Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within Author: Visit Amazon's Kenny Werner Page | Language: English | ISBN:
156224003X | Format: PDF
Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within Description
From the Publisher
This is a great book for any musician, and it has literally changed the way people all over the globe think about their lives and their music. Kenny's candid confession of frustrations regarding his own early development really reveal how *everyone* struggles to reach a place of mastery, no matter what facade of confidence they present publicly. It is an inspiring book that seems to immediately connect with musicians, who say to us over and over, "I've always felt there was something holding me back, and now I know how to let go and move forward!" The accompanying CD of meditations will be helpful for those wishing to investigate further the practical techniques Kenny discusses in the book.
About the Author
Kenny Werner is an accomplished pianist who began performing at age 4 and, by age 11, had appeared on television. While at the Manhattan School of Music he became restless with his musical direction and began to explore Jazz as a new means of creativity and expression. Along his journey, he was inspired by masters of the craft to rethink not only the technical aspects of creativity, but also the spiritual aspects.
Effortless Mastery is not only an account of that journey, but also an insightful guide for all those wishing to remove their own barriers to creativity in life and the arts.
- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Jamey Aebersold; PAP/COM edition (January 9, 1996)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 156224003X
- ISBN-13: 978-1562240035
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 0.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
I've heard a lot about Mr. Werner's Effortless Mastery title. In fact, I know a band whose two primary musicians constantly bicker about whether this "effortless" approach is viable. After years of hearing about it, I decided to find out for myself.
The book starts out with one basic premise: you are an aspiring, practicing musician, looking to "break through" to higher grounds of playing. Many people are at this stage, but have a fear of unfamiliar musical territory. The bulk of this book is dedicated to removing this fear.
Werner's approach to doing so is by breaking down negative programming that's been beaten into aspiring musicians worldwide throughout their music careers. Some have a fear that's instilled by their teachers, who constantly tell them they're not good enough, not perfect enough, not smooth enough. Others have this fear imbued by "great" musicians - those who seem to push the boundaries and perform inhuman feats on their instrument. According to Mr. Werner, all this negative programming eventually becomes an insurmountable barrier for advancement - unless it is reversed and positive programming is imposed on the musician. Who will impose this programming? Most likely, it will be the musician himself.
Again, the basic premise comes into play: you must work on your technique, learn new music, and address your weaknesses. That is a given, and there is no way around it. However, you must also have a positive outlook while doing so - otherwise all the imperfections you've ironed out during practice will come back to haunt you in performance.
Some of the initial chapters reveal in great depth Mr. Werner's personal experience.
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