THREE Excerpts FROM "LET YOUR MUSIC SOAR"

The Artist and the Critic

From a tiny place in one's heart
Blossoms an offering.

Its purpose is to uplift,
Not to be forced into the small space
Of another's imagination...

...Like forcing a tree into a seed.

Definition of Music

"The play of sound and silence gives birth to many joyful elements (timbre, pitch, rhythm, articulation, melody, harmony, counterpoint, and dynamic variation) as they are experienced flowing through time and space. This experience creates a profoundly uplifting, unifying, and healing art form known as music. The artist, through self-expression, offers 'humanness' and 'individuality' to the art form."

Out of the Box

As a performer, individuality does not necessarily mean "out of the box" or "unconventional." Individuality can even be an expression of your own deep love for a conventional style or a particular artist. Yet even this approach can't diminish true individuality when it comes with conviction. It is this "pouring out" of uninhibited enthusiasm that expresses natural individuality, whatever the result. It is not "in" or "out" of the box that is important. It is not about the box at all. The box can only get in the way. Individuality is an expression that comes from the natural way your own mind, heart, and body are ordered. And when we flow with this, it connects us in a very effective and deep way to any activity we apply it to.

So listen to your heart and offer what makes you feel good, what is exciting to you, what is interesting to you, and what moves you.

More About "Let Your Music Soar":
Peter Krammer's Preface to the Book
Corky Siegel's Introduction to the Book
Table of Contents
Three Excerpts from the Book
     The Artist and the Critic      Definition of Music      Out of the Box
Graphic: Zones of Physical Intensity (and how they might feel)