Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within
Author: Kenny Werner
List Price: $20.00
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ISBN: 156224003X
Publisher: Jamey Aebersold Jazz (January, 1996)
Sales Rank: 5,497
Average Customer Rating: 4.55 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Indispensible and Brilliant from Start to Finish
One night I had a terrible, terrible time in my beginner's jazz ensemble class. Every note I played sounded more horrible than the one before. I distinctly remember, as I was walking toward the train station from the New School in Greenwich Village, New York City, eying every dumpster I saw and thinking -- I could toss my flute in one of those, and I would never have to think about music ever again. But I couldn't quite bear to throw thousands of dollars away, so I didn't throw my flute into the trash. Fortunately, also that night in class, the teacher recommended Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner to another student who was also floundering. The title stuck with me, so the next day I went out and bought the book.
I immediately read the book at least four times through, and I did the meditations daily for over a month. The book and meditations cured my feelings of inadequatecy and rid me forever of the stage fright that had been a problem too.
If it hadn't been for this book, I would have quit playing music, and missed out on thousands of hours of joy as a musician, a composer, a band member and as a jazz performer in the very same New York City neighborhood where I took my first jazz ensemble classes.
Warmest heartfelt thanks, Kenny Werner, for keeping me playing.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Kenny's Really Got It!
I read Kenny's book while I was at sea for 3 months, and listened to the CD many times. My playing has really opened up, and I think he's right about all of it. When asked about effortless mastery, Bird said,(paraphrased) "Learn all the technical stuff and then forget it,just play!" That is strictly analogous to practicing correctly, and entering the space. Werner's remarks about the importance of learning the melody, how our minds ruin it for us because we continually rush through the music thereby missing what in fact we are after, practicing up-tempos by just "wiggling your fingers", his observations RE: Bill Evans and Horowitz videos, his "get real time" approach to self-assessment about how to really improve, how to practice, the distinction familiar and unfamiliar as opposed to easy and difficult, and his concept of the Learning Diamond...it is lovingly written... it encourages and shows how to give ourselves permission to really play from our hearts...and effortless mastery emerges from that...boldly insightful and generous.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Great
If you want to that last push to take your playing to the next level or if you have hit a flat spot in your growth read this book. Similar Products
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