal cords (or folds),which resemble a rubber band, “zip up” partially, frombacktofront,as thepitchisraised,sothat theopeningbetweenthecordsgets

smaller and tighter. Tension in the vocal mechanism prevents the cords fromzippingupproperly,sothatthepitchproducedlacksovertones,makingitsoundout of tune.When such inefficient use occurs, singers have no choice but tocompensatebypushingtoohardwiththebreathingmusclestogetabiggerandbettersound.This“overblowing”worksagainstthealreadymisusedvocalcordsbyoverwhelmingthemwithair;theairblowsthroughthegapintheportionofthecordsthatshouldbezippedup,resultinginirritationandpossibleswelling.Thisswellingallowsthecordstorubagainsteachother,whichirritatesthecordsevenmoreandcancreateablister(ornodule)andeventuallyacallus(ornode).Anodemakessingingdifficultandmakesitimpossibletoproduceaclearsound.Overblowingalsocauses thevocalcords tobowoutandget too long,makingthepitchsharp.Mr.Carsonfindsthatwhenthemechanisminthethroatfunctionsproperly,it

hasabeneficialeffectontheentirebody.Notonlyisthesingerlessinclinedtopush too hard with the breathingmuscles, but because tension in the neck isreleased, posture improves, automatically making breathing easier. Releasedmusclesalsocreategreaterresonancebecause(1)theyallowmusicalvibrationstotravelthroughthebonesmorefreely,and(2)theyallowthebodycavitiestoexpand.Thesoundresonatesnotjustfromthethroatbutfromthewholebody.

WoodwindsandBrassInstrumentsFlutistJanetWeisssharesthisunderstandingofhowresonanceiscreated.“Youcan’tbetightandhaverangeofcolor,”shesays.Shedescribesachainreactionof tension starting in the neck and jaw, leading to tonguing problems, whichcauseembouchureproblems,whichinturncausedifficultieswithbreathingandwithsound.Ms.Weissexplainsthattheinsideofthemouthshouldbeveryopenbecause

it’stheresonatingchamber,or“soundboard.”Astifftonguebindsupthesoundboard and the playing mechanism. Tonguing with too much force or tensioncreates an unpleasant sound. Trumpeter Stephen Burns says many trumpetplayers use what he calls a “zucchini tongue”—a tensed, cylindrical tongueposition that is not fluid and flexible. As in flute playing, this tensionmakesarticulationdifficult.According to Janet Weiss, flutists who pull their embouchure muscles too

tightlycangetTMJ(temporomandibularjoint)syndrome—adebilitatingtensionin the jaw. TMJ syndrome also afflicts saxophone players who grip theirinstrument too hard with their teeth. Ms. Weiss says that a less-than-idealinstrumentcaneasilycontributetosuchtension.Aflutemayhaveaheadjoint

that is toohard toblow.Anoboeorbassoonmayhaveareed“likeaPopsiclestick”—incapable of producing much sound. She recommends using a high-qualityinstrumenttoavoidsuchproblems.

BreathingOvertightening the abdominalmuscles is a frequent breathing problem amongsingersandwindplayers.JamesCarsonexplainsthatinsinging,eachchangeofpitch requires a change in air pressure, which is created bymovement in thechest and abdomen. If the abdominal or chest muscles are rigid, they cannotmoveeasilyorquicklyenoughtoproducethesechanges.Flutistsneedtotakeinagreatdealofairtoplaytheirinstrumentbecausethey

blowairacrossthemouthpieceinsteadofdirectlyintoit.Iftheabdominalsaretootight,theplayercannottakeinenoughair.According to Stephen Burns, power in trumpet playing comes not from

forcingthebreaththroughtightlipsbutfromallowingthemusclesinthetorsotomove freely and from releasing the throat and facialmuscles so that theywillnaturallyalignandcreatea freevibration. It’s aquestionof“coordinationandrelaxation,” he says—“identifying more with the flow rather than the forcegeneratingit.”Mr.Burnsalsosaysthatmanyplayers“clutchthebreath”:Theytakeabreath

andholditbeforeblowingout.Often,“it’soutoffearofwhat’sgoingtocomeout—wanting it to be perfect.” But some players hold the breath to create acertainamountofcompressionwhentheyblow.Mr.Burnsfeelsthatthispracticegoes against the natural rhythmof the breath and creates unnecessary tension.Herecommendsworkingconsciouslywiththein-and-outrhythmofthebreathtodevelopease,coordination,andconfidenceinreleasingthesound.

CONCLUSION

Musiciansoftenconfusebeingemotionallyintensewithbeingphysicallytense.Intense expressiveness and power come not from overtightening thephysiological mechanism that produces the sound but from freeing thatmechanismtoworksmoothlyandefficiently.Ifyoubeginwithaposture thatorganizes thebodytofunctionatmaximum

efficiency and strength, and use your playing or singing mechanism to bestmechanicaladvantage,yourvitalenergiescanflowdirectlyintoyourinstrumentandcreate a rich,vibrant sound. In this stateofminimum tension, repeating a

passagedoesn’tfeelpurelyrepetitive;youbegintonoticeslightvariationseachtimebecauseyourbodyisfreetoexpressitselfspontaneously.See what happens if you allow your body to relax and open up. Get

acquaintedwith itssubtlerhythmsandenergies.Letyourselfdiscover theeaseandjoyofnaturalmovement.

CHAPTER7

TheSparkofInquisitiveness

StepFive:Followyourcuriosityasyoupractice.

Jessicawasoneofseveralstudentswhogatheredatmystudiooneeveningfortheirfirstexperienceofperformingforagroup.ShehadcarefullypracticedthedifficultsectionsofherBartokpieceandhadplannedtofocuson themduringherperformance.Butasshesatnervouslyonthebenchfacingthegleamingrowof black and white keys, it all escaped her. She couldn’t remember anythingaboutthepieceexceptwhichkeystotouchfirst.Suddenly,sheburiedherfaceinher hands and exclaimed, half-laughing and half-crying, “It’s amazing.Everythingjustgoesoutthewindow.”After a few moments, she regained her composure and began to play.

Although her performance contained a few more mistakes than usual, it wasmorevibrantthananythingIhadheardfromheratherlessons.Shedidn’tknowquitewhathadhappened,butherfaceradiatedvictory.Something takes over in performance.Whatever we have thought about in

preparingthepieceisfloodedoutofourmindbyagreatstreamofenergy.Wegive this energy many names—“flow,” “spontaneity,” “right-brain activity,”“alphawaves.”Bywhatevername,itistheenergyofourwild,freeselfletloose.Wefeel itspower regardlessofourability tohandle itorof thequalityofourperformance.Thisfreedomcanalsoreignduringpractice.Youcancultivatespontaneityby

paying attention to what you want to practice and by working in a way that

interestsyou.ThisisStepFive:Followyourcuriosityasyoupractice.Practicingcanproceedwithoutarigidplan.Youdon’thavetodothingsinthe

sameorderasyesterdayorpickupwhereyouleftoffinyourlastsession.Youdon’talwayshavetostartwiththemostdifficultsectionorpracticeeverytrickypassage three or ten or fifty times in a row. Hidden under such rigidprogramming is thevoiceofcreative intelligence.Youcan listen to thatvoice;youcanfollowitandseewhereitleadsyou.Todothis,simplyaskyourself,“WhatdoIwanttodonow?”Thendoit.Ask

itfrequently.Ifyou’renotaccustomedtolisteningtoyourinnervoice,itmighttake awhile to hearwhat it’s saying.But if youkeep listening, your intuitionwill begin to develop and takeyouon a creative journey.Oneofmy studentsremarked thatbyworking in thiswayhe stumbledacrossmanymoreexcitingdetailsinmusicthanheeverdiscoveredbystickingtoaplan.Itisn’tcapricioustosay,“Ifeellikepracticingthispiecenow,”or“I’mtired

of working on this. I want to practice a different piece.” On the contrary, infollowing your interest, you honor your intelligence. Do you always take thesameroutetothegrocerystore,ordoyousometimesfeellikegoingadifferentway?Itmightperkyouuptoseeadifferentseriesofbuildingsforachange.Oryoumightspotatreenewlyinflower.Doyouwanttolookatthefingeringinbarthree?Thephrasingonpagesix?

Goahead.Doyoufeellikestoppingandtakingarestforaminute?Fine.Thenaskyourselfagain,“Whatinterestsmenow?”Takeasmuchtimeasyouneedtolistenfortheanswerwithinyou.Maybeyoufeellikegettingyourfingersintoabigchordalsection.Ormaybeyou’dratherhandleamoredelicatepassage.Aslongasitholdsyourinterest,yourworkwillbefreshandcreative.We can’t develop spontaneity for performing if we spend hours every day

controllingourselves.Evenwith all the stops and starts inherent inpracticing,weneedafeelingofcontinuityandflow.Thecontinuityofpracticingliesnotinplaying a piece through from beginning to end but in stayingwith ourmind,being true toourownintelligence, fromthebeginning to theendofapracticesession.Ifyouwanttoplayapiecethroughinitsentirety,goahead.Butdon’tletthat

prevent you from stopping in the middle if you suddenly feel attracted to aparticularphrase. Itmightbea littlescary to letgoofplans,butyoucan trustyourownmind.

ResistanceEveryonehasmoments,ordays,whentheydon’tfeellikepracticingbutknow

they must. When resistance comes up, be gentle with yourself. Like manymusicians,youmaynoticethatmostofyourresistanceissimplyagainstmakingthe trip over to the instrument and facing thework that awaits.Once you putyourselfinpositiontopractice,resistanceusuallybeginstodissolve.Proceedslowlyandgentlyfromwhateverstateofmindyou’rein.Ifyoufight

theresistancebydraggingyourselfovertotheinstrumentandforcingyourselftopractice,youcreatetensionandarelikelytofeelevenmoreresistantthanbefore.Instead,letyourselffeeltheresistance,andthenslowlytakeonestepatatimetowardtheinstrumentandtakeyourtimegettingstarted.Seeifanythingarousesyourcuriosity. Itcanbesomethingas simpleashowyourhands feel thatday.Tryplacingthemontheinstrument.Noticehowtheyfeel.Playonenoteorafewnotes.Seewhateachmovementfeelslike.Byrelaxingwithyourresistance,youcangentlybreakitdown.

BalanceSometimeswe’reafraidthatifwejustdowhatwewant,we’llpracticeonlythemusic we can play well and we’ll never get around to tackling passages thatreallyneedwork.It’saquestionofbalance.Intuitively,youknowwhatyouneedtodo.Youmaywishyoucouldspendallyourtimeonaparticularpiece,butyouknow you can’t. Avoiding responsibility doesn’t feel good. It’s like eating anunbalanceddiet.Ifyouoverindulgeineatingchocolate,soonerorlateryougetsickfromloadinguponsugarandcocoaandyoulongtofeelhealthier.Look forabalancebetweenavoidingyourworkandcompulsively trying to

perfectadifficultpassage.Ifyouforceyourselftogooversomethingahundredtimes in a row, gritting your teeth and saying, “I’m going to get it nomatterwhat,” youwillwear yourself out. Instead, try practicing the passage three orfourtimes,thentakeabreakandworkonsomethingeasierforawhile.If you respect your teacher and he has set guidelines for structuring your

practicetime,followthoseguidelinesascloselyasyoucan.Butbyoccasionallyexperimentingwithaslightlydifferentapproach,youcanunderstand thevalueofyourteacher’sapproachbetter,andyourworkwillbecomemoreintelligent.Asastudent,youneedn’ttrytobeacarboncopyofyourteacher;youneedtocultivateyourownintelligence,bothforyourownpracticeandsothatyouwillhaveenoughunderstandingtoperhapsteachotherssomeday.Intelligentteachersdon’t do everything that their teachers told them to do. They have found outfromtheirownexperiencewhatworksbestfor them,andtheyknowyoumustdothesame.Furthermore,agoodteachercontinuestolearnasheteachesandisopentostudents’ideas.

DeadlinesIfyouhaveadeadline, suchasanupcomingconcertor a lesson thenextday,youwillnaturallywant to focusonwhateveryouhave topresentat that time.Butbecarefultonoticewhenyoustarttoloseinterest,anddon’tcontinueunlessyouthinkyoucanregainyourinterestanddoproductivework.TheonlytimeIeverfollowedastrictplanwasthedayortwobeforeaconcert.Itaperecordedmyplaying,listenedtothetape,andmadeanoteofmissingelements:“Bar17:remember crescendo. Bar 19: left hand unclear.” Then Iwould systematicallypracticeeachofthoseplaces,knowingIhadonlyalimitedamountoftime.Inasituationlikethat,yourintuitiveintelligenceisstillincharge:It’stellingyouthatifyoudon’ttakecareofthesedetails,theperformancewon’tbeyourbest.Ifyoupracticedthatwayfromdayoneofstudyingapiece,youwouldhave

no joy. Someone once suggested that to learn the required piece for a certainpiano competition, I should photocopy my score, cut out two lines from thiscopy each day, and focus only on those two lines. It sounded like a logicalapproach,butIcouldn’tdoit.Ikeptgettingcuriousabouttherestofthepiece,andIwasabletolearnitintimebyworkingonwhateversectioninterestedmeataparticularmoment.Some deadlines are impossible to meet if you try to learn the music

thoroughly. Accompanists, for instance, are sometimes hired just a few daysbeforeaconcert;theydon’thavetimetolearntheprogramaswellastheywouldlike.Preparingmusic under such circumstances is an art in itself and requiresthatyourecognizethemostimportantaspectsofapieceandbringoutasmuchdetailasyoucaninthetimeavailable.Appreciateyourskillandyourgenerosityinrisingtotheoccasionforsuchaperformance;itwillhelpyourelaxandenjoyyourwork.

ScalesFollowinggeneralguidelinesfordividingyourtimewillhelpyoulearnavarietyofmusic.Ifyouarestudyingthreepiecesatatime,forinstance,youmaywanttoworkoneachofthemalmosteveryday.Butmanymusiciansgotoextremeswithpractice regimens.Oneviolinist Iheardaboutspends twohoursadayonscales because she feels that in dealing with the technical issues involved,everything she needs to know becomes instinctive,whichmakes her feel lessanxious about performing. This is an extremely time-consuming method forreducinganxiety.Ifyouspendtwohoursadayonscales,you’retakingtoomuchtimeawayfromthemusicyouneedtolearn.

Scalescanbe fun.Theyhaveanenergizing, calisthenicquality, andplayingthem inoctaves, thirds,andsixthscanbeanenjoyableexercise.Whenachildsees her piano teacher play a scale, she usually gets excited about trying itherself. Children like the idea that by moving their thumb under their otherfingerstheycanplayscalesallthewayuptothetopofthekeyboardandallthewaybackdown.Itgivesthemafeelingofpower.Ifyouknowthefingeringforeveryscale,youcanplayitwheneveryouseeit

inanewpiecewithouthavingtothink.Ifyouhavetimetopracticescalesinalltwenty-four keys and you enjoy it, that’s fine. Otherwise, you could perhapsworkonCmajoroneweekandAminorthenext.Practicingscalescanhelpyoueaseintoyourworkgently.Insteadofcharging

into a practice session without warming up, which strains the body, you canamble through a few scales to loosen up. Unfortunately, many people viewscales as a form of torture, and instead of loosening up, they tighten up inresistancetothem.Theimportanceofscalepracticevariesaccordingtothelevelofthestudent.If

astudentdoesn’tknowhowtoexecuteascale,sheshouldlearnatsomepoint.Butmanyprofessionalmusicianspracticescalesonlyoccasionally.Someofmystudents like toworkon scale technique at the endof their lessons, after theyhavesatisfied theirappetitefor therepertoire theyarestudying.It’s likeeatingsalad: Some people prefer it before themain course; others find it refreshingafter themain course.You can structure your practice time thatway, too, andperhapsfollowyoursaladofscaleswithamaincourseofSchubertandadessertofRavel.Inapieceofmusic,everyscalepassagehasauniquemeaningandcontextand

requiresauniquepracticeapproach.Itmightcrescendoordecrescendoorboth;partof itmightbelegatoandpartstaccato;anditmayhavechangingrhythmsand harmonies. You need to deal with the dynamics, the fingering, the exactlengthof thescale,anditsplace in thewholecomposition.Thenitwillbenotonly interestingbutchallenging toexecute thatparticular scale,muchmoresothanjustplayingastraightscalefouroctavesupanddown.Ifyoudopracticestraightscales,practicetheminamusicalway.Changethe

dynamics,orevenvarythephrasingorthetiming.Mostimportant,listentoeachnote.A scale is a fantastic thing. It’s the basis of ourmusical language.Eachnotehasadifferentpsychologicalvalue,atendencytosettleortoleadtoanothernote.Takethetimetoappreciatetheeffectofeachsound.Noticehowitfeelsinthecontextoftheentirescale.Youcandiscoverendlesspossibilitiesbyenjoyingscalesthisway.

RegularPracticeandLengthofPracticeTimeIfyoumakeahabitofpracticingareasonablelengthoftimeeachday,youcanprogresssteadily.Butyoualsoneedtobeflexible.ForfiveyearsafterIfinishedmusic school, I practiced five hours a day without fail, except for summervacations.Then,oneday,afriendcalledandaskedifIwouldhelpherandafewotherpeopleputdownthetilefloorinhernewstore.Thiswouldmeanawholedayoutofmypracticing,butIreallywantedtohelpanditsoundedlikefun.SoIsaidyeshappily.Strangelyenough,Igotintoaconversationaboutmyworkwithafriendofherswhowasalsoworkingonthefloor,andhedecidedtogivememoney to buy a new piano. Several years later, I chose not to practice oneweekend so that I could attend ameditation program.At the program Imet afilmmakerwhodecidedtomakeavideoaboutmywork.I’mnot suggesting that every timeyou leaveyour instrumentandgoout to

enjoyyourself, good fortunewill befall you.But you can afford to bekind toothersandtoyourself,tobeahumanbeing.Occasionally,youmightjustneedarest—a “personal day,” as corporations call it—a day to catch up with yourpersonallife.Andsometimesyoumightbeexhaustedorhaveabadcaseofthefluandneedtostayinbed.Obviously,ifyou’regivingaconcertthenextday,youneedtobecareful.But

let yourself learn from experience. You might sometimes make the painfulmistake of walking into a performance insufficiently prepared. Hopefully, thefurtheryouadvance inyour career, themoreyouwill have learned fromyourmistakesandthebetterpreparedyouwillbe.Butyoucan’tlearnhowtopracticewithoutsometimestakingchancesandseeingwhathappens.Onlyyoucanfindyourownway.Theamountoftimeyoupracticeeachdaydependsonyourneeds.Ifyou’rean

amateurwhoworksalldayinanoffice,yourpracticetimeislimited.Youmayevenhavedayswhenyoucan’tfindfiveminutestopractice.Butevenifyou’reaseriousmusicstudentoraprofessionalwithamplepracticetime,thequalityofyour practicing ismore important than the quantity. Practice at a time of daywhenyoufeelrelativelyfreshandcanfocuseasily.Howeverlongyouchoosetopractice,feelfreetotakefrequentbreaks.Within

asession,youcanstopforaminutenowandthenanddonothing.Itwillclearyourmindandrelaxyourbody.Ifyougetstiff,youcangetupandstretchforafewminutes.Manymusicians find that after forty-fiveminutes their brain needs a ten-or

fifteen-minuterest.Thebodyneedsarest,too,achangeofpositionandabreakfrom activity.Don’t try to practice for too longwithout such a break.During

yourbreakit’susuallybestnottodoanythingthatrequiresmucheffort.Youcanwalkaround,loungeonacomfortablecouch,drinksometea,orpetyourdogorcat.Thebodyandmindrequireregularrefreshment.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question: Is this intuitive approachmoreappropriate after you’ve done somepreliminaryworkonapiece,likejustlearningthenotes?Answer:Thisapproachappliesfromtheverybeginning.Whenapieceisbrandnew, practicing might progress note by note, but you can still follow yourinterest. That may mean experimenting with different fingerings, seeing howthey feel in your hand. Or perhaps taking a break from the new piece andworking on something you know better—in which you have more of anopportunitytomakemusic.Lateroninyourstudy,youmayfindthatthepiecethatwasoncenewhasbecomesofamiliarthatitsoundsautomaticandglib;yourheart’snot in it anymore.Thenyoumaywant to take themusicapartnotebynotetohearitafresh.Whenyouare first learningapiece,youmay feelvery free togo fromone

section to another and to try all kindsof technical andmusical approaches. Inlater stages of study, youhave fewer choices because themore complete yourperformancebecomes, themore likelyyouare tonotice imperfections. Ifyourphrasingisn’tworking,youreallyfeelitinthelaterstagesbecausebythattimethepiece flows fairlywell, andanyobstructionsof that flowcreate frustrationand demand your attention. The practice atmosphere becomes intense as thepiecebeginstotakeonalifeofitsown.

Question: Do you recommend practicing scales and passages in differentrhythms?I’venoticeditmakesmytechniquefeelmoresolidandsecure.Answer:Ilearnedthattypeofpracticinginmusicschool,anditcanbehelpful,but it’s often overused, to the neglect ofmore subtle and interesting types ofpractice. Playing a passage in rhythmic groups can jolt yourmind into a newperception of the notes, because you are setting off each group with pausesbefore and after it. It’s like putting a picture frame around one part of yourenvironmentandnoticinghoweverythingisarrangedinsideof it.Thatkindofpracticingalsogivesyourhandstheexperienceofdealingwithasmallgroupofnotes at a time, enabling you to become technically familiar with each smallgroupandtodevelopefficiencyinyourmovements.But you have to draw the line at the pointwhere you become desperate or

drivenaboutworkingthatway.Aslongasitpiquesyourcuriosityandaidsyourunderstandingofhowsomethingisputtogether,it’sfine.You’recultivatingyourconnectiontothemusic.Butwhenyoulosetouchwiththedelightofitandgetcaughtupintryingtoimitateamachine,thenyou’reworkingagainstyourself.Desperationfeedsonitself,andjoyslipsawaybeforeyouknowit.Solookforthatdistinction.Experimentandfindoutforyourselfwheretheboundaryis.

Question:Whatdoyouthinkaboutpracticingwithametronome?SometimesIfeelithelpsmekeepsteady,tonotgetoutofcontrol.Answer:Metronomeshaveaplaceinpracticing,butnotabigone.Theycantellyouwhenyou’reveeringofftempo,butthatdoesn’talwaysmeanyoushouldn’tveer off. We’re human beings, not machines. Human rhythm is flexible, notmechanical.Itbreathes.Humanpulseisn’trigid.Itfluctuates.Ifyoupracticealotwith ametronomeyou suppress your natural rhythm.Youput your humanwildnessinaboxandrobyourselfofyourfreedom.It’spossibletorelymoreonyourinnersenseofrhythm.Greatartistsfeelthepulseofmusicunerringly,buttherhythmhasvitality,the

livingelasticityofbreathandmovement.Themechanicalbeatofanelectronicsynthesizer, which is used in many recordings of rock music, is abysmallylackinginjoyandvitality.Thepulseisrelentlesslyrigidandattacksyoulikethesoundofanyothermachineyoumayhear—inafactoryoronacitystreet.Evenfiercemusicneedstobefierceinahumanway,notlikeamechanicalmonster.Occasionally itmay be helpful to use themetronome to break the habit of

being rhythmically unsteady, to relax a tightness that has crept into yourexecutionofapassageandisthrowingoffyournaturalsenseofrhythm.Buttouseametronomethiswayyouhavetoworkslowlysothatyoucanrelaxandlettheoldwayofplayingorsingingthemusicgentlyfallapart.Musiciansoftenusemetronomes towhip themselves into shape.They chug

away, speeding up themetronomeone notch at a time, pushing themselves toplay faster and faster. It becomes a race. If you want to use ametronome toincreasespeed,doitwithawareness.Askyourself,“Isthisenjoyable?AmItightorrelaxed?Isthishelpingmegomoredeeplyintothemusicornot?”Natural rhythm comes from being physically settled, mentally relaxed, and

emotionallyunrepressed.Thefirstthingyoucandoforyoursenseofrhythmisto let yourself be, to let yourbreathing andyourbody settle downbeforeyoupractice. Let your natural energies follow their natural course. Later on we’lldiscuss specificmethods for clearly feeling rhythmic patterns in the body andcreatingasenseofpulse.

Question: Adults are self-conscious, but how do you teach a child to beconscious of what she’s doing and to be natural? At a certain stage childrenbecomeself-consciousandlosetheirnaturalness.Theystarttryingveryhard.Answer:First,youcanteachspontaneitybyexample.Whetheryou’reteachingachildoranadult,it’ssimilartopracticing:Relaxbeforeyouteach,taketimetothinkwhileyou’rewithastudent,anddon’t try toohard. Ifyou’rerelaxed it’seasier toperceivewhat thestudentneeds.But ifyou’repreoccupiedwithyourown problems when the student comes in, you’re less receptive to him. Bytakingcareofyourselfandnotforcingyourselftoteachinaparticularway,youcreateanopenatmosphereinwhichhecanrelax,too.Likemanyteachers,IusedtothinkthatIhadtoprovideimmediatefeedback

andsuggestionswheneverastudentfinishedplayingapieceforme,orevenassoonashemadeamistakeinthemiddle.Then,atsomepoint,Istoppedforcingmyselftodothat.Ithought,“I’mjustgoingtosithereandwaituntilIreallyfeellikesayingsomething.”Once I releasedmyself from thewholeprogramIhadtriedtofollow,Ifoundmyselfcomingupwithsurprisinglyinsightfulcomments.Usuallywethink,“I’mateachernow.Imustteachhimthescale,thenteach

himsuchandsuch,watch tobe surehis fingersarecurved…”Thesemaybegood ideas, but ifweprogramourselves toomuch,wedon’tmake full useofeitherourintelligenceorthestudent’sintelligence,andwedrainthejoyoutoflearning.When Iwas inmy twenties, I started todislike teachingafter severalyears,

anditoccurredtomethatI’dbetterfindawaytoenjoyit,sinceitwasmymainsourceofincome.Iaskedoneofmystudents,whotaughtrespiratorytherapyata hospital, if she knew of any good books about teaching. She recommendedFreedomtoLearnbyCarlRogers.The book was a revelation. It described the teacher as a “facilitator of

learning,” and it stressed the importance of encouraging students to think forthemselves rather than repeatedly telling themwhat to do. I underlined entireparagraphsandmarkedmanypassageswithhugeasterisks.ButthreeweeksafterreadingitIrealized,inthemiddleofafrustratinglessonwithaseventeen-year-old, that I had not yet used any of the book’s exciting ideas inmy teaching.Following the book’s approach, I suddenly asked my student, “What do youthinkofhowyoujustplayed?”AndoutofhermouthcameeverycommentthatIhadplannedtomakemyself.Myteachingtookadramaticturnatthatpoint.IrealizedIhadbeenwastinga

greatdealofeffortandunderestimatingtheintelligenceofmystudents.Ibeganusingthisapproachevenwithchildren.Aneight-year-oldwouldcomeoutwitharesponselike,“Well,Ishouldhaveheldmywristhigher,butIthoughtthatpart

wasprettygood.ButthenhereImadethismistake…”ThenIwouldsay,“Howcouldyoumakeitbetter?”Andshewouldreply,“Well,Ihatetositupstraight,but…”OnceIestablishedtwo-waycommunicationwithmystudents,Ibegantodiscoverwhotheyreallywere,andteachingbecameapleasure.Theword“education”comesfromtheLatinwordeducere,meaning“todraw

out.”Wearenotherejusttofeedinformationintoourstudentsbuttobringouttheabilitieswithinthem.Whenastudentfeelsrespectedforheropinionsandisencouraged to expressherself, sheopensupandmakesmusicmoreeasily.Assheusesherownmindmoreandmore,she learns topracticeonherownwithmoreintelligence.Teachingthiswayalsogivesyouroomtomakemistakes.Manyteachersuse

prescribedmethodsbecausethey’reafraidthey’llmakemistakesiftheydon’t.Inanycreativeendeavoryoumusthaveroomtomakemistakes,tosaythewrongthingsometimes.Mistakesareeducational.Justasinplayingmusic,ifyoumakemistakesyoudiscoveryourweaknessesandyouhaveachancetoimprove.Youdon’thavetobeaperfectteacher.Youcansaytothestudent,“I’msorry.Iwaswrong. Iwasnot thebest teacher today.” It takesguts,but itmakesyoumorehuman in the student’s eyesand it encourageshim tobeequallygenuinewithyou.Teaching with this kind of freedom requires tremendous discipline. I still

sometimesfindmyselfallset topointout theflawsinastudent’sperformanceand thensuddenlyrealizingheneeds to thinkforhimself.Or I’mabout toaskhimwhat he thinks of how he playedwhen I realize I’m ignoringmy strongdesiretocomplimenthim.Youneedtolookforwhatthesituationrequiresfrommoment to moment, and you don’t have to have answers all the time. Letanswersandquestionscometoyou,andletyourselfplaywiththesituation.It’sanintegrationofworkandplay.

CHAPTER8

ThreeStylesofStruggle

StepSix:Recognizethreestylesofstruggle.

Afterwe’vestretched,settleddown,openedup,andbeguntopracticewitheaseand curiosity, practicing can be quite a pleasure. But eventually we findourselves struggling again. Our familiar habits of rushing, pushing ourselves,overemoting,andjoylesslydraggingthroughthemusicreturn.Chapter2,“StruggleandFreedom,”describedhowphysicaltensioncanstem

fromhabitualpsychologicaltension.Sometimes,insteadofbeingtense,wearelazy. We try to avoid the demands of the music by glossing over notes andtreatingthemusiccasually.Thefirststepinreleasingourselvesfromtheholdofthese psychological habits is to recognize themwhen they occur. This isStepSix:Recognizethreestylesofstruggle.Thethreepsychologicalstylesare(1)overstatedpassion,inwhichweclingto

themusic; (2) avoidance, in which we resist dealing with themusic; and (3)aggression, in which we attack the music. These styles occur in practicingbecausetheyarepartofoureverydaybehavior.Theyarewaysinwhichwemissthemarkwithouractions,words,andthoughts:wegetsocarriedawayoverapieceofgoodnewsthatwewalkdownthestreetwithoutwatchingwherewe’regoingandbumpintoapole;weforgettotakeourfoodoutoftheovenandendupburningit;wespeakharshlyandhurtsomeone’sfeelings.Whenwe’reinthegripofpsychologicalhabitsduringpracticing,thefeedback

wegetfromourbody,theinstrument,andthemusicmaynotbesoobviousas

bumping into a pole or hurting someone’s feelings. But the feelings ofconsternationanddisappointmentinourselvescanbejustaspainful.Werepeatthesamephraseoverandover,pushingit intothisshapeandthat,anditneverfeels right. Our habits are like layers of ice that numb and bury our naturalmusicalfeelingandintelligence.

1.OverstatedPassionPassionmakestheworldgoround,anditmakesusmakemusic.Butweoftengooverboardinexpressingpassion.Weexaggeratethemusic’sdelicateshapesandcolors so that less genuine feeling comes through. Unable to leave a simple,lyricalmelodyalone,wesoupitup,makeabigdealoutofevery littleupanddownofit,andsqueezeeveryexpressivedetailforallit’sworth,untilthemusiccan hardly breathe.We are making a show of our emotionalism, and we aretrying to possess the piece, instead of genuinely opening up to themusic andlettingitpourthroughusandtransformus.Itislikemeetingsomeoneforthefirsttimeatacocktailpartyandgushingall

overtheplaceabouthowgreatitistomeether.“Oh,it’ssogreattomeetyou!”youscreech.“I’veheardsomuchaboutyou,andI’mjustpositively thrilled toactually be shaking your hand!!”Whereupon you suddenly lose your balanceandspillyourdrinkonherjacket.In musical performance, this style is exemplified by the pianist who is so

intentongettingclosetoherbelovedinstrumentthathernoseisaninchabovethe keyboard—until suddenly, she is so enraptured with the music that shebeginstoleanbackward,herheadraisedtowardheaven,herfaceutterlyecstatic,andhershouldersraisedandcurledinwardasifshecanhardlybeartheexquisitesounds.This style iswhat promptedArthurRubinstein to answer the question“Whereisaperson’ssoullocated?”bysaying,“Judgingfrommanypianists,it’sin the right shoulder.” Alexander Libermann, my piano teacher in my earlyteens, referred to this kind of playing as full of a lot of “feeling, with p.h.”(“pheeling”).You don’t have to have your nostrils poised over your instrument to be

playing with overstated passion. Moving your torso even slightly forward orgripping your instrument even a little too hard with your hands can be anindication that you are indulging in a subtler form of swooning (unless themovement is in accordance with the physiological principles discussed inChapter6).VoiceteacherJamesCarsonsaysevensingers“arealwaysgrippingeverything.”Theymight learn to release the “grip” in their jaw, but then theytransferthegrippingefforttotheirfeet,knees,orback.Thishabitualholdingof

tensioninthebodyisawayofresistingtheemotionaldelugeofthemusic.Ifwereally let go and let it penetrateus to the core,webelieve thatwewould feeloverwhelmed.Beingawareoftheexaggeratedformofthisstylecanhelpalertyoutowhen

youareonly slightlyoverdoing it.Tryactingout the style inanextremeway.Get the “pheeling” of it. Fall all over yourself and the instrument. Pausedramatically before particularly expressive notes. Overemphasize the contrastbetweenthehappyandsadwordsinasong.Sway.Swoon.Almostfaint,it’ssophabulous.Tocompletetheroutine,youcouldpretendyou’reintheaudience,andstand

up and yell “Bravo!Bravo!” and rave to the person next to you, “Isn’t it justmarvelous?! It’s oneof themost fantastic performances I’ve ever seen!” (Youmightsayit’soneofthemostfantasticperformancesyou’veeverheard,butthatwouldsubtractimportancefromthemagnificentvisualhistrionics.)Onceyou’veindulgedtoyouroverlypassionateheart’scontent,tryactingout

a more subtle form of the style. Just squeeze the keys (or the bow or themouthpiece) a little bit. Just swoon a little bit. See how it feels and soundscomparedtothemoredramaticversion.Trainyourself tobecomeawareoftherangeoftricksweallplayonourselveswhenwegetoverheatedintheflamesofpassion.

2.AvoidanceConstantlyoverdramatizingthemusictakesalotofeffort,sosometimeswetryanoppositetack:playingitcool.Wesaytoourselves,“Hey,it’snobigdeal.Justliebackandplaythenotes.”Andthat’saboutallthatcomesout.Notes.Thisstyleiscalled“avoidance,”becausewearesteeringclearofallthedetails

thepassionatemusicianindulgesin.We’retryingtoconvinceourselvesthattheydon’treallymatter.Insteadofitalicizingeverynoteandpepperingthescorewithexclamationmarksgalore,weleaveoutallpunctuationfrombeginningtoendsothat any troublesome emotionalism is eradicated. Unfortunately, so is anyemotion.It’slikeplayingthepianowithyourlegscrossedwhileyoulookoutthewindowandthinkaboutwhatyou’regoingtohavefordinner.Ifwegoback toourexampleofmeetingsomeone for the first time, in this

stylewe look awaywith no expression on our face and offer a limp hand toshake, aiming it a foot away from the other person’s hand becausewe’re notlooking and because we don’t care anyway. Then we mumble, “Hinicetomeetyou. Have you seen my drink? I know I left it around heresomewhere…”

Thepianistindulginginthisstyleshuffleshisfeetandslouches,withhisheaddrooping,hiswristsdrooping,andhisearsandminddefinitelydrooping.Notestumble out in relentlessly boring fashion, and he couldn’t care less. Yes, he’savoidedexaggerating thecontours.He’s eliminated them.Thepage is coveredwith a vast array of different pitches, yet somehow the whole thing soundsmonotone.Membersof theaudienceglanceat theirwatchesandmullover thebusinessoftheday.Weavoiddealingwithmusicnotonlywhenwedeliberately“playitcool”but

alsowhenwesimplyfailtonoticetherichnessanddetailinacomposition.Wemay think we hear it all, but we are missing something; we fail to fullyappreciate every sound, shape, and texture indicatedon thepage.This lackofappreciationoftenoccursbecausewetry,consciouslyorunconsciously,toavoidtheresponsibilityoflearningapieceindepth.Such avoidance is frequently subtle: In the middle of an otherwise fine

performance,weglossoverafewnotesorfail tobringouta lovelychangeofharmony sufficiently.By adding a slight change of inflection on one note,wemightbrightenupthewholephrase.Butifweoverdoit,we’rebackintheheatofpassionlandagain.

3.AggressionUnabletotakeeithertheredheatofpassionorthegraycoolofavoidance,wesometimeschooseamachoapproach:“Iknowhowtodothis.I’mgoingtojustdo it. I’m going to really do it.”We become driven and aggressive with themusic,poundingitout,declaringourunassailableconvictionsfullforce.“Thisisthe greatme playing! And let me tell you, I know what I’m doing!” Bang!Crash!Ah,itfeelssogoodtoexpressourselvesatlast!Except that it starts to feelunpleasant after awhile, and,ooh,myarms feel

awfullytight.Anditdoessoundratherharsh…Backtoournewfriend,theonewearemeetingforthefirsttime:Wegrabher

handwithbothofours,stiffenourarmstill they’restraight,shakeherhandsohard that her whole body shakes, look her in the eye with our brow full ofwrinkled sincerity and say, “Great ta meetcha, pal!” as we chomp our gumloudly.Thenweletgoofherhandandgiveheragoodslapontheback,justtoletherknowhowstronglywefeel.Orisithowstrongwefeel?We’resobusybeing strong that our sensitivity seems to have escaped us.“Great party, isn’tit?!How’boutanotherdrink?!Oh,sorryImadeyaspillit.That’llcomeoutatthecleaners.Knowanygoodjokes?Haveyaheardtheoneabouttheguywhofelloffaladder?”

Thebodylanguageofthepianistinthisstyleissimilar:tallandtoughinthesaddle,withstiffarms,ironcladgrip,andallthesensitivityofagrizzlybear.Butboy,isheincontrol.Sometimesouraggressioncomesoutinpassagesinwhichwefeeltechnically

insecure.Consciouslyorunconsciouslywethink,“Oh,no!Herecomesthebigloudpart! Idon’tknowifIcandoit!Help!”Andinourpanic,weclenchourjawandgointoageneralphysiologicalgridlockfromwhichnorealmusiccanflow.Whatcomesoutinsteadisthemessage“Ifeeluncomfortablehere.”Onalessobviouslevel,wemaypaniconlyslightly,sothatwemakemusic,butnotasfreelyandfluidlyaswecould.

OriginandCombinationsoftheThreeStylesSome degree of panic underlies all three styles. We are afraid not only oftechnicallydifficult passagesbut ofmusical demands andmusical power. It issometimes easier to gush out our excitement than to contain it. And it issometimeseasiertoburythemusicinagrayfogorablackragethantoabsorbthefloodofitsinfinitelyvaried,heart-meltingcolors.Somemusicianscanbeeasilyidentifiedashavingonemainstyle.Butmostof

us are a complicated blend of all three.We alternate among them, frequentlyresorting to one as a counterstrategy to another. For instance,whenwe noticethatwe’reavoidingtheexpressivenuances,andthemusicsoundsdryanddull,we sometimes pour on the sticky goo of overstated passion as an alternative.Discovering that that doesn’t satisfy us either, we might cover our growingfrustrationandbewildermentwithafalseconfidenceandchargeintothemusicwiththeheavyhandofaggression.Sometimesweengageinmorethanonestylesimultaneously.Wemayhugour

instrumentinpassionateembraceandaggressivelytrytoforcesoundoutofitatthesametime.Andintruth,wheneverwestiffenupandbangoutthemusic,wearealsoavoidingthecontrastsinit.

AppreciatingtheRawMaterialinEachStyleThenexttwochapterswillprovidetechniquesforovercomingthethreestylesofstruggle.Meanwhile,whenyoucatchyourselfengaginginoneofthesemodesofbehavior,see itasasignofbeinghumanand imperfect.Ourhabitsaredeeplyingrained, and we cannot get rid of them overnight. If we criticize ourselvesevery time we notice that we’re overstating, spacing out, or pounding out a

passage,weonlycreatemorefrustration.Nomatterhowexaggeratedyourstylemaybe,itisjustrawmaterialthatcan

be refined.Youmay overstate your passion, but howwonderful it is that youhave passion—can you imagine living without it? Working with music is anopportunity to refine your passion, to uplift it from crude grabbiness andclingingintopassionatewarmthandtenderness.Oryoumaybelazyandignoreonestringofnotesafteranother,butatleastyouhavetheabilitytorelax.Asyoupracticeyoucanwakeuptothebeautiesof themusicandmixyourrelaxationwithalertness.Orperhapsyoustabyourinstrumentrudely,assaultingyourownears, but at least you have the capacity to be sharp and penetrating and notaltogethermushy.Musiccan teachyou to refine this sharpness so thatwhenabrilliant,piercingsoundiscalledfor,youaccomplishitwiththeprecisionofarazorknifeinsteadofthebrutalityofanax.An appreciative attitude toward our precious raw material must include a

senseofhumor.Wheneverwecansmileaboutourcrazywaysandrealize thatthey’re just part of being human, the heart opens, and we momentarily freeourselvesfromourhabits.Thesehabitswillkeepcomingback;theyaredeeplyingrained,andwewillbeworkingwiththesamerawmaterialfortherestofourlives.But by recognizing our habits and viewing themwith humor,we gentlyloosen their grip on us and cultivate the intelligence and joy we need forauthenticmusic-making.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question:SometimesIgetsofrustratedwithpracticingthatIfeelangry.WhatshouldIdothen?Answer: Let the anger subside before you continue. If you play in a state ofanger,you’llbe tenseandthemusicwillsoundtense.Just letyourselffeel theangerwithouteithersquelchingitorexpressingit—withouteitherpretendingitisn’t happening or yelling at your instrument. This might be easier said thandone,butthesooneryounoticeyouranger,theeasieritwillbetoletitdissolve.Music ismadeoutofbigemotionalenergies;volcanoeserupt inBeethoven,

andstormsrageinChopin.Ifyoupracticebeingquietandlettingangryenergyflowthroughyounomatterhowuncomfortable it is,youincreaseyourfeelingcapacity,whichmakesyouabettermusician.

Question:How can you be spontaneous when you’re so busy analyzing youremotions?

Answer:Youdon’thave toanalyze them.Youcan look into them ifyou like,butyoucanalsojustnoticethem.Thenexttwosteps[describedinthenexttwochapters]aredesignedtohelpyougetbeyondthethreestylesandtomakemusicmoregenuinely.Spontaneity is a tricky concept. It’s different from impulsiveness.

Impulsiveness comes fromhabit: “I’mmad at him, so I’mgoing to yell.”Or,“This music is problematic, so I’m going to push myself harder.” That’simpulsive. Spontaneity is the freedomnot to follow every single impulse.Wehavesomanyimpulsesthatifwefollowedallofthem,we’dbemakingtroubleeverywherewego.Bynoticingdestructiveimpulsesandnotgivingintothem,weopenaspaceforafresh,creativeimpulsetoariseinsteadofahabitualone.

CHAPTER9

Simplicity

StepSeven:Dropyourattitudesandbesimple.

When the struggle tobepassionately expressive, coolly laid-back,or fiercelyauthoritativeleavesusunsatisfied,afeelingoffutilitysetsin.Wewishwecouldgettotheheartofthemusic,andwefeelatalossastowhattodonext.Usually,weviewthismomentofuncertaintyasamomentofdefeat.Wefeel

inadequate becausewe can’t simplymakemusic. This self-doubt drains us ofmusic-making energy. Instead, we could see our uncertainty as a victory.Wehaveshedourarmoroffalseconfidenceandarebeingourrealselves.Whenweseeagreatperformer,wemayassumethatsincesheappearstobe

completely sure of herself, she doesn’t experience such uncertainty.We don’tthinkaboutthelong,difficultprocessshewentthroughtomasterthepiecesheisperforming.Andweforgetthathercommunicativewarmthandbrilliancecomefrombeingvulnerableandspontaneous—thatatthemomentofperformanceshedoesn’tknowexactlywhatwillcomeoutoftheinstrumentorhowtheaudiencewillreact.Wanting a smooth, finished performance,we try to avoid the discomfort of

beingbewilderedandoutofcontrolwhenwepractice.Wewanttofeelontopofthe piece. But the uncomfortablemoment of uncertainty is chargedwith vitalenergy that can transformus and themusicwemake. Ifwe reverse our usuallogic and let ourselves feel this uncertainty instead of shrinking from it, wereleasethisvitalenergy.ThisisStepSeven:Dropyourattitudesandbesimple.

Whenyou sense the futility of your struggle, stop and feel thatmoment, inbetweenone formof struggleand thenext,whenyou’reunsureofwhat todonext.Let yourself feel it exactly as it is.Youmaynotice that you feel a littledisappointed in yourself; you long to feel more connected to the music. Letyourself feel that disappointment and longing. You may notice that you feelanxious not knowing how to reach your goal, not having an answer. Feel thatanxietywithout rushing to tryanother strategy.Don’t fightwhat ishappening.Beasyouare.Afterafewmoments,approachthemusicagainwithouttryingtodoanything

special.Playor singwith that soft longingandwith the feeling thatyoudon’tquiteknowwhatyou’redoing.Justbeyourunadornedself.Letthemusicplayitself, no matter how strange or tentative it may feel or sound. Simple andunexaggeratedasitis,itwon’tsounddull.Thisisanenergeticsimplicity—alive,pulsing,communicative.Asyoucontinueplayingorsinging,youwillsenseanewintimacywithyour

instrumentandthemusic.Withthefiltersofthethreestylesremoved,yourbodyandheartfeelmoresensitive.Yourespondmorereadilytothedelicatecontoursandharmoniesofthemusicandbringthemoutnaturally.Youarestruckbythedepthoffeelingthatthesemusicalshapesandcolorsconvey.Tape record your practicing, and compare this unaffected performance to

previous ones in which you were engaged in various forms of struggle.Sometimes this simple approach gives themusic a refreshing purity akin to achild’ssinging.Yettheperformancealsorevealstheemotionaldepthofanadult.Youdon’thavetoviewthisparticularrenditionofthemusicasanendpointor

asolution.Rather,itisafreshstart,areturntoopenheartednessfromwhichyoucanworkfurther.Youcan’tmeasurehowgenuineyouareorhowcloseyouaretoplayingorsingingyourbest.Butyoucanlearntotrustthisnewperformanceasclosertotherealyou,emotionallybare,nottryingtoimpressanyone,andnotinterferingwiththenaturalflowofthemusic.Inanyactivity,hangingoutwithuncertaintyteachesusconfidence.Youmight

walk into a partywhere you don’t know anyone and you don’t know exactlywhattodo.Youdon’thavetorushtodoanything.Youcanjustnoticehowyoufeel,notice the room, thepeople,and theatmosphere,andbeyourself, even ifyoufeelawkward.I remember experiencing such uncertainty when I was a beginner at

meditationandIwas invited toasmallgatheringaftera talkat themeditationcenter.IwalkedintotheroomandfoundmyselfsurroundedbypeopleIdidn’tknowwhoweretalkingaboutthingsIdidn’tunderstand.Awaveofvulnerabilityand panic swept throughme, and itmust have showed inmy face, because I

suddenlynoticedthatawomanIhadmetafewminutesearlierwasstaringatmewithgreatkindness.Sheobviouslyfeltsympathyforme,andafterchattingwithherfriendsafewmoreminutes,shestoodup,walkedovertome,extendedherhand,andsaidgently,“Itwasnicetomeetyou.Goodnight.”Hersoftvoiceanddeep,kindeyestouchedme,butIwastooembarrassedtorespondhonestly.SoIputonabig,falsesmileandsaidinabrightvoice,“Goodnight!”SeeingthatIwasn’treadytobemoregenuine,shewasgoneinaflash.Years later, after I had been in her position many times and had extended

myselftootherswholookedshyanduncomfortable,Irealizedhowmagneticmyvulnerabilitymusthavebeen toher. Inaworldofartifice,suchgenuineness isrefreshing.Inmusicasinlife,wedon’twanttofeeltheembarrassmentofbeingordinary,

foolish people.Wewant to soar to the heightsmakingmusic and pretendwedon’thaveclayfeetweighingusdown.Ironically,whenwedropourguardandarejustourselves,werevealadeephumannessandgentlenessthatconnectustohumanity,andthemusicwemakeisuplifting.I heard a performance several years ago at Carnegie Hall that exemplified

gentleness and simplicity. In the middle of a concert featuring Jean-PierreRampalasflutesoloistandconductor,Rampal’saccompanist,JohnSteeleRitter,played Bach’s F minor harpsichord concerto. The second movement of thisconcertoisslowandspare,withdeepemotionconveyedwithfewnotes.Fromthe beginning to the end of thismovement, vast space extended between onenoteandthenext.Timestopped,andthehallwassostillyoucouldalmosthearthe audience breathing.No onemoved. The soloist himself hardlymoved butsimplyplayed thenotes thatwerewritten,oneafter theother,nothurrying themusicalong,notcaughtupinanticipatingwhatnotesfollowedtheoneshewasplaying at themoment, not trying to impress the audience or even to expresshimself in any special way. He just played, gently and unaffectedly, and theatmosphere was electric. The hall itself, with its sweeping curves of gold-embellished cream-colored walls and red velvet seats and railings, seemed tocomealiveandreverberatewiththemessage“Thisisthehighartforwhichthismagnificentplacewasdesigned.”Beinggentledoesnotmean thatyouplayonly soft, lyricalmusic. Itmeans

that you are willing to abandon inflated approaches and open yourself to theexacttextureofmusicsothatitpenetratesyoucompletely.ThevolcanicenergyofBeethovencanflowthroughyoufreely,expandingto itsfullpowerbecauseyoudonottrytomanipulateitinanyway.Whenyouareunaffectedandopentosuchwildenergy,itreachesplacesinyouthatyoudidn’tknowexisted,sparkingyourownenergyinnewways.Youthusmeetyourownmindasanartistandcan

begintohavegenuinecommunicationwithanaudience.Somemusic is likea river, andyoumust let thecurrents flow throughyou.

Andsomemusicismorelikearagingfire.Howdoyouaccommodateablazeinyour body and mind? Relax and allow yourself to feel the heat. Just as aromantic look from across the room can create more passion than a hastyembrace,themostfierymusicbecomesevenmoreintensewhenitsflameshaveplenty of space in which to leap and dance. If you don’t try to control fiery,forcefulmusic,theroaring,crashingsoundstakeonafullnessandrichnessthatonlyincreasetheirpower.Canyoubegentlewithmusicthatisdiabolical,likeLiszt’sMephistoWaltz,or

primitive, like Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring? The point is to be gentle withyourself Allow yourself the luxury of not forcing yourself to re-create theseenergies.Feelyourownbodyandmindastheyare,sittingorstandingwithyourinstrument, letting themusicpound through, lettingyourself respond to it,andnot knowing what will come out. Once you are relaxed and your energy isliberatedfromartificialcontrols,youcancreateahair-raisingperformance.Youjusthavetogiveupfamiliarstrategiesandleapintotheunknown.Thevast,freshspaceoftheunknownmayfeelstrange,butyoucangradually

becomeaccustomedtothefeelingofnotknowingexactlywhat’shappeningorwhatwillhappennext.Inthisalternativeapproach—notindulginginpassion,ortreatingthemusiccasually,orattackingit—youdiscoveranakedintimacywiththemusic,inwhichyoualsobecomeintimatewithyourself.Asyougetusedtobeing so exposed, you begin to recognize that this feeling of not knowing isreally the experience of meeting your naked self, and your shakiness cangraduallydevelopintoanunshakableconvictioninyourabilitytocommunicateopenlyanddirectly.To illustrate this paradoxical logic, let’s go back to the examples in the

previouschapterofmeetingapersonforthefirst time.Insteadofstrugglingtoexpress yourself to her, or to avoid her, or to control the situation, you cansimplylookdirectlyather,feelyourheartbeating,smile,andsay,“It’snicetomeetyou.”Yourdirectnesswillprobablybedisarming.Similarly,insteadofgrabbingthekeysorthemouthpieceofyourinstrument

withexcessivepassionoraggression,or lazilygoing through themotions,youcan feel the unsureness of your touch and the fear and excitement of notknowingwhatwillcomeout,andletitbebrandnew,likeyou’replayingitforthefirsttime.Whetheryouarespeakingormakingmusic,communicationrequiresthatyou

saysomething.Ifyoucloakyourselfinemotionalstrugglesanddisguises,thereisnoreal“you”tocommunicate;youdon’tcomethrough.Thinkofamoment

when someone revealed his vulnerable self to you through a shy glance, aquiveringvoice,ahaltinggesture,orawarmandtouchingmusicalphrase.Wecherishsuchmoments,fortheyexpressthehumannesswithinus.Rememberthisthenexttimeyoufindyourselfperchinguncertainlyontheedgeoftheunknown.Trustyourself,anddaretoexpressyourselfgenuinely.

CHAPTER10

PurePerception

StepEight:Applythreelisteningtechniques.

Oneday inapractice roomat IndianaUniversity I suddenlybecamecurious:CouldIapplytheskillI’dacquiredinear-trainingclasstothepianomusicIwaslearning? I tried to sing thebass lineof aBachpartitawhileplaying the righthand.IfoundIcouldsingonlyabouthalf thenotesinthebassline.Icouldn’tsingtherestbecauseIcouldn’thearthem,eventhoughIhadbeenplayingthemforweeks. Ispent thenextseveralpracticesessionssingingall the lines in thepieceuntil IcouldheareverynoteBachwrote.Ashockinglyclearandvibrantperformancecameoutof thepiano;Iwashearing thepiecewholefor thefirsttime.Incompletehearinghappensfrequently.Sometimes,aswithmyBachpartita,

wefailtohearthepitcheswe’reproducing.Moreoften,wedon’tallowtimeforeachsoundtoaffectuscompletely.Wearesobusyhummingthemusic inourmind and trying to control the instrument and the sound that we miss themomentofthemusic.Receptiveness to music goes further than being able to tell the difference

betweenCandD.Younotonlyrecognizedifferentpitchesandkeychangesbutyoureceivetheirfullimpactandrespondtothemwithyourwholebeing.Yourmind does notwander from the soundbut is thoroughly engagedwith it.Youdon’tstrugglewithwhatyouhear;youaresimplyfilledwithsound.Youfeelnoseparationbetweenyourselfandthesound.

Insteadoffullyexperiencingsound,weoftenglossovernotesandstruggletomanipulate a phrase to fit our preconceived idea of it. We try emphasizingdifferentnotesandaddingcrescendos,decrescendos,andsubtle fluctuationsofrhythmandtempo,butitneverfeelsright.Nomatterhowmuchwetry,wecan’tmakethemusicfallintoplaceandlieflatbecausewehaveunwittinglystretcheditoutofshape.Nomatterhowinterestingourintellectualconceptionofapiecemaybe,itcannotbeconvincingifwedonotcompletelyhearthesounds.Our hearing is innately acute.When we are relaxed and not rushing to go

anywhereandwhenourmindisnotcluttered,wenoticesoundseasily.Wehaveroomtotakethemin.Butweoftenoverloadoursensorysystemandtrytotakethings in at an impossible rate.We rush through learning a piece ofmusic asthoughneitherourperceptionsnorthemusicwereprecious.Vividhearingispossibleineachmomentofpracticing.Youcanconsciously

tuneintosoundsandletthemtouchyou.ThisisStepEight:Applythreelisteningtechniques.

FirstTechnique:Singthenotesandlines.Thefirsttechnique,whichisforinstrumentalists,istosingeverynoteandlineinapiece.Thevoicewasthefirstmusicalinstrument,andbecauseitispartofthebody, we connect more naturally to music by singing than by playing aninstrument.Also,whenwesing,thevibrationsofthevoicemassagetheinsideofthebody.Thissensationaddsenergyandvibrancytothemusicwemake.I once taught at amusic school where the faculty was required to conduct

semiannual jury exams to evaluate students’ progress. Although the pianoteachersgenerally listenedonly topianostudents,occasionallyavoice studentperformed for us in these exams. Iwas struck by the emotional power of thesingers as compared to the pianists, regardless of their level of technicalaccomplishment.Even themostamateursingersperformedwithagenuinenessthatwentstraighttotheheart.Singersandstringplayershavetohearanoteintheirmind’searbeforethey

can produce it with their instrument, so they are used to listening attentively.Pianistsandguitarists,however,canjustusetheireyestofindtherightkeysorfrets.Itiseasyforustolosethevitalconnectionbetweenhandandear.Singingrevitalizesthatconnection.String andwind players can also benefit from singing theirmusic: It helps

them hear it more clearly, so they can play more in tune. Violinist FrancesMagnes points out thatwhen everynote is perfectly in tune, all the overtonescomethrough,creatingavibrantsound.Butwhennotesareslightlyoutoftune,

overtonesaremissingandthesoundlackslife.Instrumentalistslovetosingmelodiesfromtheirpieces.Assoonasthethroat

opens, we feel liberated from the limitations of habitualmovements with ourinstruments.Singers,however,sometimesgetcaughtupinthepursuitofvocaltechnique and lose touchwith the fundamental purity of the voice. They, too,needwaysofhearingmusicafresh.Thelisteningtechniquesdiscussedlaterwilladdressthisneed.Instrumentalistssuchaspianistsandguitaristswhosometimesplaymorethan

onenoteatatimecanbenefitagreatdealfromthemethodItriedwithmyBachpartita—singingonelinewhileplayingothersthatoccursimultaneously.Thisislikebeinginachorusoraninstrumentalensemble.Youfocusonyouronelineof notes, but you are also aware of the larger sound around you. Playing orsingingonepartinalargeworkisinvigorating.Suchinvigorationinfusesyourpracticingwhenyoutrulylisten.To try this technique, select one or two bars of a piece you have been

studying.Youcanbeginbysingingthebasslinewhileplayingoneormoreotherparts. Even chordal textures can be taken apart by singing lower, middle, orupper notes while playing the others. It is best not to hum. Take an uprightpostureandsingwithyourmouthopensothatyourbodyisfullyengaged.Useeithersolfègesyllables,ifyouarecomfortablewiththem,orsimplythesyllable“la.”After youhave tried one combinationof lines, switch to a different one;singanupperlineinsteadofthebottomone,forinstance.Evenifyoucaneasilyheartheuppermelodiclineofaphrase,youmightbesurprisedwhatyounoticewhenyousingitwhileplayingotherparts.Afteryouhave takenapartoneor twobars thisway,play thesectionagain,

listening as you play.Youwill discover an astonishing difference in how youhear, move, and feel. Because you have opened your ears and taken all thesounds into your system, they fall into a natural order in yourmind, and thephrase you were struggling to shape suddenly becomes simple and clear. Inaddition,onceyourperceptionisaccurate,thebraintransmitsaclearersignaltotheplayingmusclessothatyourhandsbecomebettercoordinated.Playingfeelscomfortable and light, both physically and mentally; the heaviness of yourstruggleisgone.Itisshockingtofirstexperiencethiseffortlessness.MystudentLisadescribedthistechniqueasa“magickey.”Themagickeyis

simplyourownhearing,acapacitywealwayshavebutdon’tfullyuse.I once suggested to a professional musician who was preparing for an

important solo recital that shepracticeher entireprogramby singing thepartsthisway.Althoughsheadmittedthistechniquehadfantasticresults,shesaidtome,“Whohastimetopracticethatway?”It’struethatthesheernumberofnotes

in a composition, especially piano music, can be overwhelming. But we areresponsible for these notes; our primary task as musicians is to hear what iswritten.Although this technique isdifficultwhenyou first try it, it gets easierwithpractice.Ifyouareresistanttoit,rememberthatthesenotesarenotjustaburden; theyareagift fromacomposerwhoputhiswholebeing intowritingthem. If you take time to listen to eachnote, one byone theywill connect toformtherichtapestrythecomposercreated.You can also sing lines in practicing chamber music. If you are a pianist,

stringplayer,guitarist,orpercussionist,youcansingsomeoneelse’spartwhileplayingyourown.Itgivesyouapanoramicperceptionofmusicalevents,anditbringsthemusictolife.

SecondTechnique:Placeyourattentiononthevibrations.The second listening technique is to place your attention on the musicalvibrationsastheymovethroughyourbody.Thistechniqueisforallmusicians.Itconnectsyoutothephysicalrealityofmusic.Music is vibrations.Whenwe listen tomusic, we experience the power of

thesevibrations.Weareallfamiliarwiththestrongemotionsthatmusicelicitsinusandhowitcandissolveourpreoccupationwithproblemsorpettyconcerns.Yetstrangelyenough,suchpreoccupationalsooccurswhenwepractice.Eitherourmindwandersoff themusic,orwegetcaughtup inmusicalconcepts thatobstructdirectexperienceofsound.Sound is produced bymovement and is itselfmovement.When amusician

movesherbodytoplayaninstrument,theinstrumentrespondsbymovingalso.The sound that results is a continuation of that movement—vibrations areliterally waves that move through the air. These waves in turn affect thesubstances inourbodies, includingbones,membranes,andavarietyofbodilyfluids.Sowhenwesayweare“moved”byapieceofmusic,wearedescribingourexperienceinaliteralway.For the musician who produces the sound, this experience of creating and

receivingvibrationsiscircular.Thesoundyoumakecomesdirectlybacktoyou.When you focus on the vibrations going through you, you experience musicmoreviscerally.Simplyplayorsingasinglenoteorchordofamusicalphrase,andthentakeamomenttonoticetheeffectithasonyourbodybeforeyouplayorsingthenextone.Youmayneedtogoextremelyslowlyatfirst—perhapsonenoteeveryoneortwoseconds—asyouworkagainstthehabitofglossingovernotes.Butincontrasttomuchoftheslowpracticemusiciansdo,thisprocessisapleasure. You discover a new level of sensation as you absorb pure sound,

beyondyourconceptsabouthowitshouldbeplayedorsung.Once you become accustomed to listening thisway, you can pick up speed

withoutlosingthisvividsensationofsoundenteringyoursystem.Trytofeelthevibrations going all theway down to your feet.Youwill find that just givingthemyourattentionallowsthemtoexpandandtomovemorefreelythanbefore.Youbecomesaturatedwiththem,achievingdirectcontactwiththelivingtextureofmusic.Themindofthecomposerlivesinyourbody.Hearingdoesnotstopinsideyourears;ittakesplaceinthewholebody.Even

deafpeoplecandancetomusicbecausetheyfeelthevibrationsintheirbodies.Musicianssometimesfindthatwhentheytrytonoticevibrations,theirsensationstopsatsomepoint—attheleveloftheirheartorstomach,forinstance.Ifyounoticethatyourfeelingisblockedinonearea, takeextra timetofocusonthatarea.Consciously letyourbreathenter theareaforaminuteorso.Thenplaceyourattentiononthemusicalvibrationsgoingintothatplace.In working with an obstructed part of your body, notice if you have any

mentaloremotionalassociationswithit.Consciouslyexaminingsuchobstaclesoftenshedsenough light todissolve them.Aharpistwhoplayed forme foundthatshecouldn’tfeelmusicalvibrationsinherarmsbelowthefirstfewinchesofherupperarms. I askedher to sitwithoutherharp,openherarms, andnoticehow she felt. “Vulnerable and scared,” came the reply.After stayingwith thatfeeling for aminuteor two, she feltwarmth spreading fromherheart intoherarms.When she played again the contrastwas remarkable. She felt a rush ofsensation in her arms, and her playing was richer and more energized thanbefore.

ThirdTechnique:Placeyourattentiononeachsoundasitresonatesinthespacearoundyou.

Musicexistsinspace.Intheprevioustechniquewefocusedonthespaceinsidethebody.Inthisnexttechniquewefocusonthespaceoutsidethebody.Thistechniquecanbeeasiertoapplythantheotherlisteningtechniques.Play

orsingthefirstnoteorchordofaphrase.Taketimetonoticehowitaffectsyouemotionally before playing or singing the next one. As with the previoustechnique,youmayfindyouneedtogoveryslowly.Youwillalsofindthatthesoundismorevividthanbefore.Withinashorttimeyoucanpickupspeedwhilemaintainingkeenawarenessofthesound.Try focusingonwhere thesound leaves the instrumentandenters theair. If

youareasinger,youcannoticehowthesoundleavesyourmouthandfillstheroom.Pianists,guitarists,andstringplayerscanfocusonsonoritiesrisingfrom

thestrings.Brassandwoodwindplayerscannoticehowtonesemanatefromtheendsof their instruments.Percussionists cannotice the sound coming from itsstrikingpoint.Appreciate the unique sound of your particular instrument, and notice the

precisetextureofeachindividualsonority.Therich,rawsoundofabowrubbingagainstthestringsofacelloiscompletelydifferentfromtheluminous,ringingsoundofapiano.Asyoumovefromoneregistertoanother,feelthechangeinquality.Letitaffectyoucompletely.Let go of any judgments of the sound. Simply notice its quality. Singers in

particularmaybeaccustomedtolisteningcriticallytotheirsound.VoiceteacherJeannetteLovetrisaysthatwhenasingerforgetsaboutjudgingherresults,shefreesherselftofocusmoreontheprocess.Then,evenifsomeunpleasantsoundscome out during the learning process, the end resultmay be amore beautifulsound,becauseitcomesfromdeepwithin.Eachmusicalsoundisunique.Threenotesplayedwithfullattentioncontain

moremusicthananentirepieceplayedwithoutit.Aflutistplayedashortphraseinoneofmyworkshopsusingthistechnique,andeveryonepresentcommentedonhowgorgeousitsounded.Itwasarevelationtotheyoungmanwhoplayed.“I’mhearingit,”hesaid.“Ihaven’theardthemusicI’veplayedfortenyears.”While a teacher can help you learnwhen a particular listening technique is

useful,youcanaccomplishagreatdealsimplybyfollowingyourcuriosity.Trythesetechniquesandexperiencetheresults.Onceyougetusedtothemyouwillnaturally be inclined to continue practicing this way. Tape recording yourpracticingprovideshelpfulfeedbackonyourprogress.Thesetechniquesallowyoutoperceiveonesoundatatimeandrespondtoit

with spontaneous ideas about how and when to produce the next sound. Thefollowing chapter will explore approaches to organizing music into groups,phrases,andtextures.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question:Maybe instead of practicing as slowly as you suggest, we shouldpracticeatthetempoinwhicheverythingwillbeundercontrol,everyline,everynote.Itmightnotbesoslow,buteverythingwouldbecontrolled.Isn’tthismoreimportant?Answer: The word “control” is tricky. People often think of control assomethingartificial:“Iamgoingtocontrolthispiece.”WhatI’mdescribing isnotcontrolsomuchasasenseofnaturalcommand;youaretotallyconnectedtothemusic,andyouhavenothingtocontrolbecauseit’spartofyou.Soyouhave

completeconfidence.Sometimeswethink,“Icanplaythesenotes;thisfeelscomfortable,”butwe

don’tcompletelyhearwhatwe’redoing.Theperformancecomesoutwithallthenotesintact,anditdoesn’tsoundparticularlytense,butitlacksemotionalpower.Wecouldsaywehavegoodcontrol,butwehavenotmadeafullconnectiontothemusic.Sometimeswehavetoslowdownalotinordertoopenourselvesupandmakethatfullconnection.I readan interestingaccountby thepianistandcomposerAbramChasinsof

how Rachmaninoff practiced. Chasins was approaching the house whereRachmaninoffwaspracticingandheardthelegendarypianistplayingsoslowlythathecouldn’ttellwhatthepiecewas.Hestoodoutsidethefrontdoorforquiteawhileand finally realized itwas theChopinétude indouble thirds,which issupposedtogolike thewind.HetimedthemusiconhiswatchandfoundthatRachmaninoffwasplayingonebareverytwentyseconds—alittlemorethanonenoteper second.Wedon’t knowwhyRachmaninoffwaspracticing so slowly.Butit’sinterestingthatsuchagreatvirtuosotooksomuchtimewitheachnote.

Question:Whenyou’repracticingslowlythisway,feelingthevibrations,whendoesitgetbackuptotempo?Answer:Youcantrustyourintuitionaboutthat.Ifyougettiredofgoingslowlyyoucanstopandtryadifferentspeed.Theselisteningtechniquesarenotmeantto be practiced ad nauseam—especially singing lines. Playing one line andsinginganotherisverydifficult,andyouwouldn’twanttodoitforalongtime.Butonceyourmindisconnected toyourear,youcanmaintain theconnectionwhilespeedingup.

Question:Howcanyoupracticesingingthenotesifyoudon’thaveaverygoodearandyoucan’thearthemeasily?Answer:Peoplearebornwithdifferentabilities,butyoucandevelopyourearalot.Ihadastudentwhocouldn’tsingbackmiddleCwhenIplayedit.Ihadhimpracticeitoverandover,andthenIaskedhimtosingthenotesinhispiecesaswell. He got to the point where he could sing the left hand of Chopin’s“Revolutionary”étude—anextremelyfastandwide-rangingpart—whileplayingtherighthand.

Question:Ifyousingonepartandplayanother,andit’saveryinvolvedpiece,

likeaLisztétude,withthousandsofnotesallovertheplace,howdoyoucopewiththat?Doyourecommendthistechniqueforsomethinglikethat,too?Answer:Yes.Sometimesapiecemusteventuallygofasterthanyourvoicecango.But it shouldn’t go faster thanyou canhear it. So sing it until your voicecan’tgoanyfaster,andthen,asyouplayfasterthanthat,payattentiontobesureyou are hearing each note just as clearly as when you sang it. You may besurprisedhowmuchyoucando.Q: If youare singing“LaCampanella,” for instance, and youhave todo theleaps,whicharetotallyoutofyourrange,howwouldyoudothat?A: Transpose the octaves; sing the notes in whatever octave your voice canhandle.Thisbringsupaninterestingpoint,whichisthatcomposerssometimeswriteasuccessionofnotes thatare intendedtobeheardasa textureof twoormorelayers.Sometimesthenotescoverawidepitchrange,andsometimestheydon’t.Butyoufindlineswithinlines,orlineswithintextures.AnAlberti bass is a simple example of this idea.Youhave a succession of

sixteenth notes outlining a broken chord, arranged in groups of four,accompanying a melody. You don’t necessarily have to sing all the notes insuccession.Youcouldinsteadbreakdowntheleft-handpartintotheactualbassline,whichwouldconsistof thenotesthatfallonthebeats,andthethree-notegroupsinbetweenthebeats.Theeartendstohearitastwopartsinsteadofone,andifyousingitthatway,youhearitmoreclearly.Youstarttonoticehowthepiecewasputtogether.

Question:Howdoyouseparateoutnotesandsingthemwhenthemusicisfullofchords?Answer:WhenIfeelasthoughI’mtryingtoohardtomakesenseoutofmusic,Istarttolistenforindividualnotes.Youcantakeafive-notechordapart.Don’tplayawholesection,butisolatethechordandseeifyoucansingonenotewhileyouplaytheotherfour.Itdoesn’ttakethatmuchtime,anditmakesiteasiertoplay that chord.Your fingers feelmore independent; eachone is connected toyour brain because you’re hearing the notes clearly, so each finger acquiresspecial sensitivity. Don’t be afraid to take things apart, no matter howcomplicatedtheyare.

Question:My problemwith slow practice is thatmymindwanders. I think Iwouldreallyliketopracticeslowlythisnewway—ifthisexcitingfeelingofthesoundvibratingwill lasta fullminutebeforeIstart thinkingaboutmygrocery

list.Couldyousaymoreaboutit?Answer: It’s a practice, and you can develop it. Themore you get into it themoreitbecomesahabit,andyoudon’twanttoworkanyotherway.Q:Okay. So I’m going to play anA-flat chord, and I’m going to think aboutvibrationsgoing throughmy shouldersandall around.Buthow longcan thatlast?Forme,itwon’tlastverylong.I’llstart thinkingaboutsomethingoutonthestreet.A:Thatdoesn’tmatter.Everybody’smindwanders.Thepointisthatwhenyounoticeyourmind iswandering,youcanbring itback towhatyou’redoingbyfocusingonthesound.Wehabituallyhitourselvesovertheheadwheneverwedosomethingwedon’t

feelgoodabout.So ifyourmindwanders,youmight think, “Oh, I’m terrible.Mymindwandered.”That’s anotherhabit; that’s just another thought thatyoucanletgoofbybringingyourattentionbacktothesound.Also,theideaisn’ttothinkaboutthesoundgoingthrough.Youjustnoticeit.

Place your attention on the vibrations, the feelings. It’s quite different, verysimple.

CHAPTER11

SpontaneousInsight

StepNine:Organizenotesintogroups,phrases,andtextures.

For my eighteenth birthday, my parents sent me a tape recorder so I couldbecome more aware of how my playing sounded and begin to be my ownteacher. This was in the days before cassette recorders, and I was excited toreceive this mini-reel-to-reel model that I could take with me to the practiceroom.Themachinearrivedwithatapeofvariousmembersofthefamilyplayingmusic and speaking in honor ofmy birthday.My father played the piano,mysister played the flute, and the dog barked, prompted off the air by someoneringing the doorbell. One part of the tape stands out in my memory: mygrandfather reading passionately in his Russian accent from the novelDoctorZhivagoaboutthenatureofart.“Artcomesfromlife,”heread.“Itisorganic.”Thewordsleftadeepimpressiononmeandstillmovemetoday.Thelifeinamusicalperformancecomesthroughinthenaturalebbandflow

of its phrasing, a rhythmic elasticity inherent in human pulse, breath, andmovement. Unlike the rigid rhythms ofmachines, the rhythmswe create andrespond tomost readily are flexible, like thoseweexperience inour everydayactivities—speaking, gesturing, walking, running, dancing, making love. Andthemusicwemakehasabodily logic thatsupportswhatever intellectual logicwemayfindinit.In order to discover the organic unity of a composition wemust sense the

rhythmicenergyanddirectionofeachsmallgroupofnotes.Wemustbeableto

articulate the musical lines and textures we see on the page, to discriminatebetweenwhichnotes tendtoflowforwardandwhichtendtoebb,whichnotesrequire emphasis and which belong in the background. As one phrase afteranothertakesshapeandcomestolife,togethertheyaccumulateintoapieceofmusic.ThisistheworkofStepNine:Organizenotesintogroups,phrases,andtextures.The studyofmusical patterns and formsoccupies amusician’s lifetime and

goes beyond the scope of this book. This chapter will explore the nature ofmusical rhythmandoffer simple approaches to achieving rhythmic clarity andvitalityandasenseofstructuralcoherence.

SpeechRhythmandBodyRhythmThemusicweheartodayevolvedfromsinginganddancing,andtherhythmsofthesetwoactivitiesmaybecalled“speechrhythm”and“bodyrhythm.”Speechtends to follow the fluid, variable rhythms of breathing, while many bodilymovements,suchaswalkingordancing,followaregularpulse,likeaheartbeat.But speech and song often contain the regular patterns characteristic of bodyrhythm. And bodily gestures often have themore lyrical, flowing rhythms ofspeech. So we find both kinds of rhythm in music, in endlessly variedcombinations.Asimpleexampleisawaltz,whichtypicallyhasbothan“oom-pah-pah”typeofaccompanimentthatestablishesthepulseandaliltingmelodiclinethatsoarsaboveit.Balancing these two contrasting elements is an art. If a robot were

programmedtodancethewaltz,itcouldgothroughthestepsandkeeptime,butitwould lack theheart and the flesh-and-bloodbody that give themovementsgraceandlife.Tomakemusicortodancewithrhythmicvitality,youmustletgojoyfullyandletyourselfexperiencethelivingqualityoftheform.My husband and Iwere once invited to a ball featuringViennesewaltzing,

accompaniedby thegloriousmusicof JohannStrauss. Inpreparation,we tookViennesewaltzlessons.Ourteacherwasverypatientaswestumbledthroughthesteps and tried to develop the elegant, uplifted quality of this dance. The dayfinallycamewhenwestoppedgoingthroughthemotionsandstartedwaltzing.We felt an embarrassed excitement as our form became fluid and our bodiesbegantoexpressthespiritofthemusic.Inlearningapieceofmusic,weneedtoidentifywithitsrhythmicformand

spirit in a similar way. Counting out the beats will not suffice. Standing upwithoutourinstrumentandsingingandmovingtothemusiccantakeusmuchfurther because it gets us physically involved with the lyrical and rhythmic

energiesinthepiece.

NaturalRhythmA great sense of rhythm comes from a body that feels free to move. Somecultures,suchastheCaribbean,encourageamorerelaxedrelationshipwiththebodythanothers.Andsome,suchastheItalian,encouragemoreexpressiveuseofthebody.Howwearebroughtupaffectsourrhythmicstyleandenergy.Whenmynephewwasafewmonthsold,myparentstraveledtoNewYorkto

seehim.ItwasDecember,andonedayduringtheirvisit,thebaby,dressedinabulkywinteroutfit,waslyingonhisbackonthebed,fitfullythrustinghisarmsand legs in the air.Mymother immediately understoodwhat hewanted. “Getsomeofthoseclothesoffhimsohecankickaround,”shesaid.Assoonasthesweatersandoverallscameoff,littleJonathanbegankickinglikemad,evidentlyhavingagreat time.Iwas impressedwithmymother’swisdom.I realizedshemusthaveencouragedthesamefreedomofmovementinmewhenIwasababy,andthatIowesomeofmyrhythmicvitalitytoher.

DevelopingYourNaturalSenseofRhythmWhateveryourculturalorfamilybackgroundis,youcandevelopyourrhythmicsensebygettingphysicalwiththerhythmsinmusic.Speakingthroughaphraseinrhythm,usingsyllableslike“dadeedaa,”andoveremphasizingtheaccentednotes will clarify the rhythm in your mind. If you’re studying vocal music,isolatingtherhythmfromthetunebyspeakingthewordsofthesonginrhythmwill clarify the phrasing. Opera conductor Adam Rosenbloom recommendscomparing thenotated rhythmwithyournormal speech rhythm in reciting thetext in order to understand the composer’s intention in bringing out certainwordsorimages.Making simple movements to mark the beats, such as swinging your arms

backandforthorwalkingacross theroom,whilesingingorspeakingaphrasewillreinforcethemusicalpulseinyourbody.Improvisingadancetothemusicwillencouragerhythmicfreedomandexpressiveness.Somepiecesarestylizeddanceswithtitlessuchas“Minuet”or“Polonaise.”

Learning the basic steps and character of these danceswill allow you to playthemincharacter.It’sessentialtoknow,forinstance,thatthesecondbeatofthemeasureinasarabandisoftenslightlydelayed,accordingtohowitwasdancedcenturies ago. The booksDance of Court and Theater byWendy Hilton and

DanceandtheMusicofJ.S.BachbyMeredithLittleandNatalieJenneprovideawealth of information about traditional dance patterns and structures.DancePageant, byWendyHilton andDonaldWaxman, gives simple descriptions ofeach baroque dance and is a particularly useful resource formusicians. Somedanceteachersoccasionallyofferclassesinbaroquedancing(seeResources forMusicians).Moving rhythmically tomusic usually comesnaturally to children.My first

piano teachersometimeshadmeskiparoundtheroomtomusicsheplayedonthepianosothatmybodywouldlearntherhythm.Bothchildrenandadultscanstrengthentheir rhythmicsenseby takingaclass ineurhythmics—asystematicapproach to rhythmandmovement that trains thestudent to feelandarticulatemusicalrhythmswiththewholebody(seeResourcesforMusicianstolocateateacher).Certain movement teachers and movement therapists are trained in

“developmentalmovement”—the study of howwe develop coordination frominfancyonward,andhowwecanfine-tuneourcoordinationbymasteringearlymovementpatterns thatmaynothave fullydeveloped. Ifyouare interested inexploringyourcoordinationfromthispointofview,workingwithapractitionerofBody-MindCentering, theFeldenkraisMethod, orBartenieff Fundamentalscan help free your body from old restrictive patterns (see Resources forMusicians).

ORGANIZATIONALPRINCIPLES

Eachmusicalphrasehasauniqueshapeyetisorganizedaccordingtouniversalstructuralprinciples.TheJapaneseusethetermjohakyutodescribeastructuralprinciple that governs music, dance, drama, and all life events. Jo means“orderlybeginning.”Hameans“breaking,”“splittingoff,”or“scattering”fromthatbeginningplace—agradualincreaseincomplexity,density,andtempo.Andkyumeans“rapidconclusion.”ThisparticularEasternorganizationalsensibilityparallelstheWesternconceptofbeginning,buildingtoaclimax,andending.Entire concert programs are typically structured according to this principle.

Theopeningworkoftenhasthequalityofagentleintroduction,likeanovertureor a Bach prelude and fugue (jo). In the middle of the program, the musicbranchesouttoincludeavarietyofmoodsanddramaticevents(ha).Finally,weare likely tobe treated toa rousingconclusion (kyu) that sendsushome inanenergetic state. The point of jo ha kyu is to create momentum, the sense offorwardmovementthatgivesaneventavitalandsatisfyingquality.Thisnaturalorderoccursoneverylevelofmusicalorganization,fromconcert

programstoindividualphrasesandgroupsofnotes.1Therestofthischapterwilldiscuss how to organize themass of notes that comprise amusicalwork intogroups,phrases,andtexturesthathavemomentum.Inparticular,Iwillfocusonmusicalpunctuation—identifyinganaturalbeginning,middle,andendpointforeachgroupandphrasesothatthesesmallstructuralunitsconnectcoherentlytoformalivingwhole.Somemusiciansaremoreinclinedthanotherstostudythebroadarchitectureofapiecewhenfirstlearningit.Butforallofus,themanuallabor of mastering small groups of notes demands a great deal of time andattention. Ifwe apply a few basic principles to articulating individual phrasesandtextures,theorganicformofaworkwillgraduallyunfold.Themusicalexamplesintheremainingsectionsvaryincomplexity.Ifyouare

abeginningstudent,don’tworryifyoucan’tunderstandeachexampleindepth.Just absorb what you can and focus on the principles illustrated. Yourunderstandingwillsufficeforyourlevelofstudyandwilldevelopasyoustudyfurther.

CreatingaSenseofPulse:GroupingNotes“OvertheBeat”When Iwas agraduate student at theSanFranciscoConservatoryofMusic, ItookaclassinPerformancePractice.Oneday,theteacherplayedtworecordingsfor us of the same orchestral work. The first performance emphasized everystrongbeat,whichchoppedupthemusicintosmallpiecesandgaveitaploddingquality.Ifeltrelentlesslyhitovertheheadbyonebeatafteranother.Thesecondperformance was just the opposite: It underplayed the strong beats, and thenaturalforwardmovementofthemusicliftedmyspirits.Thefollowingexamplesofgrouping“MaryHadaLittleLamb”illustratethe

differencebetweenthesetwoapproaches.Ifyouemphasizethebeatsandgroupthesyllablesinrhythmlikethis:

theversesoundslifeless.Butifyouorganizeitthisway:

thephrasemoves.Inthefirstexample,thebeats,whicharerhythmicallystrongpoints in themeasure, receive toomuchemphasis. In thesecond, thebeatsaredeemphasized, and the feeling of the offbeat moving toward the beat isstrengthened,whichcreatesasenseofmomentum.Themindcannotcomprehenda longseriesofnoteswithoutdividing it into

smallsegments.Eventhesevendigitsofatelephonenumberaredividedintoagroup of three digits followed by a group of four. Similarly, musical phrasesstriketheearingroupsoftwo,three,andfournotes.Butthevisualimpressionwereceivefromapageofprintedmusicisdeceiving.Ifwetrytohearthemusicin the groups we see—pausing after each group of four sixteenth notesconnected by beams, for instance, or after each group of triplet eighths—themusicusuallyfallsapartintomeaninglessfragments:

Butifwetakethesamemusicanddividethenotesasfollows:

each groupmakes sense to the ear. It is coherent andmusical. In the secondexample,Ihaveaddedadashoverthesecondnoteofeachslurredgroupoffoursixteenthnotes(thethirdnoteoftheprintedgroup)toindicatethatithasaslightemphasis: It functions as an offbeat note leading to the next beat, providing asense of forward movement. This emphasis is not necessarily an increase involume;itismorelikelytooccurasanimperceptiblelengtheningofthenote.Playorsingthissectionofthemusicwithactualpausesbetweentheseunitsto

clarify the grouping in yourmind.Once the grouping is clear, go through thesectionwithout pauses but still hearing it organized this way. Themusic willcometolife insteadofcomingtoahaltoneverybeat.Itwillswinginsteadofsoundinglikeasewingmachine.Harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick refers to this organizing principle as “the

enchainmentofimpulsesfromactiveupbeats.”2Althoughherefersspecifically

to“activeupbeats”(fastermovingnotes that leadintoanewmeasure),offbeatnotesatotherpointsinameasurecanalsoinitiateforwardmovementandhelplinkgroupsofnotesintoanunbrokenchain.Somemusicianshabituallybreakthechainofforwardmovementbypausing

before crucial notes in an effort to be expressive, instead of letting themusicflowdirectly to those notes. If you hear this section ofChopin’sB flatminornocturnewithobviouspauses,indicatedbycommas,asfollows:

youdiminish the impactof theharmonic changesandbreak the forward flow.Instead, you could hear it this way, with each comma indicating only thebeginningofanewgroupandabarelyperceptibledelayofthefirstnoteofthegroup:

Nowmomentumhasachancetobuildandthemusicsustainsyourinterestmore.Thissameprincipleappliestocompletemeasures.Inmanycases,ifyouview

barlinesasdividingpoints,themusicstopsateachone.TryhearingthissectionofaSchubertwaltzwithcommasatthebarlines:

Ifyoutrytodancetothemusicwiththisgrouping,yourfootfeelstooheavyonthedownbeatandyourbodyfeelsuncoordinated.Now organize the music so that each unit ends just after the downbeat, as

follows:

Whenyoudancethewaltzthisway,feelingthecountas

youfeelaliftoneachfirstbeatandasenseofforwardflow.Greatcomposersfrequentlyimplysuchgroupingofnotesbyplacingrestson

the downbeats. Edward E. Lowinsky’s essay “OnMozart’s Rhythm”makes acomparison between two themes from piano sonatas by Mozart and JohannChristianBach.Themelodic andharmonicmaterial of both themes is similar,butMozart’sthemehasmorelifepartlybecausetheaccompanimenthasrestsonthedownbeats.3

Onceyouareawareofthebasicprincipleofgroupingnotesoverthebeatandoverthebarline,lookforexceptionstothisrule.Sometimesadownbeat,insteadofanupbeat,initiatesanewgrouporphrase.Andsometimesthelastnoteofagroup functions as a “dovetail”—it also begins the next group. Music isinfinitelyrichandcomplex,andseveraldifferentapproachestothesamesectioncaneachmakesenseindifferentwaysandcontributetoyourunderstandingofthemusic.Byexperimentingwithavarietyofapproaches toapiece,youwilldevelopyourmusicalintelligence,andacoherentperformancewillevolve.

ImpulsesandRidingtheEnergyfromImpulsesWhenwespeak,weemphasizespecificwordsorsyllablestogivemeaningtoasentence. By changing the emphasis from one word to another, we alter themeaning.For example, the sentence “I’mgoing to the store”mightbe spokenwith the accents on the second and last words as follows: “I’m going to thestore.”Thischoiceofemphasisclarifiesthattheactionis“going”(asopposedtostayingorleaving)andthedestinationisthe“store”(asopposedtothelibrary,thepark,oraparty).Butwemightinsteadchoosetoemphasizethefirstword:“I’m going to the store.” In this case, the speaker is clarifying that he, notsomeone else, is going to the store.Wemake such distinctions automatically,basedonourintentionsandemotionsaswespeak.Music is thesame.Even in instrumentalmusic,whichdoesnothavewords,

ourfamiliaritywiththelanguageofmusicgivesusasenseofwhichnotesinaphrase require emphasis. As in speech, we create that emphasis bymaking alouder sound, or by pausing minutely before a sound, or by both of thesemethods.Take the following sentence: “I told you I didn’t want you to do that ever

again.”Spokenquietly,somesyllableswouldnaturallysoundlouderthanothers:“ItoldyouIdidn’twantyoutodothateveragain.” Ifyouwant tomakeyourstatementmore emphatic, however, youmight pause slightly before the word“ever”andaccentitsfirstsyllablemorestrongly:“ItoldyouIdidn’twantyoutodothat′EVeragain.”Andyoucanmakeitstillmoreemphaticbyaddingapausebeforethelastwordandstrengtheningitsaccent:“ItoldyouIdidn’twantyouto

dothat′EVer’aGAIN!”The energy from a strong impulse on a single syllablewill carry the voice

throughseveral syllables following it. In theexamples in theaboveparagraph,theitalicizedsyllables“told,”“did,”“do,”and“EV”arespokenwithrenewedenergythatcontinuesovertheunemphasizedsyllablesthatfollow.ThefollowingphrasefromthelastmovementofMozart’sPianoConcertoin

A Major, K. 488, illustrates this principle of “riding the energy” from animpulse:

In this example, the main emphasis is on the high A on the first beat of thesecondmeasure:Ihaveaddedadashoverthenotetoindicatemorevolume,andacommabeforethenotetoindicateaslightdelay,asifyouaretakingabreath.Becauseofthisemphasis,thehighAsoundsjubilant,andbothyourhandandthemusichaveenoughenergytocarrythemthroughtotheendofthephrasewitheaseandélan.But ifyouplace theprimaryaccenton thefirstnoteof thefirstmeasureinstead,youbegintorunoutofsteaminthemiddleoftherun:

“Taking a breath” before the high A does not contradict the principle ofgrouping the left-hand eighth notes over the beat. If you hear these notes asleading forward to the downbeat of the secondmeasure, themusic will havemomentumandbuoyancyregardlessofthecommabeforethehighA.Whenyou’reridingtheenergyofanimpulseandapproachingtheendofthe

phrase, keep riding instead of dragging out the ending. The habit of slowingdownconsiderablyattheendofphraseafterphrasegivestheeffectofconstantlylettingtheairoutofaperformancesothatitfallsflat.It’smoreexcitingtokeepmoving and to usedynamics (changesbetween loud and soft) andonly subtlechanges of tempo to shapemost phrases. In a convincing rubato, each phrasebuildsfromitsbeginningandrunsitscoursenaturally,likeanexhalation,sothat

thenextonemaybeginwithoutalossofmomentum.Sometimestheoppositehabitoccurs:Wedon’tlettheexhalationhappen.We

trytoinitiateanewphrasewhenwehaven’t let thepreviousonetaperoffanddie. This is like trying to inhale before you’ve finished exhaling. It createstensionthatneedstobereleased.Practiceplayingorsingingthroughtotheendofaphrasewithoutanticipatingthenextone.Bykeepingyourattentiononthepresentmoment,youwilldiscovermoresubtletiesinthemusic,anditwillflowmorenaturally.Byexperimentingwiththedynamicsinaphrase,youcanroundoutthebasic

shape created by the placement of emphases and cast the same phrase indifferentlights.Itfrequentlyfeelsnaturaltoincreasethevolumewhenthepitchrises and to decrease itwhen the pitchdescends.TheMozart example on thispage works well if you apply this concept. But the wealth of harmonic andrhythmicchangesinmusicrequiresinfinitevariationsonthisapproach.Thisbookcannotbegintoexplorethevastandimportantsubjectofharmonic

and tonal analysis, but by applying the listening techniques described in thepreviouschapteralongwiththeseprinciplesofgroupingandphrasing,youcangraduallydevelopanintuitiveunderstandingoftheharmonicandtonalstructureofacomposition.Ifyouwouldliketosharpenyourintellectualunderstandingaswell, I recommend studying Heinrich Schenker’s brilliant method of tonalanalysis. The two-volume set of books titled Structural Hearing: TonalCoherence in Music by Felix Salzer explores Schenkerian analysis in depth.Harmony and Voice Leading by EdwardAid-well and Carl Schachter lays anexcellentfoundationforstudyingSchenker’sapproach.

ArticulatingaTextureThe left-handpart of theMozart exampleon thispage is a series of four-notefiguresratherthanamelodicline.Thisseriesfunctionsasanaccompanimentalpatternortexturethatcomplementsandsupportstheright-handmelody.Becauseeachfigureisabrokentriad,youcansimplifytheaccompanimentbythinkingofitasasuccessionofblockchords,thebassnotesofthesechordsconnectingtoformabassline(A,G#,A,E).Theuppernotesalsocreatealine(E,F#,E),asdothemiddlenotes(C#,D,C#).Hearingthisaccompanimentasaweaveofverticalandlinearelementsgives

therepetitiveandpotentiallymonotonouspatternabubblingenergythatsuitstherollickingnatureofthemelodyaboveit.Groupingtheeighthnotesoverthebeathelps todelineate the lines in theaccompanimentby settingoff eachbassanduppernotewithacommabetweenthem(rememberthatthesecommasindicate

grouping,notobviouspauses):

The play of one part against another is richest in contrapuntalwriting.Notonlydofasternotesinonemelodiclineflowsimultaneouslywithsloweronesinanother, but accents and impulses appear indifferentvoices atdifferent times,creatingasenseofrhythmicindependenceofthedifferentparts.Singingonelineof a keyboard compositionwhile playing the otherswill help you not only tohearthepitchesbuttoclarifythecontrastingrhythms:Youarticulateonerhythmwithyourvoiceandtheotherswithyourhands.Kirkpatrick’s conceptof “theenchainmentof impulses fromactiveupbeats”

appliesspecificallytowhathecallsthe“rhythmicinfluence”ofonevoiceuponanother.TheopeningofBach’sGmajorFrenchsuiteisanexcellentexampleofthisprinciple:

Attheendofeachmeasure,oneormorevoicesleadintothenextmeasurewithan activeupbeat.Whenyou clearly feel this leadingquality, you continuouslyregenerateforward-movingenergy.Youalsobringouttheplayofvoicesagainstoneanother,whichenlivensthetexture.For all its romanticism and emotional volatility, the music of Chopin is

meticulously notated to reveal a sophisticated polyphony that is often highlycontrapuntal.Thefollowingexcerptisshownwithtwodifferentsetsofcommastoindicatedifferentapproachestogrouping:

Experimentingwithdifferentgroupingscanbeawayofrevelinginthesensuousmixofsoundsinthispassage.Groupingnotesthoughtfullyandbringingallthelines into focus by singing each one while playing others is essential in thiscomplexmusic.IfwedonotrevealtherichdetailinChopin’swriting,wetakesomething away from its emotional substance.We risk reducing this intenselypassionatemusictomerefluff,weaksentimentality,orbombast.Butifwebringoutthesyncopationsandharmonicinflections,weenjoyalyricismthathasfiber,pungency,andsparkle.Impressionistmusic is full of shimmering textures that evoke visual scenes

and elemental forces in the world. Rain, clouds, and mist sparkle in varyingdegreesofsunlight.Magically,themusicre-createsthescenesdescribedbythetitles:“Jardinssouslapluie”(GardensintheRain),“UneBarquesurL’Ocean”(A Boat on the Ocean), “La Cathédrale Engloutie” (The Sunken Cathedral),“DesPassurlaNeige”(FootstepsintheSnow).Inthefollowingpassagefrom“Noctuelles”(NightMoths)byRavel,thefirst

phrase isacascadeof right-hand tripletsagainst left-handduplets,which formchordstreams,withfivenotesineachchord:

Ratherthantryingtogroupthesenotesoverthe“beat,”youcansimplybringout

the top line (the upper notes of the chords) and hear the other notes as afluttering pattern, like moths fluttering as they descend in flight. Hearing themusic in chordal units this way accentuates the play of fluctuating dissonantharmonies against a lyrical line, creating the effect of changing refractions oflight.Thesecondphraseworkswellifyouhearthefirsteightnotes(startingonC)

asaflutteringchromaticlineleadingtothehighC,whichmovesdowntoBflat:

The eight ascending notes backtrack a half-step halfway through, effectivelyreinforcing the sense of upbeat, as well as perpetuating the image of beatingwings.Hearing theascending lineasa longupbeat (oradoubleupbeat)keepsthemusicmovingforwardbyrebuildingtensionthathasbeguntodissolveinthepreviousphrase.

EmergenceHearingmusicincoherentgroups,phrases,andtexturesmakesiteasiertoplayor sing. Many musicians have had the experience of struggling to execute aparticular passage and finding that once they organized the notes moreintelligently, technicalproblemsdisappeared.Music flowsmoreeasily throughthebodywhenitflowsmorecoherentlyinthemind.As the senseofphysicalandmusical flowdevelopswithapiece, themusic

graduallycomes to lifewithinyouanddictatesmoreandmoreclearlywhat itneedstomakeitbreathe,sing,anddance.Justasthetechniqueofabsorbingthepsychological effect of each sound allows you to approach the next onesensitively, noticing the effect of each group, phrase, or texturewill help youlink it naturally to the one that follows, Each time you articulate one smallelement,youshedlightontheworkasawholeandrevealmoreofitsbrilliance.In understanding the organic form of a composition, you become its co-

creator,discoveringitshiddenfacets,whichyoucanilluminateforanaudience.Trustyourintelligenceinexploringthemyriadpatternsandshapesinapieceofmusic.Youcanunlockthesecretsthatbringittolife.

CHAPTER12

TheDancingBody

StepTen:Placeyourattentiononthesensationsoftouchandmovement.

MyfirstmemoryofplayingthepianoisofmyfatherteachingmetoplayatunefromMozart’soperaTheMarriageofFigarowhenIwassixyearsold.Ihadjustbegunlessons,andheusedmyteacher’ssystemofwritingnumbersonthekeysfromonetoeight,coveringtheCmajorscale.Afterwritingthenumbersforthemelodyonapieceofpaper,hesangitwithmeandtaughtmetoplayitphrasebyphrase. I felt themusic jumpoutofmybody throughmy fingers and into thepianowith apower and sureness that thrilledmemore than anyother playingexperience I can remember. For the first time, I had the vivid sensation ofmakingmusicmyself.Forallofus,theimpulsetomakemusicistogetourbodyintoit,touseour

hands, lips, voice, and breath to createmusic physically, sensually.But in themidstofourstruggles to read thescore,executearpeggios,andshapephrases,welosetouchwiththeskinthattouchestheinstrumentandwiththeenergythatflows through the body as we move. Step Ten: Place your attention on thesensationsof touchandmovement isdesignedtohelpyoureconnectwithyourbodyandtoincreasethephysicalpleasureofmakingmusic.Themoreyouenjoyusingyourbody,thebetteryourcoordinationandsoundwillbe.Imaginethatyouareblind.Tolearntoplayyourinstrumentyoucan’twatch

yourteacherplay;youmustdevelopakeenawarenessofexactlyhowyourbody

moves andhow the instrument feels against your skin or lips.With the visualworld unavailable to you, the sensory world inside your body becomesextremely familiar. When you sing, you are intensely aware of the physicalsensationofbreathingandofusingyourvoice.Comparethisimageofablindmusiciantoapianistwholooksatthekeyboard

whileheplays.Insteadofknowingthemovesthoroughlywithhisbody,hereliesonhisvision to find therightkeys.Toexecutea leap,hehas to first lookandthen move, which complicates the process of playing and delays his hand’sarrival at its destination.His fingers lack the sureness and familiaritywith theinstrument that the blind musician has. This vision-oriented player is like adancerwhoreliesonchalkmarksonthefloortoknowwheretostep:Hemovesawkwardlyinsteadofeasilyandfluidly.Smooth,confidentmovementcanoccuronly if his whole body knows the steps, so that he is free to dance withoutkeepingtrackofeveryspothisfeethavetotouch.WhenIwaseighteen,Itriedplayingthepianowithoutlookingatmyhands.I

madeafewmistakes,butIwasamazedbytheincreasedsenseofcommandandintimacy with the instrument and the music. With a little practice, I gainedaccuracy as well. Twenty years passed, however, before I tried this methodagain,afterreadinganarticlethatadvisedit.Thistime,IwassoamazedbytheresultsthatIcontinuedworkingthisway.Other musicians have had similar experiences. Violist Karen Ritscher

discovered a new sense of command when she began playing her instrumentwithoutwatchingher lefthandmoveupanddownthefingerboard.Likemanyplayers, she used to support the viola with her left shoulder so that her headfaced the fingerboard.When she adopted themore comfortable habit of usinghercollarbonetosupporttheinstrument,herheadfacedforward,awayfromthefingerboard, and she could no longer see her hands so easily (see photos inChapter6,thispage).Since the instrumenthasnofrets,watching the lefthanddoesn’t servemuch purpose. “If anything,”Ms. Ritscher says, “it takes awayfrom listening, because more energy gets tied up with keeping track of yourfingers.SonowIhearmore,I’mmorecomfortable,andIenjoyplayingmore.Iplaymuchbetterthisway.”Ifyouareastringplayer,youmaybeaccustomedtousingamirrortoobserve

detailsofyourtechnique—tomakesurethebowisperpendiculartothestrings,forinstance,orthatyouarenotdroppingyourrightelbow.Somestringteachersevenvideotapetheirstudentstoshowthemhowtheyareplaying.Whilemirrorsand video screens can be helpful, students sometimes become dependent onthese visual aids, and their kinesthetic sense lags behind. To balance yourpractice habits, focusmore on the sensations of touch andmovement and use

yourvisionmainlytocheckthatwhatyoufeelisinaccordwithwhatyousee.Manywindplayersalsousemirrors tocheck theirpostureandposition,but

theyrelyheavilyontheirkinestheticsenseaswell.FlutistJanetWeisssaysthatthemainpurposeofpracticinglongtonesis“todevelopasenseofwhereeachnoteisinthefaceandinthebreathingcolumn,andtolearnwhatamount,speed,and angle of wind you need.” Themore in tune you are with sensations, thebetteryourtechniquewillbe.Atrombonistonceaskedmetohelphimwithhisplaying.Hehaddifficultyproducingaclearsound,andInoticedheseemedtolack lipcontrol. Iaskedhimtoconsciouslyfeeleachnote inhismouthbeforeblowing.Whenhefocusedthisway,heplayedwithmoreeaseandproducedamuchclearersound.Singers also need to feel notes in their mechanism before producing them.

VoiceteacherJamesCarsonusesamethod(describedattheendofChapter6)inwhich you “think the sound” you want to produce and then notice howmovement automatically occurs in the back of your throat as the vocal cordsprepare to make the sound. “Think both the pitch and the vowel colorbeforehand,”headvises,“andthendiscoverthesensationyourbrainhascreatedfor you.” While many singers attempt to produce the right vowels bydeliberately changing the shapeof theirmouth, thismental approach tovowelformation actually brings a stronger sense of the exact physical movementsrequiredtoproducethesound,whichmakessingingeasier.Trythismethodbythinking the syllable “ee,” then “oo,” taking care not to deliberately shape thevowel.Noticehowmovementoccursinyourthroatandmouthinpreparationforeachvowel.Singersoftenlistencriticallytothequalityoftheirvoiceandgetsocaughtup

instrugglingforabiggerandbettersoundthattheylosetouchwiththeirbodies.Onesingertoldmethatatacertainpointinhervocalstudyshe“didn’tdaretrustanysensationshehad”becauseshewassofixatedonhersound.Thenoneofherteacherssaidtoher,“Don’tyoulikethewayitfeels?WhenIsing,itfeelslikeI’mmassagingmythroat.”Onceshebegannoticingthesensationsinherthroat,sheenjoyedsingingmoreandproducedafuller,morebeautifulsound.Pianists and guitarists can improve their sound dramatically by practicing

mostofthetimewithoutlookingatthekeyboardorfretboard.Ifyou’reanarchbeginner,youwillnaturallywanttobecomefamiliarwithwhatyourhandsdobywatchingtheminaction.Butyoucanalsotuneintohowtheyfeel.Tryplayingapassageoncelookingatyourhands,thenplayit“blind.”MirtaplayedformeforthefirsttimeataworkshopIconductedoneevening

at Steinway Hall in New York. She played a simple Chopin Mazurka quitemusically,butwhenshetrieditagainwithoutevenglancingatthekeyboard,the

exquisitesoundandphrasingthatcameoutofthepianomadetheaudiencegasp.David,ayoungprofessionalguitarist,hadasimilarexperienceinaworkshop

at my studio. After giving a stiff, inexpressive performance of a work byAlbéniz,hetrieditagainwithoutlookingatthefretstopositionhishands.Hisplaying relaxed and came alive. Everyone in the group complimented himenthusiasticallyonhisperformance.Whatexplainsthesemagicaltransformations?Focusingonsensationsinyour

handsincreasesyourawarenessoftheirmovements,whichenablesthemtofindtheirwayaroundwithmoresensitivityandprecision.Asyourfingerslearntheexactlocationofeverykey,string,orfret,yourarmsfollowyourhandsintheirdeftnavigationoftheinstrumentanddrawyourwholebodyintosmooth,naturalmovement.This technical security andease, alongwith the increasedphysicalpleasure that comes with heightened awareness of sensation, allows music toflow more directly and spontaneously. Your unique personal energy comesthroughthemusic.

HowtoFocusonSensationsEither closing your eyes or looking ahead of you will help you tune intosensations.IpreferkeepingmyeyesopenbecauseIlikehavinganawarenessofthe environment and because the experience is similar to performing. Butexperimentandfindoutwhatworksbestforyou.Ineithercase,visualizingthekeys,strings,fingerboard,orbowwillhelpyougaugethedistancesyourhandsandarmsneedtotravel.Ifyouareasingerorwindplayer,youcanvisualizethebreathingorvocalmechanismwithinyourbody.Touch andmovement are interrelated.According to a basic law of physics,

whenyoutouchaninstrument,thebody’sforceagainsttheinstrumentcreatesanequal and opposite reaction: Energy flows back into the body from theinstrument. Notice the play of forces within your body as you contact yourinstrument and as energy circulates through your system. Let yourself enjoythesesensations.Ifyoufeelstiff,tryfocusingonthespaceinsideyourarmscontainingblood

and other bodily fluids. Remembering that your arms are alive and notcompletely solid will allow you to release tension and express yourself morefreely.

Accuracy

Youareboundtomakemistakespracticingthisway,butyoumightbesurprisedhowfewnotesyoumiss.Thelongeryouhavebeenusingyourinstrumentwithgood bodymechanics, themore familiar your bodywill bewith the complexmovements it makes. Your body is intelligent. Relax and trust it. You willgraduallyacquiregreateraccuracyandtechnicalsecurity.Someteachersadvisenote-perfectpracticinginordertolearnthepreciseright

movementsfromthebeginning.Butaslongasyoudependonyoureyestoplaytherightnotes,yourcoordinationcannotfullydevelop;yourmovementswillnotbecomeassmooth,reliable,orpowerfulastheycouldbe.To develop accuracy, practice positioning your hand one note ahead of the

noteyou’replaying.Forinstance,ifyou’replayinganascendingCmajorscaleonthepianowithyourrighthand,atthemomentthatyouplayEwithyourthirdfinger,youshouldbemovingyour thumbtoF.WhenyouplayF,yoursecondfinger should already be onG.You’re always in position as you go along, soyour movements are efficient and precise. Extremely stretched positions,however,createstrain,sodon’tstretchyourhandsoonerthannecessarytoreachdistantkeysorstrings.Somepassagespose specialproblems. Inperformance,yourvisioncanhelp

you find certain notes and maximize your chances for accuracy. And it isunnatural to constantly stare off into space or keep your eyes closedwhile anaudienceiswatching.Butduringpractice, thebodymustlearntonegotiatethetrickiestreachesbyfeel.Atherlessononeafternoon,JenniferplayedaScarlattisonatainAmajorin

whichtherighthandrepeatedlycrossesrapidlybackandforthovertheleft.Shekeptmiscalculating these jumpsandmissingnotes, and shehadnever tried toplay these sections without looking at her hands because she thought it wasimpossible.Iaskedhertovisualizethekeyboardinhermindandsuggestedthatas her right hand bounced off each key, she should simultaneously aim in hermindforthenextone.Thissimultaneousstrikingandaimingislikehittingaballoveranet:Ifyou’reawareofthedirectionyouwanttheballtogoin,youcansendittothedesireddestination.Jennifer summoned her powers of concentration but still made several

mistakes.Ithenaskedhertofocusonthesensationofhersitbonesrootinghertothebench,andontheslightlydifferentsensationofeacharmmovement,fromtheshoulderbladetothetipsofherfingers,asherhandmadeanarcinspace.With these reference points of her sit bones and her shoulder blade, shedeveloped a clear sense of exactly how far her hand was traveling from thecenterofherbodytoeachkey.Herperformancesuddenlybecamenote-perfect.Atalaterlesson,JenniferplayedBrahms’Rhapsody,Opus79,No.2.Shehad

practiced it without looking at the keyboard but was still having trouble withsomeoftheoctavejumpsinthelefthand,whichappearintheseopeningbars:

Shetriedplayingonlythebottomnotesoftheoctavestobecomefamiliarwiththedistancesherfifthfingerneededtotravel,butshecouldn’tgetthebigjumpfromtheAbelowlowA,on the lastbeatof thesecondmeasure, to the lowCabove it, on the first beat of thenextmeasure.Then I suggested she focusonmakingtheshiftfromthethumbonlowAtothefifthfingeronlowC.Thisway,tomaketheoctavejumpofatenth,sheneededtofocusonlyonadistanceofathird.With this approach, the passage becamemanageable, and she played itaccuratelywithease.Jennifer’s accuracy in both of these passages, the Scarlatti and theBrahms,

variedoverthecourseofseveralweeks,mostlydependingonhowwellshewasabletofocusondifferentdays.Butregardlessofhowmanymistakesshemadeat times, sheenjoyed thekeenawarenessofbodily sensations, shenoticedheraccuracy was generally improving, and she began to acquire a new, excitingsense of command of her body and the instrument. Her performance soonbecamepowerfulandreliable.

NoticeHowYourBodyWantstoMoveOne day in 1984, the pianist, composer, and teacher Eloise Ristad spent fourhoursinmyapartmentlisteningtomeplayandmakingunusualsuggestionstofree upmymusic-making energy.Among themwas, “Notice howyour handswanttomove.”Theideathatmyhandscouldhaveamindoftheirownseemedstrange,butassoonasItriedtuningintotheirwhims,theybegantomovemore

freelyandproducedamoredynamicperformance.Trythisyourself.Simplypayattentiontowhateverbodypartsaremovingto

produce sound from your instrument. Notice how your hands, arms, lips, orbreathingmuscleswanttomove,andletthemmovethatway.Notice particularly how each movement needs a sense of completion, or

“follow-through.”Follow-through iswhat happenswhenyouhit a tennis ball:Yourarmkeepsmovingaftertheballleavestheracket.Similarly,whenyouplayanoteorphraseonthepiano,thehandandarmoftenwanttocontinuemovinginsomewayafteryoustrikethekey(s).Letthemkeepmovingnaturallyinsteadoffreezinginanyonepositionorlimitingyourrangeofmovement.Youcanalsopracticefollow-throughindailyactivities,suchascombingyour

hairorwalking.IoftennoticewhenIwalkdownthestreetthatIamnotlettingmybodymovefreely.AssoonasIpayattentiontohowmylegswanttomove,my walking becomes both more expansive and better coordinated. Simplemovementbecomesapleasure.Acting teacherGeorgeMorrison teaches a similar approach called “moving

forpleasure”attheNewActorsWorkshopinNewYork.Hisstudentscultivatenaturalmovementforthestagebypracticingonerhythmic,repetitivemovementatatimeandfocusingonbodilysensations,untiltheycansay,“Thisfeelsgood,free,andlight.”Theycontinuethemovementuntiltheycansay,“Thisfeelsevenbetter, even freer, and even lighter.”Mr.Morrison is describing the increasedpleasurewecanallexperienceifwemakeapracticeofnoticingthesensationsofmovingourbodies.The more you cultivate the habit of moving freely and pleasurably in

nonmusicalactivities,themoreitwillcarryoverintopracticingyourinstrument.When you let your bodymove freely, its full expressive range emerges. Youdiscovermoreofwhoyouare,youbringmoreofyourownrichness,power,andsubtlety to themusicyoumake, andyouhearmoreof themusic’sbeautyanddepthinreturn.So instead of forcing your body to control your instrument, tune into your

sensations,trustyourinnatecoordinationandmusicality,andletyourselfmovespontaneously.Letyourbodymakethemusic.Ithasabrilliantmindofitsown.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question:SometimesIpracticedifficultpassagesonthepianowithonehandatatimebeforetryingtocombinethehands.Thisiseasierthanusingtwohands,butwhenIputthehandstogether,thesensationsareverydifferentfromwhatIfeelwitheitherhandalone,andIhavetopracticeitlongertogetusedtoit.AmI

wastingmy time playingwith one hand? Should I practice “blind”with bothhandsallthetime?Answer:Playingwithbothhandsislikeathirdanimal—coordinatingthewholemechanisminvolvesmorethancoordinatingthesumoftheparts.Butusingbothhands sometimes takes more focusing ability than we have, especially whenwe’refirstlearningadifficultpassage.Practicing is verymuch about focusingonone thing at a time andworking

gradually toward the experience of the whole. Even when you focus on thesensationsofplayingwithbothhands, those sensationsareonlyoneaspectofwhat is happening. A musical composition begins with one sound; you buildyour performance from that first sound and fromyour first perceptions of thepiece. In this buildingprocess, youhave the luxuryof taking themusic apart,becomingintimatewithitsdetails,andputtingitbacktogetherwithnewinsight.So ifyouwant toget thoroughlyacquaintedwitheitherhand individually inaparticular passage, do it. Any experimenting you do with clear focus willimprove your coordination, deepen your understanding of the piece, andstrengthenyouasamusician.

Question:Inyourentireapproachtopracticing,andespeciallyinthislaststep,Irecognizethatyou’redescribingafeelingI’veexperiencedoflettinggo.Howdoyoukeepthatsensationoftuninginandlisteningandexperiencing,yetstillkeepyouralertintelligencethatletsyouknowwhereyou’regoing?Howdoyoumake sure that you repeat the section that youwanted to repeat, and that youremember the notes, and that everything works together, so that you have awatchfulness—sothatyouarestillthereinsomeform?Answer:Musiciansaresometimesafraidthatiftheirmindperksuptheywon’tbeabletotrustit.It’ssimilartobeingafraidthatifyoutakeineverythingthat’saroundyou,youwon’tknowyoushouldcross thestreetonagreen light.Youthinkyou’llbecomesomekindofzombie.Theoppositeistrue.Butyouhavetoexperienceitinordertoknow.What I’m describing is the kind of brilliant awareness that we typically

experienceonlyinraresituationsaspassiveobservers.For instance, you’re walking down the street thinking about all kinds of

things, when suddenly a car crashes right in front of you, and you becomeextremelyawareofwhereyouare.You’rewideawakeandnotatallawareofwhatwasdistractingyoubefore.Youdon’thavetodependonadramaticeventlikeacaraccidenttowakeup.

Atanymoment,ifyoudeliberatelyplaceyourattentiononthedetailsinfrontof

you,youcanstop thechatter inyourmind. It’sanactiverather thanapassiveapproachtoreceptivity.Q:Soyouuseyourmindtoplaceyourattentiononthedetails,andyouletgo?A:Yes.Q:Buthowdoyoubalancelettinggoandnotlettinggo?A:Trustyourselfandfindout.Inmyexperience,whenIstarttoletgo,IwakeupmuchmorethanIthoughtIcould.Thisiswherethelinebetweenpracticingand performing starts to dissolve, because when you’re on the spot in aperformance,yourusualmental chatterdiminishes and isoverwhelmedby thebrillianceofthemoment.Soyouhavetoletgoandtrustyourself.Ifyoupracticeletting go, you build a habit of trusting yourself and taking risks, so thatperformingislessterrifying.

PARTTHREE

NaturalCommand

CHAPTER13

PlayingbyHeart

IonceheardafamouspianistplayBeethoven’sSonatainAFlat,Opus110,inarecitalatSanFrancisco’sMasonicAuditorium.Thehallwas full,and I sat farfromthestageinacrowdofthreethousandpeople.Heperformedwonderfully,with the clarity and radiant sound I had always loved in his recordings. ButhalfwaythroughtheFugueofthismagnificentsonata,hesuddenlystoppedcold,paused, andbegan themovement again from thebeginning.Hehadobviouslyhadamemorylapse.Thecriticwroteinthepaperthenextdaythat“itwasastrokeofgenius”that

theartistchosetobegintheFugueagainratherthantrytofindhiswaybackoncourse in themiddle of this complexmovement. I askedmyself, “If this finepianistwerenotsofamous,wouldthecriticstillhavethoughthisstartingoverwasastrokeofgenius?Orwouldhehavesaid, ‘Unfortunately,Mr.So-and-SohadsuchadisastrousmemoryslipinthemiddleoftheFuguethathehadtostartalloverfromthebeginning’?Ifithadbeenmeupthereonstage,whatwouldhehavesaid?”Thepossibilityofhavingamemory lapse inpublic frightensus.Ourdoubts

aboutourtalentandourfearsofbeingseenbyothersasinadequateperformersfrequently focuson thisone issue.We tend to think, “If Iwere really talentedand reallydeserved tobeperforming, Iwouldn’t be so afraidof playing frommemoryandmymemorywouldn’tfailme.”

TwoTypesofTalentThe German language has two words for “musical.” Musikantisch meansphysiologicallymusical—capable of hearing and thinkingmusic. This type ofmusicality includes the ability to memorize easily, as well as other types of

facility,suchasgoodsight-readingandasenseofpitch—eitherperfectpitchorstrongrelativepitch.Musikalisch,ontheotherhand,referstoartisticmusicality,theabilitytomakemusicwithpassion,intelligence,andsensitivity.InhisbookAComprehensiveApproach to thePiano,AlexanderLibermann

tellstwostoriesthatillustratethesetwodifferenttypesofmusicality.Atwelve-orthirteen-year-oldboy,whowasconsideredaprodigyandwhohadperformedextensively, came to play for Libermann. He found the boy’s playingdisappointinglydullandgavehimsomemusicaltests.First,heplayedaseriesoftoneclusters,andthechildidentifiedeachnoteinthem.Thenheaskedhimtosight-readandtransposeBachfugues,whichhedidwitheasebutwithoutfeelingorintelligence.Finally,Libermanntestedtheboy’smemory,andfoundthatafterhe read throughaBeethovensonataa few times,hehad thepiecememorized.Thinking that this boywas a geniuswhohad simply not beenwell taught, heworkedhardwithhimforayearbutfailedtouncoveranyartisticability.Ten years later, a middle-aged woman arrived at Libermann’s studio in a

desperate state and told him, “I don’t even know why I came here. I’m ahopelesscase;allthatinterestsmeinlifeistoplaythepiano,andIknowthatIwill never be able to because I am not only unmusical, I am amusical.”Libermannaskedhertoplay,expectingverylittle.Tohissurprise,shegaveoneof the most beautiful performances he had ever heard—warm, sensitive, andintelligent. She played a second piece equally well, but when he asked for athird,sheburst into tears.“That’s the trouble,”shesaid.“Ican’tplayanythingelse.Itookyearsandyearstolearnthosetwopieces.”Hetaughtherforawhile,andalthoughhertechniqueimprovedalittle,shewasn’tabletolearnmusicanyfasterthanbefore.1Overthecourseofhisseveraldecadesofteaching,Libermannobservedthat

everymusicianpossessesthesetwotypesofmusicalityindifferentproportions.Some performers are “giants”—they have it all.Measuring ourselves bywhatthegiantscandomayhelpusdecidehowambitioustobeinourmusicalcareers.But ifweusethismeasurement to“prove”thatwearemusicallyuntalentedorunfittoperform,wehurtourselvesandneedlesslyundermineourconfidence.

TheChallengeofMemorizationPerformingmusicfrommemoryisagreatfeat.Doctorsandscientistsagreethatmaking music, even during practice, stretches the human capacity forneuromuscular precision and emotional flexibility to the maximum. With thebody,mind, andemotions functioningat thispeak level, theaddedelementof

the adrenaline rush that occurs during concert performance can throw us offbalance.Sometimes we lose our place in the music because we aren’t thoroughly

prepared.Butbecausemanyexcellentperformersalsohavememorylapses,wefearthatnoamountofpreparationcanguaranteeperfectmemoryduringournextconcertoraudition.Somemusiciansaresoafraidofhavingamemoryslip thatthey perform with the score. Yet, as many of us know, in the heat ofperformance, evenwith theprintedpage in frontofus,wemay suddenly findourfingersorourmouthmovingoffcourse,leavingusmomentarilybewilderedandinterruptingtheflowofthemusic.Some memory lapses occur because we become self-conscious while

performing.Insteadoflettingourselvesenjoytheintenseenergyrunningthroughus, thevitalityof thiswonderfulmoment,weworryabout thenext sectionwehave to play, criticize ourselves for how we played the last section, orcongratulateourselvesonhowwearedoing.Orwemightsuddenlythinkaboutacertain person in the audience and imagine he is not pleased with ourperformance.Anynumberofsuchthoughtscansnagourminds,impedingafreemusicaloutpouring.Thenextchapterwilldiscussperformanceasapractice,inwhichwelearnto

letgoofself-consciousnessandallowtheenergyof themusic,andof thefearand excitement of performing, to flow freely throughour body andmind.Butfirst let’s look at memorization itself—the process of becoming conscious ofmusicandmovementinordertomakethemusicapartofus.If we focus less on ourselves, our doubts, and our fears, and instead lose

ourselves in the joysofworkingwithmusicandofbecoming intimatewith it,weencouragenaturalmemorization.Aschildren,wecalledthisprocess“playingbyheart”—aphrasethatconveysboththefeelingofknowingapieceintimatelyandthelongingtopossessdeepknowledgeofmusic,tomakeitapartofus,tobeonewithit.

CreatingaSafetyNetWhen Iwas inmy twenties and living inBerkeley,California, I hadadate toplayBeethoven’s Third PianoConcertowith a local orchestra.As part ofmypreparation, I went to a pianist friend’s house a couple of weeks before theconcertandplayedthepieceforhim.Itwentwell,butItoldhimIwasanxiousaboutbeingabletoperformitfrommemory.Thepossibilityoflosingmyplacewhiletheorchestrakeptplayingthrewmeintoapanic.IsaidIhadtomakesurethatmymemorywould be perfect in the performance, that nothingwould go

wrong.As I looked up from the piano bench, I sawmy friend striding towardme,

shakinghisheadofcurlyredhairandgesticulatingwildly,saying,“Isthatwhatyouthinkmemorizationisfor?Tomakesurethatnothinggoeswrong?No!It’ssothatifsomethingdoesgowrong,you’llknowthemusicwellenoughtofindyourwayoutoftheproblem.”Hespokewisely.Intheperformance,mylefthandgotlostforhalfameasure

andskippedafewnotes.ButbecauseIhadlearnedthepiecewell,Iknewwhatcamenext,myhandfounditsplacewithinacoupleofbeats,andIkeptplayingasifnothinghadhappened.A year later, while performing the Ravel Concerto in G with the Denver

Symphony, I had a similar experience. In the first movement, I mistakenlyplayedahalfmeasureofapassageinthewrongkey,akeyinwhichitappearslater in themovement. Instantlyrecognizingmymistake, I jumpedback to theproper key without missing a beat. Later in the same movement, I played acoupleofwrongnotesbecauseIsuddenlyforgottherightones,andthenwentonas usual.When the performancewas over, the conductor congratulatedmeonhowwell I played. I said, “What about those things that went wrong?” “Oh,those little things in the firstmovement?”he replied. “Those thingshappen toeverybody.”Thesetwoexperiencesgavemeconfidenceandhelpedmerelaxaboutplaying

frommemory.Wecan’tturnourselvesintocomputersthatneverbreakdownandneverforgettheprogram,andwedon’thaveto.Wecanallowforhumanerror,andthroughthoroughstudyofthemusic,wecancreateasafetynettocatchusifwefalterinperformance.We can also demystify the scary animal we call memorization and make

friendswithitbylearninghowitworks—whatitspartsare,whatkindoffooditeats,andwhatkindofexerciseitneedstostayinshape.

TypesofMemoryInteachingadultbeginners,Ihavelearnedhowmuchwetakeforgrantedwhenmaking music is second nature to us. At a first or second lesson, the adultstudent, trying to coordinate twohands andone footwhile reading themusic,findinghiswayaround thekeyboard,andkeeping time, typically looksaghastandexclaims,“Therearesomanythingstothinkabout!”When we try to memorize music, we often have a similar experience.We

rememberonehandmorethantheother,orwerememberthesoundofthemusicbetterthanwhichkeysorstringswehavetousetoproducethesound.Thepiece

fallsapartbecausewehaven’tcompletelyputittogether.Werealizehowmanydifferent elements we have to master. We have to integrate several types ofmemorytolearnonepiece.Weareallfamiliarwithkinestheticmemory,alsoknownasmusclememory.

Inthemiddleofplayingorsingingapiece,ourmindwanders,andalthoughweare unaware of what’s happening in the music, our fingers keep moving andspinning out the right notes at the right time. Our body knows what to dobecauseithasdoneitsomanytimesbefore.Relyingsolelyonkinestheticmemoryisdangerous,becauseifthebodyslips

up, you don’t knowwhere you are in the score, and you have to dowhat thefamouspianistdidinSanFrancisco—startalloverfromthebeginning.Havinghad enough experiencewith this problemby the time Iwas seventeen, I triedmemorizingFranck’sSymphonicVariations throughintellectualanalysisof thescore. I labeled intervals and chords with symbols, studied the patterns theymade,andcommittedstreamsofcomplexchromaticmelodiesandharmoniestomemory.WhenIwenttomylessonwithMenahemPressler,henoticedthateachtimeI

playedacertainpassageIusedadifferentfingering.Icouldplaythepiecefrommemory,butmyhandshadn’tcompletelymemorizedit.Hecircledthepassageinmyscore,wrote“fingermemory”onthepage,andtoldmethatImusttrainmy hands to know the music. In subsequent lessons, he tested me on mykinestheticmemorybyplayingpartofthispieceonthesecondpiano,stoppinginthemiddleofaphrase,andaskingmetocontinueplayingfromwhereheleftoff.Fromthenon, Ibeganusingmental rehearsal—Iwent throughpieces inmy

head, imaginingplayingeachkeywith thecorrect finger, tomakesure Ikneweverynoteandeveryfingeringfrommemory.IfIgotstuckatanypointinthismentalprocess,Ipickedupthescore,markedtheplaceIdidn’tknowincoloredpencil, and studied it. I remember lying on the bed inmy dormitory room atIndianaUniversity the day before a competition onRavel’sGmajor concertoandgoingthroughtheentirepieceinmyheadthreetimes.ThenIwentthroughtherighthandalonethreetimes,followedbythelefthandalonethreetimes.I havenever sincegone to that extreme inmentally rehearsing apiece, and

lookingback,itmayhavebeenalittlecompulsive.ButIwascurious:IwantedtoknowifIcoulddoit,ifIcoulddisciplinemymindtothatextent.Ineededtosee how far I could stretch myself, and it gave me confidence for thecompetition.Noneofthisgreatefforttomemorizemusicmeansanythingifyoucan’thear

it in your mind’s ear while you mentally go through the motions. A strong

auditorymemorynotonlyhelpsyourememberwheretoplaceyourfingersbutalsocreatesamoremusicalperformance.Canyouimaginecommittingsomuchinformationtomemorywithoutknowinghowitsounds?Musicianswithhighly trained ears, or thosewhohaveperfect pitch, have a

distinctadvantageinperformingfrommemory:Iftheirkinestheticorintellectualmemorysuddenlyfailsthem,theycanfindthenotesbylisteningtothesoundintheirhead.TakingthetimetousethelisteningtechniquesoutlinedinChapter10,so that you can hear every sound you are playing or singing with maximumsensitivity,willhelpyouabsorbmusiconadeep levelandreinforce it inyourmemory.Somemusiciansalsohaveaphotographicmemoryandcanpicturetheprinted

pageintheirmindwitheverynotepreciselyinitsplace.Ifyouaregiftedwiththisspecialability,itcancomeinhandyinperformance.

Familiarity,Meaning,andMemoryWe tend to remember things that are familiar to us.We know theway to thegrocerystorebecausewe’vetakenitbefore,andwerecallsomeofourparents’wordsofadvicebecausewehaveheardthemsomanytimes.Similarly,wemayfindthatsimplypracticingapieceinstillsmostofitinourmemory.Wealsorememberthingsthathavespecialmeaningforus.Idon’tthinkIwill

ever forget some of my husband’s thoughtful words on our first date, or theheartbrokenlookourcatgaveuswhenwevisitedhimintheanimalhospitalandthenhadtosaygoodbye.Manythingswerememberwewouldratherforget:thesoundofcruelwordsspokentous, thesightofamotherslappingherchildonthestreet,orthepainofhurtingourbestfriend’sfeelingswhenweareimpatientor insensitive. All of these experiences, positive and negative alike, make anindelibleimpressionontheheart.Musicalmemory is often the same:Themore a piece affects our heart, the

more easily we remember it. Whatever degree of natural ability we have,learningmusic byheart comes fromopeningour heart to each soundwehearand each movement we make. In the Art of Practicing, we practice deepreceptiveness to music and movement. We take time to cultivate emotionalvulnerability, mental clarity, physical ease, and vivid listening. All of theseelementsbecomeintegratedandworktogether.

BecomingaVehiclefortheMusic

Whenyouopentomusicinthisway,itentersyoursystem.It liveswithinyouandcannaturally flowout inperformance.You thusbecomeavehicle for thecomposer’s work, capable of transmitting it to others. Becoming a vehicledoesn’tmeanthatyouignoreyourownfeelingsorrestrictyourself-expression.Itmeansyouexpandyourfeelingcapacitybybecomingreceptivetothewealthofdetailsinacomposition.Thecommonargumentoverthevirtueof“beingtruetothecomposer”versus

givingthemusic“yourpersonalinterpretation”(or“puttingyourpersonalstamponit”)containsafundamentalmisconceptionaboutmusic-making.Ifyouloveaparticular Beethoven sonata and you take the time to learn it thoroughly, noconflictexistsbetweenyouandBeethovenatthatpoint.Youdon’thavetoworryabout whether or not your personal qualities will come through in yourperformance.On the contrary, your heart, your love for the composer and hiswork, shines through every note he wrote. You meet his mind and are notseparate from him. In performance, you and Beethoven come alive for youraudiencesimultaneously.Such performing is confident.Because themusic liveswithin you, you can

present it to others with a sense of natural command. Whether you are anamateuroraprofessional,youcanachievethismasteryofapieceofmusic.Youcanplayorsingbyheart.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question:Somemusicianscanmemorizeapiecedirectlyfromthescorebeforetheyeverplayit.Isthatwhatyoumeanbymemorizingmusicintellectually?Doyoujustlookatthescoreandanalyzeit,likeamusic-theoryassignment?Answer: People who learn music without having to play it are not simplymemorizingthenotes;theycanhearthenotesintheirmind’sear.Soinsteadofjustanalyzingthescore,theyarehearingthemusicandfeelingitinsidethem.Intellectuallearningneednotbedoneinadry,A-B-C-Dkindofway,butin

conjunctionwithan internalexperienceof themusic.Youdon’t justmemorizenotes; youmemorize the feeling of playing them, the phrasing, the emotionalcontent—everything at once. And in addition to remembering themusic, youneed to imagine thehandplacementsandmovementsso thatyourbody learnsthepiecetosomeextent.Practicing and memorizing are about amalgamating information with

spontaneity. The Art of Practicing cultivates spontaneity, and studying thedifferentelementsinapieceallowsyoutointegratethestoringoffactswiththeexperienceofspontaneousflow.Whenyouperform,itallworkstogether.Ifyou

losethesenseofflowandhaveamemorylapse,yourfactualmind,orleftbrain,takesoverandsuppliestheinformationyouneedtogetbackoncourse.

Question:Ioncememorizedapieceinsectionssomybraincouldhandlealittleat a time. I knew each section, but I didn’t work much on the connectionsbetweenone sectionand thenext. Then I panicked in the concert and lostmyplace.Isitpossibletograspawholepieceandmemorizeitwithoutbreakingitupintosections?Answer:Feedingyourbrainbite-sizepiecesisanaturalwayoflearningmusic.Unless you have amemory likeMozart’s, you can absorb only somuch at atime.Butyouneedtohavethewholedesignofthepiecerootedinyoursystemsothatthosebitesadduptoasatisfyingmeal.Oneofmychildhoodpianoteacherstaughtmetomemorizethebeginningof

each section of a piece so that I would know places to jump to if my mindblanked in performance. I didn’t like this method; studying a series ofdisconnected beginnings and committing them tomemory took the joy out oflearningforme.Butforsomepeoplethistechniquemayworkwell.Inanycase,ifyoustudythemusicthoroughly,youbecomeawareofwhichnotesbegineachsection.In addition to practicing a section at a time, make a relationship with the

whole composition by studying its form.Much of your feeling for the broadstructure will come naturally from working with the principles of organizingmusicintophrasesandtexturesanddiscoveringhowonephraseleadstoanother.Getusedtoplayingthroughtheworkfrombeginningtoendsothatyoudevelopafeelingforhowitunfoldsintime.

Question:OnceIknowapiecebyheartIgetlostifItrytoperformitfromthescore.WhatcanIdoaboutthat?Answer: I had a similar experience preparing for a live radio broadcast. Acoupleofdaysbeforetheperformance,Ipanickedabouthavingamemorylapseontheairwiththousandsofpeoplelistening,andsinceIwouldbeplayingintheradiostudioandtheaudiencecouldn’tseeme,Idecidedtousethescore.IfeltrelievedonceIhadmadethisdecision,untilItriedplayingfromthescoreinmylivingroomandmyhandssuddenlybecameuncoordinatedinseveralpassages.IrealizedIneededtobecomeaccustomedtothefeelingoflookingattheprintedpagewhileplaying.Performing frommemoryusuallybrings a senseof freedombecauseyou’re

notbusylookingatthelittleblackdots.Youcanletgomoreeasily.Butifyouplan to look at the score during performance in order to feel more secure,practicethatway.Thenyou’llbemorecomfortableonstage.

Question: I’m an amateur musician, and I’ve never memorized the pieces Istudy.DoIneedtolearnhow?Answer:Onlyifyouwantto.Evenprofessionalmusiciansdidn’tperformfrommemory until Franz Liszt introduced the practice in the nineteenth century.When you study a piece for a long time, memorization usually comes fairlynaturally.Butmanyamateursprefertomoveontonewrepertoirebeforethey’veabsorbed a piece to that extent.And some professionals prefer the security ofhavingthescoreinfrontofthemeveniftheyknowitbyheart.Ifyougetcuriousaboutwhat itwouldbe like toplayapiece frommemory, try it.You’ll get toknowthemusicbetterandyoumayenjoythefreedomofnothavingtofocusontheprintedpage.It’suptoyou.“Amateur”meansonewholovessomething.Dowhatyoulove.

Question:I’mtrainedinRenaissancemusic,inwhichifyouplaythenotesthatarewritten,you’renotplayingthemusic.It’slikeplayingjazz.Isthatdifferentfrombecomingavehicleforthemusic?Answer: I don’t playRenaissancemusic, but even if you’re improvising, youstillmustfollowaform;youstillhavetogobyaparticularsetofrulestocreateanorganicwhole.Inthatsense,youmakeyourselfintoavehicleforthestyleofthatperiod.

Question:Howisbeingavehicledifferentfrombeinganinterpreter?Answer:Peopleoftenthinktheperformer’sroleistothinkupimaginativeideasabout a piece that nobody else would think of and that would make hisperformance valid as a unique phenomenon. He presents his version, or hisinterpretation,ofthemusictotheaudience,andthatversionisoftenadistortionoftheoriginal.Beingavehicle,ontheotherhand,meansyousurrenderdistortedviewsand

take in the piece as it is, letting it permeate your system, so that the listenersreceive thegenuinearticle,a finepieceofmusic revealedbya fineperformer.When you make yourself receptive to the written notes, however, you alsorespondtothemwithyourownunderstandingandbodyenergy.Soyoubecome

theagentwhobreatheslifeintothemusic,andyoucreateauniqueinterpretationinthatsense.When a performer studies a piece in depth, he sometimes becomes a better

vehicleforitthanthecomposerhimself.Stravinsky’sworks,forinstance,oftensound better in the hands of another conductor than in his own recordedperformances of them. It’s as though the composer looked in the mirror andfailed to perceive some of his own appeal. So you could consider yourself aloverofthecomposer,withtheintentionofappreciatingandunderstandinghisworkasmuchasyoucansothatitshinesinyourpresence.

CHAPTER14

Generosity

OnthedayofmyNewYorkdebut in1984Ihadapain inmychestnearmyheartthatpersistedforafewhours.IcalledmywisestfriendandtoldherIfeltIwasgoingtodie.“Youprobablyare,”shesaid.“Youwon’tbethesamepersonwhenthisconcertisover.”MorethananyotherconcertIhadplayed,thedebutwasamomentoftruthforme.ThoughIfeltreadytopresentmyselftotheworldasapianist, Icouldn’tknowif Iwould feelconfidentwhenIactuallyset footonstage.I called a second wise friend, who said, “Put on your dress and go down

there.”Makeitreal,hemeant.Beingaperformerhimself,heknewaboutthesethings.Iputontheredgownandmatchingshoesandfeltbetter.ThecarIhadorderedthedaybeforepulledupinfrontofmyapartmentbuildingatsix-fifteenandtookmetoCarnegieRecitalHall.Iwentin,greetedmypianotuner,didmyhair,andwarmedupontheSteinwaygrandIhadselectedafewdaysearlier.Theconcrete,orderedrealityoftheclothes,car,hall,piano,andpianotunercalmedmedown.Attheprecisehour,thehouselightsdimmed,andwiththefirststepItookintothelightonstage,mynervousexcitementbrokeintoexhilaration.Iwasathome.IknewIbelongedthere.Iknewitwithoutadoubtforthefirsttime.Theconcertwentwellandreceivedafinereview.Butmywisestfriendwas

right: Iwasnot thesamepersonafter that.Havingdiscovered that IpossessedtheconfidenceIhadhopedfor,Ibeganthinkingaboutotheraspectsofmylife.My fulfillment as a performermade the unfulfilling parts ofmy life painfullyobviousincontrast.I felt at home onstage but not in the everyday world.What I loved about

performingwasthechancetogive.Ittookmeintothecoreofmygenerosityandbroughtafeelingofonenesswiththeaudienceandthecomposer.Iwantedmoreofthatexperienceofgivingandsharingoutsideofperforming.Severalmonths

afterthedebut,IstartedteachingtheArtofPracticing,beganfocusingintenselyonmypersonalrelationships,andgaveupperforming.Itwasthebiggestshockofmylife.Wehaveonelifetimeinwhichtoexpressourselvesandtoconnecttoothers.A

performanceisinthatsenseamicrocosmoflife:Wehaveonechance,andwewant to give it everythingwe have.Whenwe give freely, we experience ourpassion and vitality, which is a gift to us in return.We get frightened at themoment of performancenot only becausewewant to dowell but becausewefeelsoalive.Wefearlifeitself,thefeelingofourheartbeating,oflettingmusicandvitalenergyflowthroughusbeyondourcontrol.Wearewalkingcontainersoflife,andwhenwewalkontoastagetoperform,wefeelthatintensely.Everycourageousactwecommitinlifetransformsusinsomeway.Whenwe

takeourplaceonstageshakingwithfearanddare tomakemusic,were-createnotonlyamusicalcompositionbutalsoourselves.Wegive in to thepoweroflife,whichisbiggerthanweare,andbecomebiggerthroughthatsurrender.Wediscoverwecanallowtherushingriverofmusic,fear,andvitalitytorunthroughus.Wecanabandonourselvestoitandsurviveinonepiece.

TransformingFearintoFearlessnessSomeperformerstrytoprotectthemselvesfromfearbypretendingthey’realonein thehall,withnoaudiencepresent.They feel threatenedby theaudience, sothey ignore the rows of peoplewho have come to enjoy finemusic and havewelcomed themwithapplause.Otherperformers try toavoid fearbydirectingtheirmusic-makingtowardoneparticularaudiencememberandshuttingouttherest.Fear is energy. If you allow it to flow through you, you transform it into

fearlessness. Bravery doesn’tmean that you don’t feel afraid. If it did, you’dhavenothingtobebraveabout.It’swhenyoufeelfrightenedofasituationbutstep into itanywaythatyoudemonstratecourage.Eachtimeyouconfrontfearheadonand let theadrenalinefloodyourbody,you liberate theenergyoffearand make it available for creative action. The man proposing marriage, theperformerfacinganaudience,thenewpersoninagroupspeakingupforthefirsttime,allarecourageoushumanbeings.Atthemomenttheytakethenextstepbyexpressingtheirheartandmind, theytransformfear intofearlessness.Indoingso,theytransformthemselves.Sometimeswe’reafraidoffailure.Wehavesomethingatstakeandwewantto

comeout ahead.Wecanalsobeafraidof success.Weareused to thinkingofourselvesinaparticularway,andifwetakealeapintoanewsituation,itmay

changeourlivesinawaythatthreatensourfamiliardefinitionofourselves.Inanycase,we’reafraidoftheunknowninourselves,oftheselfdeepinsidethatisabouttorisetothesurfaceandbecomeknown—visible,audible,palpable.Ifwedon’tcontinuallygivebirth toourselves throughcreativeacts,weperpetuateafearfulexistence.Wecankeepgrowingonlyifwefaceourfearanddaretostepforwardthroughit.MystudentAlan,whois inhisfifties,cametoa lessontwomonthsintohis

chemotherapy treatments for cancer and announced that he was retiring fromteachingpianosothathecoulddevotehistimetopracticingandperforming.HeproceededtoplayaChopinballadewithafreedomandélanbeyondanythingIhad ever heard from him. His usual shoulder tension was gone, the musicseemedtorushwithanelectricchargethroughhisarms,andheprojectedasenseof command and confidence. When he finished playing and heard mycompliments,hesaid,“Ifeelsovulnerableandterrified.IjustmadethisdecisionthatIwouldratherperformthanteach,andI’veneverthoughtofmyselfasarealperformer.NowI’mbeingone,anditterrifiesme.”“Thatexplainsthefantasticfreedominyourplaying,”Isaid.“You’refeelingyourfearandplayinganyway.You’retransformingfearintofearlessness.”

TheBraverytoBeWhoWeArePerforming is an action:We aredoing something special, and the audience iswatching every move we make. We develop an inner spectator in our mind,imaginingaperformancebeforeittakesplace.Aswepictureourselvesinfrontoftheaudience,wethink,“Idon’tknowifIcandoit.”Doingitfrightensus.Courageous doing arises from courageous being. In addition to giving an

audiencemusic,wegive themourselves.Wegivewhoweareat thatmoment,andeveryperformanceisuniquebecausewegrowinbetweenperformances;wearenotexactly thesamepersonwewere last time.Thecellsandbreath inourbody are new, fresh, and unpredictable.We are also affected by the particularaudienceandatmosphereofthemoment.Wecan’tcontrolthem;wecan’teventellwhereweleaveoffandtheybegin.Alltheenergymixestogether.Amusicianfriendofmineoncesaidaboutperforming,“Youneverknowwhat

yourbodyisgoingtodo.”Wehavetoabandonourselvestowhatishappeninginthemoment.Wemust let theenergyinourbodybeas it isandletouractionsarisespontaneouslyfromthatenergy.WhenIgiveaseminarontheArtofPracticing,itfeelslikeaperformance.I

havepresentedthesamematerialmanytimes,butitresonatesdifferentlyinmymind each time and I never know exactly what words will come out of my

mouthorinwhattoneorrhythmIwillspeakthem.Iamalwayssurprisedbythequalityoftheenergyinmybodyandthesoundofmyvoice.SometimesIfeelIhave nothing special to offer that day, but I give an exceptionally good talk.Sometimes I sense a quiet, focused quality in my mind beforehand, and anunexpectedly colorful presentation comes out. We don’t know whereperformanceenergycomesfrom.But ifweopenup, itcomes throughus.Lifecomesthrough.

PreparingtoTransmittheEnergyTo transmit energy to others, the energywithin youmust be fluid and free toflow out. The preparatory steps before practicing—stretching, settling in, andtuningintoyourheart—areallhelpfulbeforeperforming.Findaplaceoffstagewhereyoucanbealoneandgatheryourforces.Youdon’tneedtostretchonthefloor in your fancy clothes, but allowyourself the luxuryof releasingpent-uptensionsbydoingafewgoodstretches,asmanyasyoulike.To settle in, you may want to take more time than you usually do before

practicing. I like to sit and focus onmy breathing for twentyminutes beforeaddressingagroup,but even twominuteswill help.Experiment and seewhatworkswellforyou.Yourheart is likelytobeopenwhenyou’reabouttoplayorsingforothers;

you feel vulnerable. The tuning-in exercise you’ve done before practicing, ofreflectingontheimpermanenceoflife,maynotbenecessarynowbecauseyouare keenly aware that you have only one chance in this performance—therehearsals are over and you’re in the spotlight. What’s needed is to rouseconfidenceinyourabilitytogive.Rousing confidence starts with appreciating yourself as you are, extending

warmthtoyourselfsothatyoucanextenditnaturallytothemusicandtoothers.Whatever isgoingon inyour lifeon thatday—whetheryouarehappyorsad,whether you feel good or bad about events in your life—you need to makecontactwithyourowngoodness,yourheart, inorder tomakecontactwith theheartsofyourlisteners.Thisprocesscantakeplaceinafewminutes,oritcanrequiremonthsoryearsofpreparation,dependingonyourpersonalstrengthandexperienceandonhowmuchimportanceyouattachtoaparticularperformance.

Self-doubtSometimeswefeelvibrantandreadytogiveourheartstoothersinperformance.

Atothertimes,discouragingpeopleinourlifeorthefearofahostilecriticintheaudiencemakesusshrinkandloseheart.Occasionally,aparticularperformancemeanssomuchtousthatitputsusthroughthewringerinawaythathasneverhappenedbefore.Thenoviceperformerpresentinghimselftoanaudienceforthefirst time, theyoung artist entering a competition, and the seasonedperformerabout to appear as soloist with a major orchestra, all may become especiallyanxiousduringthedays,weeks,ormonthspriortotheirbigmoment.InthemiddleofwritingthisfinalchapterIbecamepanic-stricken.Thebook

wouldsoonbecompletedandsentoutintotheworld.Mywritingsuddenlyfeltlike a performance, and performance anxiety hit me full force. I thought tomyself,“DoIreallyknowwhattosayaboutperforming?DoIhaveanythingtooffermyreaders?”IbegantolivethematerialIwaswritingabout.Isatinthecorneroftheroomandimaginedmybookinprint,withthetitleandmynameonthecover,occupyingaplaceonneatlyorganizedshelvesinbookstoresandinthehandsofmanydifferentpeople.“DoIreallyhavewhatittakestoreachthesepeople?” I thought. “Who am I anyway? I’ve always thought of myself as aperformer,apersonwhoaddresseslargegroupsofpeopleandfeelspotentwithmaterial,with lifeenergy.WhydoIsuddenlyfeelas thoughIhavenothing tosay?”Fortwoweeks,IfeltIwasswimminginaseaofdoubtandconfusionwithnothingtoholdonto.Finally,IrealizedIhadtobringthesefeelingsintothewritingofthischapter.

I am scaredof change, ofmyunknown future as an author and teacher in thepublic eye. As I approach the moment of being in the spotlight, all myinsecurities,includingsomeIdidn’tknowIhad,seemtostandoutinaspotlightoftheirown.Ifeelmoreordinarythanever.My frightened mind rambled on: “Do I have enough understanding of the

subject?CanIsaywhatIhavetosayinawaythatwillhelppeopleandinspirethem?Dootherauthorsfeelthisway,oramIjustfeelingafraidbecauseIdon’tbelongoutthere?CanItellmyreadersI’mpanickingandexpect thattotouchtheirheartsandminds?CanItellthemIfeellikeafrightenedchildattimesandthatIdon’tknowhowI’llgetittogethertoaddressthemlikeanadult?”Howcanwepresentourselvestootherswhenwefeelexposed,whenthemost

private things aboutus arewritten all overour faceor come through in everynoteoreverywordweproduce?Aperformanceisanintimateact.Thespecificcontentofourthoughtsmaynot

beperceivedbytheaudience,butthebloodandadrenalinerunningthroughourbodycommunicate to them.Apublishedbook,withanelegantcoverandneattype,cancontaintheauthor’svitalenergy,andinspiteofatuxedoorlonggown,a performer can feel emotionally naked. The ordered formality of presenting

ourselvestothepublicaccentuatestherawnesswefeelinside,thetendernessofournerves.

IntimacywithOurselves:FacingtheDemonsThe intimacy of making music for others necessitates an intimacy withourselves, awillingness to open up and experience ourselves in depth.Asweapproach themoment of performance,we often find ourselves grapplingwithnegativeforceswithinusthatgobeyondsimpleself-doubt.To one degree or another, we each have our private inner demons that

intimidateusatcrucialmoments.Someperformerscanrelaxandletgoonstageinfrontofthepublicbutpanicatanaudition.Theknowledgethattheyarebeingjudgedbringsupdeep-seatedbeliefsthattheyareinadequateanddeservetofail.Performing and auditioning bring our demons out of hiding and force us toconfrontthem.Wehaveagoldenopportunitytoexorcisethesedemonsbyseeingthem clearly, becoming familiarwith them, andworking ourway through thejungletheyinhabit.In themoviePostcards from the Edge,Meryl Streep portrays aHollywood

actress/singerwhosecompetitivemother,alsoanactress/singer,hasintimidatedhertothepointwheresheisunabletoperformwithconfidence.Afteryearsofnotbelievinginherselfandseekingsolaceindrugs,sheunleashesherangerinaconversation with her mother, who is forced to listen and to admit her ownweakness. The daughter makes peace with her mother and feels whole andstrongforthefirsttime.Themoviecloseswithasceneofheronstagebeforeacrowd,singingexuberantly,allstopspulledout,andherproudmotherwatching.The frightened, hurt, confused little girl has turned herself into a gutsy, fullyalivewoman,spreadingherjoyfreelyandgloriously.Inreal life,wemaynothave theopportunity toventourrageatanexternal

tormentor, or it may not be appropriate to do so. But wemust recognize thetormentwithinusandletourselvesfeelnotonlyourfearbutalsothepainandanger that naturally arise when healthy self-expression is obstructed.PsychotherapistDianeNichols, director of the PerformingArts PsychotherapyCenter in New York, describes a variety of destructive influences on youngperformers.Notonlycompetitiveparentsbutoverlycriticalparentsandteachers,orparentswhoignore theirchild’s talent,canundermineconfidence.Problemsalsoarisewhenparentsshowmoreinterestintheirchild’stalentthaninthechildasaperson.Allofthesesituationscreateconflictandangerwithinthechildthatmay surface in adulthood and may require psychotherapy to resolve. Leftunresolved, such feelings may result in excessive or debilitating performance

anxiety.1Anger can be a particularly difficult emotion to deal with. No matter how

understandable our anger may be at times, we are often discouraged fromexpressingitorevenfeelingitbecauseofitsdestructivepower.Butangerhasitsproperplaceandtime.Ourjoyousmusic-makingenergyissacred,andsoisthewraththatrisesinitsdefense.Amusicianfriendofmineoncesaid,“Ifyou’reaperformer, your vulnerability is your product.”We walk onstage offering ourheartstowhoeverispresent.Angerisanaturalresponsetoanyforcethatworksagainstthetriumphofthatvulnerability.Inmytwenties,IoncehadtogiveasolorecitalonthesamedaythatamanI

lovedtoldmehedidn’twanttobewithme.IsatbackstagefortyminutesbeforetheconcertcryingandwonderinghowIwouldgetmyselftogethertoperform.Finally, I became angry thatmy concertmight be ruined on account of someunappreciativeguy.Itoldmyself,“Youlovehimbecauseyouhaveagoodheart.Goout there and show themhowgood it is.”My sorrow turned to joy, and Iplayedwithabandon.Whenwegiveangertheroomtoexplodelikeavolcanoinsideourbody,we

liberate our spirit for making music. As artists, we need access to all of ouremotionalenergies.Evenifweareplayingasimple,lyricaltune,havinga“tigerinourtank,”afiercenessthatisreadytostandupforourheartifanyonerejectsorviolatesit,allowsustospeakourheartwithstrength,clarity,andfocus.Thesoftest,mosttendermessagecanpenetratethelistener’sheartlikeanarrow.

AppreciatingYourOwnGoodnessFear of performing includes an excitement about giving something to ouraudience.My student Ned told me at his lesson one day that he always getsnervousonthedayofalesson.“Iwantyoutobeproudofme,”hesaid.“Iguessit’s just ego.” “No, it isn’t,” I told him. “What do you really think it is?”Hethoughtamomentandanswered,“Wehavearelationship.Whenyouteachmesomething,yougivemeagift. I take ithomeandmakeitmyown,andthenIwanttogiveitbacktoyou.Yourthingbecomesmything,andwhenIplayforyou, it’s our thing.”Hiswords touchedme. In expressing his devotion asmystudent,hefueledmydevotionashisteacher.Iwantedtogivetohimevenmorethanbefore.Hethusdemonstratedtheself-perpetuatingnatureofgenerosityhehaddescribed.Inadditiontogivingsomethingtoourlisteners,wewantthemtoseeandhear

who we are, and to receive their appreciation in return. They give us the

opportunitytoexpressourselves,andwegetnervouspartlybecausewewanttoshowthemthebestofwhoweare.Thisdesireisnotmerelyegocentric;itcomesfromself-respectandfromappreciatingtheopportunitytoconnecttoothers,tobepartofhumansociety.Whenyouareabouttoperform,whetherforyourteacherorforthousandsof

people,takeamomenttoappreciateyourdesiretomakemusicforothers.Suchdesire is healthy and good. Appreciating your own goodness is a way ofextending friendship to yourself. It will generate the warmth you need forcommunicatingwithyouraudience.

ConfidenceandtheCirculationofEnergyFacingourfears,doubts,anddemonsbringsoutourstrength,andappreciatingour goodness cultivates tenderness. Together this strength and tendernessbecomeconfidence:Wehaveconvictioninourheart’spower.In 1992, I was invited to participate in a training program in Vermont to

become a teacher of Shambhala Training, a secular approach to meditationpractice. Two months before the program, each participant was assigned twochallenging topicsandasked toprepare short talkson them.During those twomonthsIspenthourseverydaystudyingmyassignedtopicsandpreparingmytalks.At theprogram,eachparticipantgaveone talk toa smallgroup the firstafternoon. The same evening, three of us were selected to each present oursecondtalktotheentiregroupoftraineesandstaffintheformalmeditationhall.Afterannouncingmyname,theprogramdirectorgavemetwominutestocollectmyselfinthenextroombeforecomingintoaddressthegroup.I hadworkedhard, and Iwasnervous and excited about giving this special

presentation. I thought ofmymeditation teacher and everything he had givenme, and Iwas filledwith longing to dowell, to honor his faith inme, and tocarryonhistraditionbygivingapieceofittoothers.SuddenlyIfeltarushofconfidentenergyriseup insidemeandcarryme into thehall,as if Ihadbeenliftedontoamagiccarpet.Isensedthatbecausemylongingwassostrong,thisunexpectedenergyhadbecomeavailabletome.Itcontinuedtoflowthroughoutmypresentation.Beingatthecenterofattentiondoesn’tmeanyouhavetobeself-centered.On

thecontrary,yourdevotiontothemusicandtheaudiencewillmagnetizepeoplemore than an arrogant attitude. Everyone is naturally more attracted to anopenheartedpersonthantoanegotist.Fromyourfirststepintothespotlight,letyour heart take center stage. As the audience greets you with applause, openyourhearttotheenergyaroundyou.Taketimetokeepyourbalanceamidstyour

excitementbytakingnoticeofsimplethings,suchashowyourfeetfeelasyouwalk,orhowthelighthitsthestage.Enjoybowing,takeyourtimesittingdown,and notice how it feels to sit in your seat. If you’re performing with othermusicians,beawareofthemandoftheirneedtosettlethemselves,too.Noticethe atmosphere in the hall.Notice your nervous energy.Take amoment to letyourselfbreathe.Composingyourselfthiswaysetsthetonefortheaudience.Theythink,“This

person’stakingtimetosettledownandbreathe.Ican,too.”Theyneedtransitiontimeafter theirdayandafter talkingamong themselves.Beforeyourentrance,theymayhavebeendiscussingnewpurchasesor familyproblems. Ifyoudiveinto your programwhen theirminds are still on the events of their day, theydon’thaveachancetounwind.Butifyouenterandsituateyourselfwithwarmthand calm dignity, you can help them relax. Your presence transforms theatmosphereintooneinwhichpeoplecanforgetabouttheworkadayworld,makecontactwiththeirhearts,andopentomusic.Thisisthebeginningofyourgifttothem.After youhave settledyourself, notice the atmosphere envelopingyou.You

are about tomakemusic in this expectant space, and if you are aware of thespace themusicwill enter, youwill sense how andwhen to begin.When themomentcomes,focusonthemusicyou’reabouttoplayorsing,makeyourfirstmove,andletthemusiccome.Thestrongeryourheartintentionis,theeasieritwillbetoletthemusicflowandtoaccommodatewhatishappeningaroundyou.Distracting sounds from the audience and your own self-conscious thoughtsbecomemanageablewhenyouopenupandfocusonexpressingyourself.Sometimeswe have self-critical thoughtswhile performing: “I botched that

section! I’m terrible!” Or we may puff ourselves up with praise: “I certainlyplayed that sectionwell!Aren’t I terrific!”Thechatterofcritical andarrogantthoughts tends to dissolve in the heat of the desire to communicate.Nevertheless, some thoughts are likely to float through our minds duringperformance.Perhapswejustfindourselvesmakingoddobservationslike,“Mysleevesfeelfunnyonmyarms,”or,“Whatastrangelightthatisonthecurtainoverthere.”Weneedtoviewourthoughtswithasenseofhumor.We’rehuman,andour

minds tend to wander and to pass judgment on our behavior. We cancommunicate with an audience in spite of our random thoughts. Magic canhappen amid the ordinary reality of howour clothes feel against our skin andhowourmindschatter.Ifwetakeourthoughtstooseriously,wegetcaughtupinthemandlosetouchwithourheartandwiththemaineventthatistakingplace.Whenthatconnectionislost,wemayevenloseourplaceinthemusic.Butifwe

takealight,friendlyattitudetowardourthoughtsandjustletthemcomeandgoastheyhabituallydo,wecanmaintainasenseofcommandandconfidence.Our job as performers is to accommodate everything that arises in our

awareness—ourextraneous thoughts,coughs from theaudience, the lights,ourfear,andourexcitement,aswellasthemusic.Ifwecandothat,ifwecangivealltheenergyofthemomentaperpetualgreenlighttorunthroughusasitwill,anelectriccurrentpassesbetweenusandourlisteners.Wereceiveandtransmitthevitalityinthatspaceatthatmoment.In spite of the spontaneity of this experience, being confident and freely

transmittingenergy toothersdoesn’talwaysfeelgood.Wemayfindourselvesplayingorsingingapiecequitedifferentlyfromthewaywehavebefore,whichmay confuse us and lead us to judge our performance negatively. I remembermakingavideotapeofSchubert’sG-flatimpromptu.Ninebarsintothefirsttake,Istoppedplayingbecauseitfeltdraggyanddull.Ithendidfivecompletetakes,which soundedmuchbetter tome.When Iheard the tape, Iwas stunned.TheninebarsIhadstartedwithwerewonderful,andall fiveof thecomplete takeswere disappointing and unusable. Iwished I had letmyself finish playing thepiecethefirsttime.MystudentGregwassimilarlyunawareofhowwellheplayedChopin’sB-

flatminornocturneathislessononeday.Hisperformanceofthepieceusuallyhadroughedges,butthistimeIwasshockedbythesmoothnessandbeautyofthesound.IfeltasthoughIwerebathingincognac.Whenhefinishedplaying,Iaskedhim,“Sohowmuchdoyouwantmetopayyouforlisteningtothat?”Heburstintotears.Hesaidhedidn’tknowhewasperformingwell—thathewasina state of turmoilwhileplayingbecausehe felt rawand exposed. “When I’veexposedmyself thatway before,” he explained, “people have gone away.Butyou’re paying me a supreme compliment.” It gave him new confidence todiscoverthathisreal,vulnerableselfcouldmakesuchbeautifulmusic.Eventhemostseasonedartistscanexperienceinnerturmoilwhileperforming.

IoncewentbackstagetotellafamouspianistIknowhowwonderfullyhehadjust played Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto. “Really?” he said. “I wentthroughalotoutthere.Icouldn’ttell.”

CelebrationThegrandness of presentation that challenges and frightensus in performancealso honors our vulnerability. We dress up in fine clothes to give a concertbecause we are celebrating the power that emanates from an exposed humanheart.

Sometimesweseeaperformer’svulnerabilityclearlywhenshewalksonstage.IrememberaTVmovieinwhichapopularsingerwasmakingacomebackafternotperforminginpublicforseveralyears.Shedidn’tknowifshecouldrisetothe occasion, and when she entered in her gown and faced the audience, herhandsshookandalookoffearspreadacrossherface.Thefirstnotescameoutalittleshaky,butthatshakinesssoongavewaytoawarm,expansiveperformance.Iwasthrilledasmuchbyherdaringasbythewonderfulmusicshemade.IhadasimilarexperiencehearingayoungboyfromtheHarlemBoysChoir

singasoloonenightinNewYork’sCentralPark.Ididn’tknowthechoirwouldbeperforming;likethehalfmillionotherpeoplewhohadgatheredintheparkonthatwarm,summerevening,IhadcometoheararecitalbyLucianoPavarotti.But halfway through the concert, Mr. Pavarotti took a break, and the boyswalked onstage. When the solo came, we could see the performer’s sweet,innocent face clearlyon thegiantvideo screen in frontof the crowd.He sangwitha soft, pure soundand seemed tocapture everyone’s attentionevenmorethanthefamoustenorhad.Thischild’sbraveryinsingingsimplyandquietlytothe throngs of people who had come not to hear him but to hear a superstartouchedmedeeply.Whenhefinishedsinging,thehalfmillionpeopleburstintoheartfeltapplauseandcheering.

EnsemblePerformingEnsemble performing celebrates the human heart in a special way.When oursubtlemusicalimpulsesandrhythmsmeldwiththoseofanotherperformer,weexperience an intimacy akin to lovemaking. When we perform in a largeensemble, we experience a heightening of our devotion to music throughexpressingthatdevotionsimultaneouslywithmanyothermusicians.Oneofmystudentsonceperformedasaflutistinauniversityorchestra.The

conductor was a clarinetist who was an excellent musician but had littleconductingtrainingorexperience;hehadsimplybeengiventhejob,atthelastmoment, of leading the orchestra that season. The first rehearsalswent badly.The orchestramembers had no respect for thisman and refused to cooperate.Finally, one day he put down his baton and said, “Listen. I know I’m not aconductorandyou know I’mnot a conductor.But let’sputourheads togetherand seewhatwe can do.”Moved by his honesty, the group instantly becameinspiredtodotheirbest.Theyallcontributedideasabouthowtoplaythemusic,and theyworked togetherenthusiastically for severalweeks.Onconcertnight,they uncorked a hair-raising performance. Such magic occurs when we letboundariesbetweenusdissolveandgiveourselvesovertothepassionofmaking

music.

CONCLUSION

Ourneedtogiveisasstrongasourneedtoreceive.Wearegivenlifeandmusic,and the richerwe feelwith these gifts, themorewewant to share themwithothers. Performing, a form of sharing,multiplies our gifts by transforming usand enriching our audience at the same time. This is our work and ourcelebration.

QUESTIONSANDANSWERS

Question:Ifyoulovethemusicandtheaudienceandyouwanttocommunicate,whyshouldyoubeafraid?Answer:Preciselybecauseyoucaresomuch,andyoucan’tcontrolwhatwillhappen.Inpracticeorrehearsal,youcanstopandredoapassageifitdoesn’tgowell,butinperformance,youcan’t.Youhaveonechancetobringyourworktofruition,anditmatterswhathappensthisparticulartime.Q:IreadthatwhenJacquelineduPréwasaskedhowshefeltbeforeshewalkedonstage,shesaid,“Ican’twaittogetoutthere.”Doyoufeellikethat?A:Yes.Q:Areyoualsoscared?A:Yes.It’snaturaltobebothexcitedandscaredabouttakingarisk.ButIfeelathomeinaperformingsituation.It’sliberatingtoknowthatIhavethefreedomtoletgoofcontrolsandexpressmyself.

Question:Doyou think that liberated feelingcomeswitha lotofexposure,oralsoafterexploringyourfeelingsaboutyourrelationshiptoanaudience—whattheaudiencemeanstoyouandwhatperformingmeanstoyou?Answer:Exposure helps, but it’s the quality of your experience, not just howmany times you’ve performed, that is most important. If you have a deepunderstandingofperformingandyoumakeacommitmenttoit,youwillbemoreready to relate to the audience.Youneedgenerosity to themusic, to yourself,andtotheaudience.

Question: I’mgoing tobeuncomfortableplaying in yourworkshopbecause Ihaven’t played in public for two years. For one year I didn’t play at all, and

playinghasbeenaconstantstruggleforme.I’mafraidImightevenstopinthemiddle, or that I’ll become hysterical. I also haven’t had as much time topracticeasIwantedtolately,soIdon’tfeelprepared.HowcanIgetmyselftofocus?Answer:Usuallywegoinandoutoffocusevenifwe’rewellprepared.Ideally,wehave faith inourpreparationandcan relax somewhat aboutperforming. Ifyou don’t feel prepared, you have to accept that; you don’t have an idealsituation.Appreciate the fact thatyou’vecomehere to learn somethingand todevelopyourself.Andappreciateyourwillingnesstopresentyourselfasyouare.It’sagenerousthingtodo.Extendingwarmthtoyourselfcanhelpyourelaxandfocus.Inadmittinghowyoufeel,you’realreadygivingsomethingtoothers.When

onepersonadmitsshehasdifficulties,ithelpsotherpeople.Theyrealizethey’renottheonlyoneswhoareafraid,andtheyfeellessalone.

Question:SometimesIgettensetryingtoplayastrangepianoinaconcertoraudition,especially if Idon’thaveachance to tryout the instrumentaheadoftime.HowshouldIdealwiththatsituation?Answer:Ittakesmeforty-fiveminutestoadjusttoastrangepiano.Ifyoucan’tarrange thatmuch time before a performance, at least run your hand over thekeysandgetasenseofhowstifforloosetheactionis.Inanauditionsituation,youmaybe allowed to play a chord to get an idea of the basic sound so youaren’ttotallythrownbywhatcomesoutwhenyoustarttoplay.JohnCrown,withwhom I studied at theUniversity of SouthernCalifornia,

advisedmenevertoattempttoover-adjusttoanypiano.Ifithasasmallsound,forcingitwilljustmakeyoutight.Ifitsoundstooloud,tryinghardtoplaysoftwillalsomakeyoutight.Theaudiencewillfeelyourtension.You’rebetteroffgiving up your expectations and relaxingwith the instrument you have. Thenyourbodywillbefree,andyou’llcommunicatemore.Foran importantconcert, itpays to rentan instrumentyou feelcomfortable

with.When Iwent to rehearse in the hall formyNewYork debut, I found adifferent piano onstage from the one that had been there the year before. Theactionwas toostiff forme.I tried togetusedto it,butafterpracticingonthisinstrumentfortwohoursIwentacrossthestreettoSteinwayHallandselectedaspecialpianoformybignight.

Question: In interviews, Horowitz comes across as an egomaniac. He says

things like, “I was so great—they really lovedme,” and, “I was the greatestthingyoueverheard.”Butdon’tyouhavetofeelthatwayifyou’regoingtogetupandplay?Everybody isout toget you; they’reout to ripyouapart. If youdon’tthinkyou’rethegreatest,howcanyoudoit?Answer:Horowitzmayhavesaidthesethingsafteraperformance,butitiswellknownthatheexperiencedintensefearbeforegoingonstage.Youneedhumilitytoperform,whichmeansacceptingyourselfasyouare. Ifyourattitude is thatthey’reouttogetyouandthatyouhavetoputupdefenses,youcan’topenupandbegenerous.But ifyouthink,“Maybeonepersonwantsmetofallonmyfacebut therestof themjustwant theirhearts touched,”youhaveachanceofdoingsomethinggood.Basically, peoplewant you to dowell.When you go to a concert, are you

hoping that theperformer isgoing todoabad jobso thatyou’vewastedyourmoney?Doyou spendyourmoney to see people fail? I don’t think so. If it’sTuesdaynight,andyou’reexhausted,andyougotothePhilharmonic,youdon’twant it to be a disaster.Youwant to have a good time.People go to concertsbecausetheywanttobeupliftedandrevived,tofeellikehumanbeings.Andthathappensonlyiftheperformeriswillingtosharehisorherhumanitywithotherpeople,whichmeansbeingvulnerable.Ifyou’remakingmusicforothers,youdon’thavetothinkthatyouhaveyour

acttogetherahundredpercent;youjusthavetobegenerous.Youcanalwaystellwhenaperformerhasthatsenseofhumanity.Hispresencefillsthehall.Peopledon’t justwant to hear themusic played or sung a certainway; theywant towitnesssomeonebeingtrulyhuman.Thentheycanfeelwonderfulaboutbeinghumanthemselves.We also want to feel our own human response to a performer, to let his

vulnerabilitytouchourheart.Inourtechnologicalage,weoftenlosesightofthisreasonforleavingourhomeandgoingtoaconcert.“It’seasiertoputonaCD,”wemay think.Or,“Icansee itbetteronTV.”Butgoing toaconcerthallandsharing a fine performancewith other people can energize and inspire us in away that a recording or broadcast cannot. I have seen the most competitivemusicstudentsandprofessionals,whoanalyzeotherpeople’sperformancesandtry to bolster their own egos by finding fault, lose interest in their criticalagendaswhentheyattendamovingperformance.

Question:SometimesIheardiscouragingvoicesinmyheadbeforeanimportantperformance.Ihearmyparentsandoneofmyteacherssaying,“Youshouldn’ttrytoplaysuchabigconcert.You’renotgoodenough,andyouneverwillbe.”

Thenanger takesholdofme,and I cannever really resolve it. I feel that if itweren’tforthesepeople,I’dbeamoreconfidentperformer.HowcanIgetovermyanger?Answer: You’re describingwhat happenswhenwe get caught up in blamingothers for our problems. Other people do affect our lives, but placing blamecomplicatestheexperienceofbeingangry.Inadditiontofeelingtherawemotionofanger,weget caught inadesire toprove that someone iswrongand togetbackattheminsomeway.I’vefoundthatwhenI’mangry,thekeytogettingoveritistofocuslesson

theobjectoftheangerandmoreonthepureenergyoftheemotion,torecognizethattherageismineandthatIhavearighttoit.IfIletmyselffeeltheexplosiveenergycompletely,itoftendissolvesquickly.Ifitdoesn’t,Itrytostaywithitalittlelongerortofindanappropriatewaytoexpressit.Anger contains a lot of power. It can be difficult to handle, and I consider

myselfabeginneratworkingwithitskillfully.It’slikeridingawildhorse:Youcan do damage if you don’t have command of it. Or you can simply wearyourself out struggling with it and end up going around in circles instead ofmovingforward.You have a right to be angry, but try switching your focus away from the

peopleyouholdresponsible.It’syouremotion.Youneedtofocusonyourwildenergy,tobecomefamiliarwithitandtakefullpossessionofitsothatyoucanharness it. This is a demanding job, so be patient with yourself. You willprobablyfalloffthehorsemanytimes;justgetbackonandtryagain.Littlebylittle,youcanlearntokeepyourseatwhenthehorserunsamokandtochannelitsenergyforgooduse.Sometimes people try to discourage you because they lack confidence

themselves.Theydon’tunderstandhowyoucandare todowhatyou’redoingbecausetheycan’tpicturethemselvesbeingsodaring.Theymayevenenvyyoufor your talent or accomplishments. If you understand their feelings, you candevelopcompassionforthem.Thisdoesn’tmeanyouhavetostickaroundwhiletheythrowdartsatyou;youcanwalkaway.Butyoucanalsorealizethatyouarericherthantheyarebecauseyouhavemoreconfidence.Thisawarenesscanmeltyourangerandopenyourheartforperforming.

Question:Ihaveaconcertintwomonths,andI’mconstantlyworriedifI’llbereadyintimeandifitwillgowell.HowshouldIhandlethat?Answer:You’llprobablyworryuntiltheconcertisover,butthat’sallright.Youcan’t know exactly how prepared youwill be or howwell youwill play that

night.Trustyourselfinspiteofyourworry.Q:ButI’mnewintown,andIfeelthatwitheverystepItake,I’mtakingariskandbeingjudged.A:Somepeoplemayjudgeyou.It’seasytojudgeothers.It’shardertoseethewholepictureof theirperformance, tounderstandwhytheyplayacertainwayandtorelateintelligentlyandcompassionatelytotheirsuccessorfailure.Youmayfindyouunderestimatedtheamountofpreparationtimeyouneeded,

oryoumayrealizeafteryourperformancethatyoucouldhaveplayedbetter ifyou had restedmore and practiced less. In either situation, you gain valuableknowledgeofyourself,andoftherequirementsofperforming,thatwillhelpyouin the future.Try to remember that yourperformance is important not only initselfbutaspartofyour learningprocess.Everyseasonedperformerhas livedthroughmanymistakesandgrownwiserfromthem.You need to make friends. Find people who are going to be there for you

whetheryoumakeamessoutofyourperformanceornot,peopleyoucantalktoaboutwhat you’re going through, so that you’re not always being judged andmeasured. They can help you cultivate your healthy intelligence, the voicewithinyouthatsays,“IwanttodowellbecauseIhavesomethingtogive.Ihaveagoodheart,andIcanlearnfrommymistakes.”

Epilogue

In 1995, I attended a performance inHalifax by the SymphonyNova Scotia,conducted by composer Peter Lieberson. In the final work presented thatevening,Brahms’FirstSymphony,theorchestragavethemostexcitingmusicalperformance Ihaveeverheard.Thismonumentalworkcame to lifewith suchclarity, directness, passion, and abandon that Brahms’ beating heart, in giantform,seemedtofillthehall.Afterthelastnotehadsounded,theaudiencegavethe musicians a long standing ovation. Many people spoke about theperformanceasenthusiasticallyasIdid.Withallthemusicwehadheardinourlives,wedidn’tknowthatanythingthissensationalcouldoccur.Monthslater,IaskedMr.Liebersontodescribehisexperiencepreparingand

conductingthisperformance.Hespokeoftheorchestra’scompletecommitmentto themusic in rehearsal and of howhe hadknown and loved this symphonysincehewaseightyearsold.Hehadstudiedmanydifferentinterpretationsofitand had formed a definite idea of how it should be played. Nevertheless, hewasn’tsureitwouldflowashewantedittoinperformance.Inrehearsal,theorchestratendedtolagbehindhisbeatintheslowmovement,

andhewasfrustrated.Thenheoverheardoneplayersayingtoanother,“Ifhe’donlytrusttheorchestramore,”andherealizedthattheywouldcomealongifhestoppedtryingsohard.Rehearsalswentbetterafterthat,butatonepointintheconcertawholesectionofplayerscame in ina slower tempo thanhewanted.After a moment of irritation, he relaxed, and the music suddenly flowednaturally.“Itbecameblissful,”hesaid.Mr. Lieberson is not a professional conductor, and this orchestra was

considerably smaller than the standard orchestra used to play a Brahmssymphony.Butheprefers a smallergroupbecausehe canhear thepartsmoreclearly.Theorchestra,inturn,wasinspiredtoseeacomposerconducttheworkofanothercomposerwithsomuchpassion.Throughouttheperformance,hefeltastrongrapportwiththeprincipalplayers,includingtheconcertmaster,andhadexcellent visual communication with the orchestra. In addition to exchangingprecise cues of nods and gestures with them, he noticed them radiating anenjoymentofthemusic.Heparticularlyremembersoneviolinistsmilingduring

a few bars’ rest while he listened to lyrical phrases emanating from otherinstruments.Theappreciation,trust,andcommunicationbetweenconductorandplayersaddedenergytotheperformance.Theaudiencealsocontributedenergy.Ourunusuallyenthusiasticresponseto

theotherworksontheprograminfectedthemusicianswithextraexcitement.Mr.Liebersontookmanybowsafterthisperformance.Towardtheendofour

ovation,hepickedupthescorefromhismusicstand,helditup,andpointedtoitasiftosay,“It’sallinthere.Allwedidwasgiveyouwhathewrote.”Thescorehadalightbluecover,withblacklettersandanovaldesignonit.Itlookedthinandsmall,buttheperformershadrevealedthegeniusitcontained.

Notes

Chapter2:StruggleandFreedom

1. Glenn Plaskin, “Learning from the Master,”MMagazine, September1985,p.91.

Chapter3:Stretching

1. Judith Scott, Goodbye to Bad Backs: Stretching and StrengtheningExercises for Alignment and Freedom from Lower Back Pain, 2d ed.(Pennington,N.J.:DanceHorizons/PrincetonBookCompany,1993),p.2292.Ibid.,p.60.3.Ibid.,p.56.4.Ibid.,p.247.5.Ibid.,p.47.

Chapter6:BasicMechanics

1. Barbara Conable and William Conable,How to Learn the AlexanderTechnique:AManualforStudents(Columbus,Ohio:AndoverRoadPress,1992),p.51.2.Ibid.,p.85.3.WynnKapitandLawrenceM.Elson,TheAnatomyColoringBook(NewYork:HarperCollins,1977),plate17.4. Richard Norris, M.D., A Musician’s Survival Guide: A Guide toPreventing and Treating Injuries in Instrumentalists (St. Louis, Mo.:International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians, 1993), pp.59–61.5.Ibid.,p.68.6. Abby Whiteside, The Indispensables of Piano Playing (New York:Coleman-RossCompany,Inc.,1955),p.74.7.Ibid.8.JeffreySolow,“PhysicallyEfficientCelloPlaying,”inCurrentResearchinArts andMedicine:ACompendiumof theMedArt International 1992World Congress on Arts and Medicine, edited by Fadi J. Bejjani, M.D.,Ph.D.(Pennington,N.J.:acappellabooks,1993),p.156.9. Jeffrey Solow, videotape, “Physically Efficient Cello Playing,” fromMedArtInternational1992WorldCongressonArtsandMedicine.

Chapter11:SpontaneousInsight

1. For information about jo ha kyu, I am indebted to Arawana Hayashi,Irene Johansen, and the bookOn the Art of the No Drama: The MajorTreatisesofZeami,translatedbyJ.ThomasRimerandYamazakiMasakazu(Princeton,N.J.:PrincetonUniversityPress,1984).2. RalphKirkpatrick, “Preface” to Sixty Sonatas, by Domenico Scarlatti,vol.I(NewYork:G.Schirmer,1953),p.xv.3.EdwardE.Lowinsky,“OnMozart’sRhythm,”inTheCreativeWorldofMozart,editedbyPaulHenryLang(NewYork:W.W.Norton&Co.,1963),pp.35–37.

Chapter13:PlayingbyHeart

1. Alexander Liberrnann, A Comprehensive Approach to the Piano(Berkeley,Calif.:ArifPress,1984),pp.9–10.

Chapter14:Generosity

1. Diane Nichols, “The Demons Within: Confronting PerformanceAnxiety,”ChamberMusicMagazine,December1995,pp.20–40.

RecommendedReading

TheAnatomyColoringBook,byWynnKapitandLawrenceM.Elson.NewYork:HarperCollins,1977.TheArtofCalligraphy:JoiningHeavenandEarth,byChögyamTrungpa.Boston:ShambhalaPublications,1994.The Art of Quartet Playing: The Guarneri Quartet in Conversation withDavidBlum,byDavidBlum.Ithaca,N.Y.:CornellUniversityPress,1986.BackTrouble:ANewApproach toPreventionandRecovery, byDeborahCaplan,P.T.Gainesville,Fla.:TriadPublishingCo.,1987.“The Demons Within: Confronting Performance Anxiety,” by DianeNichols.ChamberMusicMagazine,December1995.DharmaArt,byChögyamTrungpa.Boston:ShambhalaPublications,1996.FreedomtoLearn,byCarlRogers.NewYork:Macmillan,1994.Goodbye to Bad Backs: Stretching and Strengthening Exercises forAlignment and Freedom from Lower Back Pain, by Judith Scott.Pennington,N.J.:PrincetonBookCo.,1988.The Healing Forces ofMusic: History, Theory and Practice, by RandallMcClellan,Ph.D.Amity,N.Y.:AmityHouse,Inc.,1988.HowtoLearntheAlexanderTechnique:AManualforStudents,byBarbaraConable and William Conable. Columbus, Ohio: Andover Road Press,1992.AMusiciansSurvivalGuide:AGuidetoPreventingandTreatingInjuriesinInstrumentalists, by Richard Norris, M.D. St. Louis, Mo.: InternationalConferenceofSymphonyandOperaMusicians,MMBMusic,Inc.,1993.“OnMozart’sRhythm,”byEdwardE.Lowinsky.InTheCreativeWorldofMozart, edited by Paul Henry Lang. New York: W.W. Norton and Co.,1963.“Performance,”fromthePrefacebyRalphKirkpatricktoSixtySonatasby

DomenicoScarlatti.NewYork:G.Schirmer,1953.“PhysicallyEfficientCelloPlaying,”byJeffreySolow.InCurrentResearchin Arts andMedicine: A Compendium of theMedArt International 1992World Congress on Arts and Medicine, edited by Fadi J. Bejjani, M.D.,Ph.D.Pennington,N.J.:acappellabooks,1993.ThePhysiologicalMechanicsofPianoTechnique,byOttoOrtmann.NewYork:E.P.Dutton&Co.,1962.The Pianist’s Talent: A New Approach to Piano Playing Based on thePrinciples of F. Matthias Alexander and Raymond Thiberge, by HaroldTaylor.NewYork:TaplingerPublishingCo.,1979.Repetitive Strain Injury: A Computer User’s Guide, by Emil Pascarelli,M.D.,andDeborahQuilter.NewYork:JohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,1994.RhythmandMovement:ApplicationsofDalcrozeEurhythmics,byElsaR.Findlay.Evanston,Ill.:Summy-Birchard,1971.Self-Transformation Through Music, by Joanne Crandall. Wheaton, Ill.:QuestBooks,1986.Shambhala:TheSacredPathoftheWarrior,byChögyamTrungpa.Boston:ShambhalaPublications,1988.A Soprano on Her Head: Right-side-up Reflections on Life and OtherPerformances,byEloiseRistad.Moab,Utah:RealPeoplePress,1982.StructuralHearing:TonalCoherenceinMusic,byFelixSalzer.NewYork:DoverPublications,1962.The Supple Body: TheWay to Fitness, Strength, and Flexibility, by SaraBlack.NewYork:Macmillan,1995.ToneDeaf andAll Thumbs?An Invitation toMusicMaking, byFrankR.Wilson.NewYork:VintageBooks,1987.YouAreYourInstrument:TheDefinitiveMusician’sGuidetoPracticeandPerformance,byJulieLyonnLieberman.NewYork:HuiksiMusic,1991.

ResourcesforMusicians

MeditationInstructionPrivate meditation instruction in the Buddhist and Shambhala traditions andgroupmeditationandstudyprogramsareavailableatShambhalaCentersintheUnitedStates,Canada,andEurope.Tolocateacenternearyou,contact

ShambhalaInternational1084TowerRoadHalifax,NovaScotiaB3H2Y5

Canada(902)425-4275

ArtsMedicineServicesTolocateaperformingartsmedicineclinicorreferralservicenearyou,contact

TheInternationalArtsMedicineAssociation3600MarketStreetPhiladelphia,PA19104(610)525-3784

BodyworkMethodsTheAlexanderTechniquecultivatesanawarenessofbodyuseandtheabilityto differentiate between necessary and unnecessary effort. Through verbal andhands-onguidance,thestudentlearnstocarryoutsuchdailyactivitiesassitting,standing, bending, reaching, lifting,walking, andworking at a computerwithease. Musicians also learn to free themselves from inefficient and tension-producing postural and movement habits in practicing their instruments andexperience increased freedom in making music. The technique focusesparticularlyonreleasingtensionintheneck,maintainingalengthenedandwell-alignedspine,andreleasingthejointstodiscovernaturalcoordinationandgrace.Tolocateacertifiedteacher,contact

TheNorthAmericanSocietyof

TeachersoftheAlexanderTechniqueP.O.Box3992Champaign,IL61826(800)473-0620

The Feldenkrais Method® enhances awareness and fine-tunes movementpatternsintwoways:FunctionalIntegration®usesslow,gentletouchinprivatesessions toguide thestudent throughaseriesofmovements that reeducate theneuromuscular system and result in improvedmovement habits and increasedrangeofmotion.Inmuchoftheworkthestudentliescomfortablyonatable,orsits in a chair, and becomes familiar with primitive reflexes andneurodevelopmental patterns that form the basis of healthy functioning.Awareness Through Movement® takes place in a classroom setting. Whilesitting,standing,orlyingdown,studentsareverballyguidedthroughsequencesof light, effortlessmovements anddevelop an awareness of bodily changes asthey learn tomovewithgreater easeandefficiency.MusiciansmayalsoworkwiththeirinstrumentsinFeldenkraissessions.Tolocateateacher,contact

TheFeldenkraisGuildP.O.Box489Albany,OR97321(541)926-0981

TheRosenMethodusesgentle,yetfirm,touchandverbalinteractioninaquiet,supportiveenvironmenttoexplorehowmuscletensionandrestrictedbreathingare adaptive responses to life’s experiences. Increased body awareness,relaxation,andreexperiencingofemotionsandneedsthathavebeenhelddownorbackresultsinmorealiveness,spontaneity,andpowerinperformanceandindailylife.Tolocateapractitioner,call(203)319-1090

Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) addresses both the functional andexpressive aspects of movement. The LMA-trained practitioner (known as aCertifiedMovementAnalyst,orCMA)workswiththestudenttoexpandhisorher movement repertoire by developing a balance between exertion andrecuperation and between stability and mobility. The work also explorescontrasting movement experiences such as delicacy and strength; sustainmentand quickness; and vertical, horizontal, sagittal, diagonal, and circularmovement.TheCMAlooksathowthebodychangesshapeinmotionandworkswiththestudent’sinnerimpulsestomoveandattitudetowardflow,weight,time,andspace.CMA’sarealsotrainedinthefollowing:

BartenieffFundamentals (BF),whichfocusesonuseofbreath, intentionality,effectiveweightshift,bodypartrelationships,spatialawareness,andperceptual-motordevelopmentinadultsandchildren.Laban/Bartenieff sessions formusicians are conductedwith andwithout the

student’sinstrument.Laban Movement Analysis (LMA), Bartenieff Fundamentals (BF), and

CertifiedMovementAnalyst (CMA)areservicemarksof theLaban/BartenieffInstituteofMovementStudies.Tolocateapractitioner,contact

AssociationofLabanMovementAnalystsc/oLaban/BartenieffInstituteofMovementStudies11East4thStreetNewYork,NY10003(212)477-4299

Body-Mind Centering® (BMC), like Laban Movement Analysis, offers amultifacetedapproachtomovementreeducationthroughanexperientialstudyofhowthemind—e.g.,idea,intention,emotion—isexpressedthroughthebodyinmovement. BMC explores how the major body systems—skeletal, muscular,organic, nervous, glandular, and fluid—affectmovement and aims to enhancehealthy patterns in neuromuscular functioning by identifying the particulardynamics that underlie potentially injuriousmovement habits. Like BartenieffFundamentals, BMC works with principles of developmental movement. Theworkencouragesthestudenttoexplorestagesofearlychildhoodmovementthatmayhavebeenskippedsothatheorshecancorrectmovementproblemsattheirrootlevel.MusiciansmayworkwiththeirinstrumentsatBMCsessions.Tolocateacertifiedteacher,contactTheBody-MindCenteringAssociation16CenterStreet,Suite530Northampton,MA01060(413)582-3617

Embodiment Education integrates Body-Mind Centering® with LabanMovementAnalysis,sensoryawareness,andBuddhistpsychologytocoordinateand fine-tune perception,movement, and emotion. Through hands-on therapy,postural-movement analysis, perceptual and movement exercises, and verbalinteraction,thestudentdevelopsawareness,releaseshabitualpatternsoftensionand misuse, and liberates emotional energy. This process guides a musiciantoward a more uplifted, relaxed yet energetic, and wholehearted approach tomusic-making. Sessions are conducted with and without the student’sinstrument.ThismethodiscurrentlytaughtonlybyJoanCampbellWhitacre,M.A.685WestEndAvenue,#12DNewYork,NY10025(212)662-8408

Somatic Movement Therapy Training blends Laban Movement Analysis,Body-Mind Centering®, and Bartenieff Fundamentals, affording in-depthassessmentandindividuallytailoredinterventions.Tolocateapractitioner,contact

MovingOnCenterTheSchoolforParticipatoryArtsandResearch(SPAR)1428AliceStreetOakland,CA94612(510)834-0284

MusicTeachersandHealthProfessionalsInterviewedforThisBook

Dr.FadiJ.BejjaniUniversityRehabilitationAssociates90BergenStreet,Suite3300Newark,NJ07103-2499(201)982-2802

StephenBurns,solotrumpeter,ProfessorofMusicIndianaUniversitySchoolofMusicBloomington,IN47401(812)855-5421

DeborahCaplan,physicaltherapistandCertifiedTeacheroftheAlexanderTechnique,N.A.S.T.A.T.365WestEndAvenue,#13CNewYork,NY10023(212)724-1372

JamesCarson,voiceteacher523West112thStreet,#81NewYorkNY10025(212)865-3066

RobertCohen,CertifiedTeacheroftheAlexanderTechnique,N.A.S.T.A.T.408West36thStreet,#3FNewYork,NY10018(212)643-9322

Martha Eddy, Certified Movement Analyst, Certified Teacher of Body-MindCentering,RegisteredMovementTherapistDirectorofSomaticMovementTherapyTrainingMovingOnCenter1428AliceStreetOakland,CA94612(510)834-0284

Dr.PatrickFazzariDepartmentofRehabilitationMedicineRooseveltHospital1000TenthAvenueNewYork,NY10019(212)523-6597

CarylJohnson,handtherapistHandSurgerySuiteRooseveltHospital1000TenthAvenueNewYork,NY10019(212)523-7599

JeannetteLovetri,voiceteacherDirectoroftheVoiceWorkshopc/o317West93rdStreet,#3BNewYork,NY10025(718)965-0624

FrancesMagnes,violinistFaculty,Hoff-BarthelsonMusicSchool25SchoolLaneScarsdale,NY10583(914)723-1169

HopeMartin,CertifiedTeacheroftheAlexanderTechnique,N.A.S.T.A.T.15East17thStreet,6thFloorNewYork,NY10003(212)243-3867

MelanieNevis,percussionist(Afro-Caribbean,rock,pop,worldmusic)andCertifiedTeacheroftheAlexanderTechnique,N.A.S.T.A.T.c/oLucyMosesSchoolofMusicandDance129West67thStreetNewYork,NY10023(212)645-1479

DianeNichols,M.S.W.,psychotherapistDirector,PerformingArtsPsychotherapyCenter111West57thStreet,Suite1422NewYork,NY10019(212)932-9201

PatrickO’Brien,guitarist/lutenist106West28thStreetNewYork,NY10001(718)783-6791

Dr.EmilPascarelli16East60thStreetNewYork,NY10022(212)326-3348

KarenRitscher,violistFaculty,ManhattanSchoolofMusicandMannesCollegeofMusic241West97thStreet,#13MNewYork,NY10025(212)222-3067

Dr.MarkSeem,acupuncturist

Director,Tri-StateInstituteofTraditionalChineseAcupuncture20West86thStreetNewYork,NY10024(212)496-7869

JamesWang,physicaltherapist336CentralParkWest,#1FNewYork,NY10025(212)961-0353

JanetWeiss,flutist163LakeShoreDriveOakland,NJ07436(201)337-9180

Joan Campbell Whitacre, M.A., Certified Teacher of Body-MindCentering® Registered Movement Therapist, Authorized MeditationInstructorintheBuddhisttradition,teacherofEmbodimentEducation685WestEndAvenue,#12DNewYork,NY10025(212)662-8408JoniYecalsik,Iyengaryogateacher417East9thStreet,#13NewYork,NY10009(212)673-3227

RhythmandDanceTraining

DalcrozeEurhythmicsTolocateaclassorteachertrainingprogramnearyou,contactLeslieMills

DalcrozeSocietyofAmerica390RiversideDrive,#7GNewYork,NY10025orcall(800)471-0012

BaroqueDanceClasses(California)A two-week summer workshop, with separate classes for beginning,intermediate,andadvancedstudents.Studyincludesnotationandreconstructingadancetomusic.

Contact

MusicDepartment

TheBraunMusicCenter

StanfordUniversityStanford,CA94305-3076(415)723-3811Contactcollegemusicdepartmentsinyourareatoinquireaboutotherpossible

classesorworkshopsinbaroquedance.

RhythmTrainingThroughPercussion(NewYorkCity)Classes for nonpercussionists to improve their rhythmic skills on theirinstruments. Emphasis on good body use through principles of theAlexanderTechnique.

Contact

MelanieNevisc/oLucyMosesSchoolofMusicandDance129West67thStreetNewYork,NY10023(212)645-1479

CreativeProcess:TheArtofMakingaTrueMove(Bostonarea)Workshops with Arawana Hayashi, director of the Jo Ha Kyu PerformanceGroup.These workshops are directed toward both dancers and “non-dancers” who

want to uncover and nurture their innate creativity by means of a meditativediscipline. The work demands a precise and intimate attention to the movingbodybutalsorevealsthatstillnessandspaceareequallyimportantinexpressingone’s natural musicality. The exercises and forms presented in the workshopallow each person to discover his or her own creative process. This processbringsclarityandasenseofrichnesstoeverydaylifeaswellastoformalartisticendeavors.Forinformationcall(617)782-5352.

AbouttheAuthor

PianistMadeline Bruser has performed as soloist with the San Francisco andDenverSymphonyOrchestras. She has conducted seminars andworkshops ontheArtofPracticingattheJuilliardSchool,theManhattanSchoolofMusic,theMedArt World Congress on Arts and Medicine, Steinway Hall, and collegemusic departments andmusic teachers’ organizations in theUnited States andCanada. She has also taught teacher-training workshops at American andCanadianmusicschools.Ms.BruserliveswithherhusbandanddaughterinNewYork City, where she teaches privately and conducts regular seminars andteacher-trainingprograms.HerWebsiteaddressiswww.artofpracticing.com.

AlsofromThreeRiversPress

Otherbooksthatnourishthesoul,illuminatethemind,andspeakdirectlytotheheart

ThomasBerryTHEGREATWORKOurWayintotheFuture

ThegrandfatherofDeepEcologyteachesushowtomovefromahuman-centeredviewoftheworldtoonefocusedontheearthandallits

inhabitants.ISBN-13:978-0-609-80499-5/ISBN-10:0-609-80499-5PAPER

ThomasByrom,Tr.THEDHAMMAPADATheSayingsoftheBuddhaWithaprefacebyRamDass

ThefirstbookintheSacredTeachingsseries.ISBN-13:978-0-609-60888-3/ISBN-10:0-609-60888-6HARDCOVER

MelodyErmachildChavisALTARSINTHESTREET

ACourageousMemoirofCommunityandSpiritualAwakeningABuddhistprivateeyevowstohealhercommunity’ssufferingfrom

violenceandracism.ISBN-13:978-0-609-80196-3/ISBN-10:0-609-80196-1PAPER

RamDassONE-LINERS

AMini-ManualforaSpiritualLifeOver200quintessentialobservationsandpithyinstructionsfromhis

lecturesovertheyears.ISBN-13:978-1-4000-4623-2/ISBN-10:1-4000-4623-8HARDCOVER

RamDassandMirabaiBushCOMPASSIONINACTION

SettingOutonthePathofServiceHeartfeltencouragementandadviceforthosereadytocommittimeand

energytorelievingsufferingintheworld.ISBN-13:978-0-517-88500-0/ISBN-10:0-517-88500-XPAPER

MarcDavidNOURISHINGWISDOM

AMind-BodyApproachtoNutritionandWell-Being“Illuminatinginsightsontheconnectionbetweenoureatingandour

thoughtsandfeelings.”AnnemarieColbinISBN-13:978-0-517-88129-3/ISBN-10:0-517-88129-2PAPER

KatDuffTHEALCHEMYOFILLNESS

Aluminousinquiryintothefunctionandpurposeofillness.“Alensthroughwhichgreater,darker,morebeauteousandfantasticmatterscanbeknown

abouttheSelf.”ClarissaPinkolaEstésISBN-13:978-0-609-89943-4/ISBN-10:0-609-89943-0PAPER

JoanFurman,MSN,RN,&DavidMcNabbTHEDYINGTIME

PracticalWisdomfortheDying&TheirCaregivers“Oneofthebestbooksoncaringforthedying.”LarryDossey

ISBN-13:978-0-609-80003-4/ISBN-10:0-609-80003-5PAPER

BernardGlassman&RickFieldsINSTRUCTIONSTOTHECOOK

AZenMaster’sLessonsinLivingaLifethatMatters“Amoreauthenticteachingbyamoreauthenticperson,wearenotlikelyto

seeinourtimes.”ThomasBerryISBN-13:978-0-517-88829-2/ISBN-10:0-517-88829-7PAPER

GregJohansonandRonKurtzGRACEUNFOLDING

PsychotherapyintheSpiritoftheTao-techingTheinteractionofclientandtherapistilluminatedthroughthegentlepowerandwisdomofLaoTsu’sancientclassic.“Alovely,amazinglyclearbook.”

HowardClinebellISBN-13:978-0-517-88130-9/ISBN-10:0-517-88130-6PAPER

JohnKainARAREANDPRECIOUSTHING

ThePossibilitiesandPitfallsofWorkingwithaSpiritualTeacher“AGray’sAnatomyofthespiritualsearch.”LarryDosseyISBN-13:978-0-307-33592-0/ISBN-10:0-307-33592-5HARDCOVER

SelectedbyMarciaandJackKelly100GRACES

MealtimeblessingsfrommanytraditionsincalligraphyreminiscentofthemanuscriptsofmedievalEurope“Alittlegem.”ChristianCentury

ISBN-13:978-0-609-80093-5/ISBN-10:0-609-80093-0PAPER

StephenLevineAYEARTOLIVE

HowtoLiveThisYearasifItWereYourLast“Oneofthefewbooksworthytobelifelongcompanions.”ThomasMoore

ISBN-13:978-0-609-80194-9/ISBN-10:0-609-80194-5PAPER

PatriciaRyanMadsonIMPROVWISDOM

Don’tPrepare,JustShowUpAnirresistibleinvitationtoliveanunscriptedlife.“Amarvelousguideto

freedomanddelight.”JohnTarrantISBN-13:978-1-4000-8188-2/ISBN-10:1-4000-8188-2HARDCOVER

SakiSantorelliHEALTHYSELF

LessonsonMindfulnessinMedicineAninvitationtopatientsandhealthcareprofessionalstobringmindfulness

intothecrucibleofthehealingrelationship.ISBN-13:978-0-609-80504-6/ISBN-10:0-609-80504-5PAPER

RabbiRamiM.ShapiroMINYAN

TenPrinciplesforLivingaLifeofIntegrity“Thisbookhasthepowertochangepeople’slives.”HaroldKushner

ISBN-13:978-0-609-80055-3/ISBN-10:0-609-80055-8PAPER

AlistairShearer,Tr.THEYOGASUTRASOFPATANJALI

“Awonderfultranslation,fullofcontemporaryinsightyetluminouswitheternaltruth.”JacobNeedleman

SACREDTEACHINGSISBN-13:978-0-609-60959-0/ISBN-10:0-609-60959-9HARDCOVER

AlistairShearerandPeterRussell,Tr.THEUPANISHADS

“Alovelydecantingofthisveryoldwineintoasparklingnewbottle.”JohnUpdike

SACREDTEACHINGSISBN-13:978-0-609-61107-4/ISBN-10:0-609-61107-0HARDCOVER

GailSherWRITINGTHEFIRE!

YogaandtheArtofMakingYourWordsComeAlive“Theperfectfoodforfeedingyourwritingpractice.”NinaZolotow

ISBN-13:978-0-307-20991-7/ISBN-10:0-307-20991-1PAPER

JeanSmithTHEBEGINNER’SGUIDETOWALKINGTHEBUDDHA’S

EIGHTFOLDPATH“Genuinelywise,charminglyconversationalandapleasuretoread.”Sylvia

BoorsteinISBN-13:978-0-609-80896-2/ISBN-10:0-609-80896-6PAPER

JeanSmithTHEBEGINNER’SGUIDETOZENBUDDHISM

“Clearinstructionsforwhere,how,andwithwhomtopractice—andwhy.”SylviaBoorstein

ISBN-13:978-0-609-80466-7/ISBN-10:0-609-80466-9PAPER

RabbiJosephTelushkinTHEBOOKOFJEWISHVALUESADay-by-DayGuidetoEthicalLiving

Ancientandmodernadviceonhowtoremainhonestinamorallycomplicatedworld.“Anabsolutelysuperbbook.”RabbiHaroldKushner

ISBN-13:978-0-609-60330-7/ISBN-10:0-609-60330-2HARDCOVER

RabbiJosephTelushkinACODEOFJEWISHETHICSVolume1:YouShallBeHoly

Amonumentalworkonthevitalsubjectofpersonalcharacterandintegrity.“Amasterwork,vastinscope,richinwisdom,engaging,lucid,and

profound.”RabbiSirJonathanSacks

ISBN-13:978-1-4000-4835-9/ISBN-10:1-4000-4835-4HARDCOVER

JoanTollifsonBARE-BONESMEDITATION

WakingUpfromtheStoryofMyLifeAnunvarnished,exhilaratingaccountofonewoman’sstruggle.“Raucous,

painful,andserene.”MarkMatousekISBN-13:978-0-517-88792-9/ISBN-10:0-517-88792-4PAPER

BUDDHALAUGHINGATricycleBookofCartoons

Amarvelousopportunityforself-reflectionforthosewhotakethemselvestooseriously.

ISBN-13:978-0-609-80409-4/ISBN-10:0-609-80409-XPAPER

ArinnaWeismanandJeanSmithTHEBEGINNER’SGUIDETOINSIGHTMEDITATION

AcomprehensiveguidetoVipassana.“Awonderfulsupporttothosenewonthepath.”SharonSalzberg

ISBN-13:978-0-609-80647-0/ISBN-10:0-609-80647-5PAPER

RichardWhelan,Ed.SELF-RELIANCE

TheWisdomofRalphWaldoEmersonasInspirationforDailyLivingAdistillationofEmerson’sspiritualwritings.

“Atonicdraft,arapture,andaninspiration.”PicoIyerISBN-13:978-0-517-58512-2/ISBN-10:0-517-58512-XPAPER

AvailablefromThreeRiversPresswhereverbooksaresold.