Ever heard of the thread that is supposed to be pulling your head up towards the ceiling?
How dangerous is this image, although at the beginning it may be helpful for some people. However, as a mental instruction derived from an external image, it quickly reaches its limits.
What may happen, whe...
In the field of body awareness methods there's one approach that happens to find a special appeal among certain musicians. This approach says that a musician who has tensions should just stop doing superfluous, "wrong" movements. These would then be saved and the "right" movements would appear by th...
Today I want to share with you what is, in my opinion, the Number One reason why we suffer from performance nerves.
Many musicians think, it's because they're technically not skilled enough, or not concentrated enough, or that the pressure is unbearable. But I think it's about something else.
This is the second part of my series about the nervous system. To read the first part, go back here: "The nervous system and its significance for practice, learning from memory, and stage fright"
Neurologist Hughlings Jackson made a discovery in the 19th century, which still serves as the basis f...
With examples for clarinet, piano and viola
How do I practice for joy in music? How can I ensure that I can play the piece by heart? How do I manage not to tense up when I practice? What should I practice first, the notes or the sound or the music, or something else entirely?
These are some frequently asked questions in my seminars and individual sessions.
In this article I describe my approach, how I practice musical pieces that they get into my system "by themselves" and I stay relaxed and fresh. It consists of four simple steps, simple yet powerful, that can make a big difference in your practice. I apply them also with my piano students, and the best of it: they are really, really fun.
Elasticity allows us to regulate our breathing flexibly, to move smoothly, to bring out a plasticity in our sound, and ultimately to feel refreshed after practicing. (Yes, that's possible!)
Elasticity is attained solely through our fasciae, also called connective tissue.
This new, young and grou...
The nervous system is a universe. It regulates everything in us: from body movements, bodily functions and body sensations to feelings, thoughts, thought processes. For a year, I’ve been learning about it, and I’ve been finding new and exciting connections.
The most important connection for us mus...
You're not really getting into a flow state when you practice? After one or two hours you're mentally and physically exhausted? It could be because you're stopping the flow in your body unknowingly: by holding your breath.
Breathing is the single most important thing to take care of when you're pr...
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