Musician Wellness Book Collection: Book Collection

This is a comprehensive and practical guide to psychological concepts and theories as well as to strategies and techniques designed to help future coaches and sport psychologists cultivate peak performance and personal growth through recent advances in sport psychology. The text's five-part organization focuses on motivation and leadership, social interactions, mental training, program implementation, and issues that go beyond performance enhancement. Contributing authors are experts in their topic, and each chapter has been written specifically for this collection.

An innovative approach that teaches musicians how to prevent and manage injuries, presented in a unique format that combines sound medical protocol with a musician's point of view.

Audition Success presents a groundbreaking method that has already made Don Greene one of the country's leading audition trainers. Combining specially designed self-tests and real-life examples from the careers of two performers, Audition Success will help performers understand what prevents them from nailing an audition and give them the tools to reach their goals.

Music performance requires a high degree of physical skill, yet until recently musical training has paid little attention to the considerable demands made on both mind and body. The Biology of Musical Performance and Performance-Related Injury gives singers and instrumentalists accurate information on the physical processes that underlie their craft. It provides a concise overview of the biological principles associated with performance technique while assuming no prior scientific knowledge, making the information accessible to both musicians and health professionals who treat performance-related medical conditions.

Playing music should be as simple and natural as drawing a breath, yet most musicians are hindered by self-consciousness, apprehension, self-doubt, and stress. Before we can truly express our inner self, we must first learn to be at peace and overcome the distractions that can make performance difficult. Kenny's remarkable work deals directly with these hindrances, and presents ways to let our natural creative powers flow freely with minimal stress and effort. Includes an inspiring CD of meditations designed to initiate positive thought. This book has become a favorite of many musicians who credit it with changing their lives! Many are so impressed that they buy copies for their musician friends as gifts. Easy, effortless reading paperback. "Effortless Mastery is a book that the world really needs. It was not written by a philosopher or an academic. Kenny Werner, is one of my favorite pianists I've ever had the pleasure of working with, and in my opinion one of the best pianists living on the planet. Kenny teaches that 'The joy of practicing is concentration. The joy of playing is liberation.' Effortless Mastery teaches the seeker how to achieve both at the highest levels. It also shows how to practice effectively, promoting real growth and how to play and perform free from fear and self-judgment. I highly recommend this book." ---Quincy Jones

We've all been there: that make-it-or-break-it moment of our careers--on the brink of a deal, poised at the starting gate, under the spotlight. At this point, most of us experience one overwhelming reaction--fear--and this fear can have negative physical, mental, and emotional consequences on how well we do our job. Don Greene, Ph.D., renowned sports psychologist, professor at the Juilliard School, and "stress" coach to top executives, has spent decades studying fear, and in this groundbreaking book, he identifies seven essential skills required to fight fear and perform at your best: Determination, Energy, Perspective, Courage, Focus, Poise, and Resilience. Whether you are giving a closing argument in a courtroom, making a presentation at work, or stepping up to the first tee, this simple twenty-one-day plan will make a profound difference in the way you approach challenges, allowing you to think more clearly and creatively under pressure. Fight Your Fear and Win is the ultimate tool for conquering your fear and achieving success when you need it most.

Instrumental musicians can and do develop many physical problems that interfere with making music. Fit as a Fiddle is written by an international authority in musicians' medicine who also is a symphonic musician and teacher. It provides current and important health-related information for all instrumentalists, presented in an understandable and readable fashion. Dr. Dawson includes a section on basic body structure and function, avoiding medical jargon and setting the stage for following chapters. Further topics include those disorders that are caused by playing music: including overuse, muscle strain, and tendinitis. Subsequent chapters discuss a variety of conditions common to mature performers and teachers, especially carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and hearing loss. Each chapter provides self-help advice to both musician and music teacher in recognizing problems, seeking medical care, and choosing treatment strategies. Dr. Dawson includes information on alternate care disciplines, as well as on rehabilitation and prevention of both common and uncommon conditions that can interfere with practice and performance. The book contains a helpful glossary of medical terms, both familiar and unfamiliar. Fit as a Fiddle is written specifically for instrumental musicians of all ages and degrees of experience, as well as their teachers from primary to conservatory level.

This book draws together pioneering contributions to the study of the processes by which music is created. It redresses a balance in contemporary literature on the psychology of music which has, to date, concentrated mainly on receptive processes. The focus throughout is on empirical observation and the development of cognitive theory, with fascinating explorations of such topics as the generation of expression in musical performance, problems of synchrony in ensemble performance, improvisational skill in trained and untrained musicians, childrens' spontaneous notations for music, and formal constraints on compositional systems.

Master your game from the inside out! With more than 800,000 copies sold since it was first published thirty years ago, this phenomenally successful guide has become a touchstone for hundreds of thousands of people. Not just for tennis players, or even just for athletes in general, this handbook works for anybody who wants to improve his or her performance in any activity, from playing music to getting ahead at work. W. Timothy Gallwey, a leading innovator in sports psychology, reveals how to * focus your mind to overcome nervousness, self-doubt, and distractions * find the state of "relaxed concentration" that allows you to play at your best * build skills by smart practice, then put it all together in match play Whether you're a beginner or a pro, Gallwey's engaging voice, clear examples, and illuminating anecdotes will give you the tools you need to succeed. "Introduced to The Inner Game of Tennis as a graduate student years ago, I recognized the obvious benefits of [W. Timothy] Gallwey's teachings. . . . Whether we are preparing for an inter-squad scrimmage or the National Championship Game, these principles lie at the foundation of our program."--from the Foreword by Pete Carroll

Even the most physically gifted athletes struggle in competition when they lose control over their thoughts and emotions. Mastering Your Inner Gamearms you with the tools to understand, manage, and maximize your mental and emotional forces--factors that often determine whether you're an all-star and or an "also-ran." Author David Kauss looks at how athletic performance fits into your own life experience. His "total athlete" system takes into account your internal strengths and weaknesses instead of applying a predefined set of mental training exercises. Mastering Your Inner Gamebegins by presenting five vivid case studies that illustrate real challenges faced by real athletes. You'll experience the thoughts and emotions the competitors were dealing with as they worked to overcome their obstacles using Kauss' personalized mental training methods. Then you'll begin to understand how the method can work for you--whether it's breaking out of a slump, building confidence, or sharpening your focus. Kauss then leads you through the process of self-assessment. Self-guided exercises help you recognize the people and events in your life that have either contributed to your success or undermined your sport performance. Plus, you'll learn more about how your life has shaped your athletic identity through additional exercises that - reveal your motives for participating in sports, - expose your hidden fears, - tap into the power of your daydreams, and - identify your personal core values. Once you have pinpointed the underlying causes of your performance blocks, Kauss teaches you how to develop individualized mental training packages that will help you perform your best no matter how difficult the challenge. Only by analyzing and then rechanneling these forces in positive ways will you truly be able to reach your full potential.

The Inner Game of Music, the breakout hit that became a standard primer in the music world, has taught thousands of musicians--professionals and amateurs alike--how to overcome self-consciousness and stage fright and to recapture a youthful, almost effortless capacity to learn. Now, in his follow-up book, The Mastery of Music, Barry Green turns his expert hand to the artistic qualities that make an extraordinary musician. Culling advice from dozens of interviews with legends including Joshua Bell, Dave Brubeck, Jeffrey Kahane, Bobby McFerrin, Christopher Parkening, Doc Severinsen, Frederica von Stade, the Harlem Boys Choir, and the Turtle Island String Quartet, he reveals that it's not enough to have a cerebral and emotional connection to the notes. Green hows how musical excellence, exhibited by true virtuosos, requires a mastery of ten unique qualities of the soul and the human spirit, such as confidence, passion, discipline, creativity, and relaxed concentration, and he discusses specific ways in which all musicians, composers, and conductors can take their skills to higher levels. He carefully incorporates all instruments and techniques in his rejuvenating discussions, inspiring the stifled student to have fun again and the over-rehearsed performer to rediscover the joy of passionate expression. Essential reading for every musician, The Mastery of Music strikes a beautiful new chord.

In The Mindful Musician: Mental Skills for Peak Performance, author Vanessa Cornett offers guidelines to help musicians cultivate artistic vision, objectivity, freedom, quiet awareness, and self-compassion, both on- and offstage in order to become more resilient performers. Contrary to modernculture's embrace of busyness and divided attention, Cornett's contemplative techniques provide greater space for artistic self-expression and satisfaction. With the aid of a companion website that includes audio files and downloadable templates, The Mindful Musician provides a method to promoteattentional focus, self-assessment, emotional awareness, and creativity. The first of its kind to combine mindfulness practices with research in cognitive and sport psychology, this book helps musicians explore the roots of anxiety and other challenges related to performance, all through thedeliberate focus of awareness.

In The Musician's Way, veteran performer and educator Gerald Klickstein combines the latest research with his 30 years of professional experience to provide aspiring musicians with a roadmap to artistic excellence. Part I, Artful Practice, describes strategies to interpret and memorizecompositions, fuel motivation, collaborate, and more. Part II, Fearless Performance, lifts the lid on the hidden causes of nervousness and shows how musicians can become confident performers. Part III, Lifelong Creativity, surveys tactics to prevent music-related injuries and equips musicians to taptheir own innate creativity. Written in a conversational style, The Musician's Way presents an inclusive system for all instrumentalists and vocalists to advance their musical abilities and succeed as performing artists.

(Berklee Press). Become a better musician through yoga. By integrating yoga into your practice routines, you will develop a more focused and concentrated mind for performance. You will be able to increase awareness of how you use your body to allow for proper posture and ease of movement while performing, helping you to avoid overuse injuries and play with greater expression. These concepts, exercises, and practice routines present yoga from the musicians' perspective, focusing on the direct relationships between using yoga and creating music. You will learn to: * Practice meditation approaches, breathing techniques, and yoga postures that will help improve musicianship * Play using healthy posture and technique * Get more out of your practice through improved focus * Use your breath to improve your phrasing and also to ease performance anxiety * Play with deeper expression through inspiration.

This work explains the causes of musical performance anxiety and suggests ways of dealing with it effectively. The authors draw on cognitive and behavioural psychology to show how proper preparation, learning experiments, tension management and relaxation training can relieve anxiety which often accompanies an individual's musical performance.

Dealing with performance anxiety, this book aims to show how to approach public presentations calmly and comfortably, without sweaty palms and a pounding heart. Anxiety-management techniques and practical, step-by-step workbook exercises make this book useful for those in the spotlight.

Music performance anxiety has long frustrated the artistic community and, while tricks and folk remedies abound, a comprehensive plan to solve this problem has remained elusive. Accomplished violinist Casey McGrath combines her experiences with the research of Karin S. Hendricks and Tawnya D. Smith to provide a resource guide to the most current solutions and therapies, as well as educational applications, for both individual and classroom use. Divided by area of therapeutic interest, Performance Anxiety Strategies presents relevant and noteworthy research and insight into some of the most popular and many lesser-known therapies--including holistic, exposure, cognitive, behavioral, and medicinal treatments. Each chapter also features self-guided activities and exercises, words of wisdom from established performing artists and athletes, and suggestions for music teachers, as well as first-person narratives about the authors' personal journeys with music performance anxiety both onstage and in the classroom. Including a wealth of offerings and approaches, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone who has ever experienced performance anxiety, from the aspiring classical musician to the garage band guitarist.

To practice effectively the musician must be in touch with his intuitive artistic impulses and at the same time, stand outside the process as a coach, making a continuous series of conscious managerial decisions. Most practicers are ineffective coaches because they have never been taught explicitly the intricacies of managing their practice. Practicing for Artistic Success presents an easy-to-learn system to all musicians who are ready to reduce frustration and bring greater meaning and joy into their practice space.

What type of practice makes a musician perfect? What sort of child is most likely to succeed on a musical instrument? What practice strategies yield the fastest improvement in skills such as sight-reading, memorization, and intonation? Scientific and psychological research can offer answers to these and other questions that musicians face every day. In The Science and Psychology of Music Performance, Richard Parncutt and Gary McPherson assemble relevant current research findings and make them accessible to musicians and music educators. This book describes new approaches to teaching music, learning music, and making music at all educational and skill levels. Each chapter represents the collaboration between a music researcher (usually a music psychologist) and a performer or music educator. This combination of expertise results in excellent practical advice. Readers will learn, for example, that they are in the majority (57%) if they experience rapid heartbeat before performances; the chapter devoted to performance anxiety will help them decide whether beta-blocker medication, hypnotherapy, or the Alexander Technique of relaxation might alleviate their stage fright. Another chapter outlines a step-by-step method for introducing children to musical notation, firmly based on research in cognitive development. Altogether, the 21 chapters cover the personal, environmental, and acoustical influences that shape the learning and performance of music.

Written by a professional musician who is also a certified occupational therapist, Teaching Healthy Musicianship first and foremost help music educators avoid common injuries that they themselves encounter, and in the process it also equips them with the tools they need to instill healthy musicianship practices in their students. Author Nancy Taylor combines her two unique skill sets to provide a model for injury prevention that is equally cognizant of the needs of music educators and their students. Through practical explanation of body mechanics, ergonomics, and the performance-related health problems and risk factors unique to musicianship, she gives music educators the tools they need to first practice healthy posture, body mechanics, environmental safety, and ergonomics, and then to introduce these same practices to their students. Thoroughly illustrated with 125 photographs, this book is a key resource for preservice and inservice teachers of middle school and high school band, orchestra, choir and general music.

Whether you load your iPod with Bach or Bono, music has a significant role in your life--even if you never realized it. Why does music evoke such powerful moods? The answers are at last be- coming clear, thanks to revolutionary neuroscience and the emerging field of evolutionary psychology. Both a cutting-edge study and a tribute to the beauty of music itself, This Is Your Brain on Music unravels a host of mysteries that affect everything from pop culture to our understanding of human nature, including: * Are our musical preferences shaped in utero? * Is there a cutoff point for acquiring new tastes in music? * What do PET scans and MRIs reveal about the brain's response to music? * Is musical pleasure different from other kinds of pleasure? This Is Your Brain on Music explores cultures in which singing is considered an essential human function, patients who have a rare disorder that prevents them from making sense of music, and scientists studying why two people may not have the same definition of pitch. At every turn, this provocative work unlocks deep secrets about how nature and nurture forge a uniquely human obsession.

Why are some performers exhilarated and energized about performing in public, while others feel a crushing sense of fear and dread, and experience public performance as an overwhelming challenge that must be endured? What are the factors that produce such vastly different performanceexperiences? Why have consummate artists like Frederic Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Pablo Cassals, Tatiana Troyanos, and Barbra Streisand experienced such intense music performance anxiety? This is a disorder that can affect musicians across a range of genres and of all standards. Some of the'cures' musicians resort to can be harmful to their health and detrimental to their playing.This is the first rigorous exposition of music performance anxiety. In this groundbreaking work, Dianna Kenny draws on a range of disciplines including psychology, philosophy, phenomenology, psychoanalysis, and performance theory in order to explain the many facets of music performance anxiety thathave emerged in the empirical and clinical literature. She identifies some unifying guiding principles that will enhance our understanding of the condition and guide researchers and clinicians in the development of effective treatments. The book provides a detailed conceptual framework for the studyof music performance anxiety and a review of the empirical and clinical research on the anxiety disorders. In addition it presents a thorough analysis of the concepts related to music performance anxiety, its epidemiology, and theories and therapies that may be useful in understanding and treatingthe condition. The voices of musicians are clearly heard throughout the book and in the final two chapters, we hear directly from musicians about how they experience it and what they do to manage it.This book will lay a firm foundation for theorizing music performance anxiety and be of enormous value interest to those in the fields of music and music education, clinical psychology, and performance studies.

This unique guide helps all musicians: open up new avenues of expression through a pain-free, healthy, fluid approach to music-making; overcome performance anxiety, general tension, and muscular injury; and increase learning skills and facilitate more effective motor coordination. "This is a highly recommended book to read for the musician who needs information about maximizing one's full potential as an artist. This book is practical in that it covers all aspects of musicianship, ranging from the mental preparations involved in performance to the actual bodily care needed to prevent long-term injuries." BOOK REVIEW