Podcasts about Effortless Mastery

In this episode, Alex welcomes pianist, composer, and educator Kenny Werner, author of the landmark book Effortless Mastery. Kenny's teachings have revolutionized the way musicians think about practice, performance, and creativity. Though widely respected for his playing, Werner's profound influence as a teacher has often eclipsed his musical output—something this episode sets out to correct. Alex and Kenny dive deep into the philosophy behind Effortless Mastery, a system of learning and unlearning that helps musicians quiet their inner critics, accept where they are, and move forward with intention and ease. They also explore how spirituality, rhythm, and breathing all play essential roles in accessing “the space”—that elusive zone where creativity flows freely. Follow Alex @alexskolnick and Moods & Modes @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas. Music by Alex Skolnick and the Alex Skolnick Trio. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Studio Kairos. Resources & Links: Kenny Werner's website & music: https://kennywerner.com Effortless Mastery (book and courses): EffortlessMastery.com Berklee's Effortless Mastery Institute: Berklee.edu Alex's Patreon: patreon.com/alexskolnick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Swan is back for another New-Year episode & book chat, this time the title is "Effortless Mastery" by jazz pianist, instructor, and author (obviously) Kenny Werner.Tune into this episode to hear Jim come to several somber realizations regarding his own unhealthy shadow - live on air!Here's Kenny Werner's website: https://kennywerner.com/And here's the book as listed on Amazon (though it's available all over the place): https://www.amazon.com/Effortless-Mastery-Liberating-Master-Musician/dp/156224003X-We're on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DroningOnPodcastAnd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/droning.on.podcast/-You can write-in to the show with comments, ideas, requests, etc. at TheDroningOnPodcast@gmail.com-Support the show via Patreon (patreon.com/DroningOnPodcast), or by buying cool stuff at BagpipeSWAG.com - - - And now, some keywords: Bagpipes, bagpipe, bag, pipe, pipes, pipe, band, pipeband, Scottish, small, drone, droning, chanter, highland, lowland, uilleann, smallpipes, trad music

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2344: Cylon George offers a transformative approach to beating performance anxiety by encouraging us to connect with a transcendent purpose, prioritize the process over results, and embrace mistakes as opportunities for growth. Drawing insights from Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery, George empowers readers to relinquish ego-driven fears and enjoy their performances, no matter the stakes. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.spirituallivingforbusypeople.com/how-to-beat-performance-anxiety Quotes to ponder: "My purpose in performing is to communicate the joy I experience in living." "Some of us play as if there were a gun being held to our head, and there usually is - because we're holding it!" "It's time to start playing some 'wrong notes.'" Episode references: Effortless Mastery: https://www.amazon.com/Effortless-Mastery-Liberating-Master-Musician/dp/156224003X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On The Journey This Week Fr Mark De Battista says Jesus is inviting Peter and each of us to step out into the storms of life and go out to him and at that moment when you feel that force of the wind, keep your eyes fixed on Christ. Mother Hilda says observe how much life there is all around you, over which you have absolutely no control. Plus, Fr Tony Percy's Word reflection is Effortless Mastery, Byron & Francine Pirola on couples arguing, and Fr Mike Delaney is marvelling at light shards.

The Word –Fr Tony Percy–Effortless Mastery (Fr Tony Percy says we have the unusual pairing of God appearing to Elijah on Mount Horeb in the Book of Kings and Jesus Christ walking on the water in Matthew 19. The pairing of these two readings seems to be obscure. Elijah discovers that God is not in the form of a mighty wind, an earthquake, or a fire. No, rather, he discovers that God is in a voice of silence. Fr Henry Wansbrough, a fantastic biblical scholar, says the literal translation is “a voice of silence”, not one of weakness or gentleness, but one of effortless mastery. In the gospel, Jesus not only speaks with effortless mastery, but he acts with effortless mastery. Jesus walks on the water. Imagine him, Jesus, walking with effortless mastery and then he speaks with authority. We're invited to experience the effortless mastery of God in times of silence and stillness. And we're invited to experience the effortless mastery of God in times of darkness and chaos.)

This is an interview with the incomparable Kenny Werner. He is an improvising pianist and author whose impact on the philosophy and practice of improvisation has been extraordinary. In the realm of music, Kenny Werner's improvisations weave melodies and harmonies that are rooted in but not limited to the jazz tradition. His groundbreaking work as the architect of "Effortless Mastery," a transformative methodology for nurturing musical talent, has facilitated the growth of countless aspiring artists worldwide. What sets Kenny Werner apart is not only his technical fluency as a performing artist, but his understanding of the deeper connections between music, self-discovery, and indeed life itself. Immersed in the teachings of Indian philosophy and their echoes in Western thought, Kenny brings a unique perspective that extends well beyond just music practice. This discussion delves into the very heart of Effortless Mastery as Kenny opens the door to a world of possibilities through guided exercises, allowing you to experience the essence of his approach firsthand. Throughout the discussion, Kenny plays the piano to demonstrate, and you might even witness the creation of a new composition! Whether you're a seasoned musician, an aspiring artist, or simply someone with an ear for beauty, this interview with Kenny Werner promises to be an unforgettable exploration of the philosophy, music, and wisdom that shape his remarkable journey.   The musical interlude towards the beginning of the program features music composed and performed by Bradley Vines on alto and baritone saxophones. The first quote is by Sister Wendy taken from her program The Story of Painting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBv0HezlOBw). The second quote is from an interview with Swami Sarvapriyananda on the Waking Up app with Sam Harris (https://dynamic.wakingup.com/course/COFFD9B?code=SCE8C67C8&share_id=D9D1B484&source=content%20share).   There are three segments of Kenny Werner's recorded music included. The first is taken from the song Little Blue Man on the album Beat Degeneration (https://music.apple.com/us/album/little-blue-man/80818980?i=80818904, with Johannes Weidenmueller, Ari Hoenig, and Kenny Werner). The second is from the title track of his album Animal Crackers (https://music.apple.com/us/album/animal-crackers-feat-kenny-werner-johannes-weidenmueller/1305816021?i=1305816267). The third is from the title track of his album The Space (https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-space/1441314552?i=1441314553).

World-class pianist, composer, and author Kenny Werner is our guest for today's podcast episode. In 1996, he published Effortless Mastery, Liberating The Master Musician Within, a must-read for any musician. Werner has since created videos, lectured around the world, and written numerous articles on how musicians, artists, and even business people can allow their "master creator" within to lift their performance to new heights, demonstrating how to be spontaneous, fearless, joyful, and disciplined in our work and our lives. We connect with Kenny over the Internet to discuss his landmark book, how he became a musician in the first place, and so much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Please subscribe!YouTube SubscribeAudio SubscribeThank you to our Sponsors:The DNA Project The MPL TorontoWant More Kenny Werner?InstagramOpening Credits: Daniel Cowans, Musical Director @ The DNA ProjectProduced By: Anthony Lewis and Diriki Palmer Mixed and Edited By: Mat Keselman

Kenny Werner has been a world-class pianist and composer for over forty years. His prolific output of compositions, recordings, and publications continues to impact audiences worldwide. In 1996 he wrote his landmark book Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within. Werner has since created videos, lectured worldwide, and authored many articles on how musicians, artists, or even business people can allow their “master creator” within to lift their performance to its highest level, showing us how to be spontaneous, fearless, joyful and disciplined in our work and our life. Kenny was awarded the 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship Award for his seminal work, No Beginning No End. No Beginning No End is a musical journey exploring tragedy and loss, death and transition, and the path from one lifetime to the next. Utilizing over 70 musicians, Kenny's third album for Half Note Records is an expansive composition featuring Joe Lovano, Judy Silvano, Wind Ensemble, Choir and String Quartet. Born in Brooklyn, NY on November 19, 1951 and then growing up in Oceanside, Long Island, Kenny began playing and performing at a young age, first recording on television at the age of 11. Although he studied classical piano as a child, he enjoyed playing anything he heard on the radio. In high school and his first years of college, he attended the Manhattan School of Music as a classical piano major.   Becoming the Instrument Kenny Werner has been a world-class pianist, composer, and teacher for 40 years. In 2010, Werner received the Guggenheim Fellowship Award for his seminal work, “No Beginning No End,” a musical journey exploring tragedy and loss, death and transition, and the path from one lifetime to the next. Now he has coalesced his knowledge into Becoming the Instrument, the highly anticipated sequel to his landmark book, Effortless Mastery, which revolutionized how musicians approach their craft. In Becoming the Instrument, Werner shares how anyone can experience mastery, drawn from his experience as a musical master. It's the guide for seeing the highest in oneself and others. This new book is for anyone who wants to understand the fine art of mastery and how it applies to their own life. He brilliantly yet simply expresses how to lift one's perceptions from the mundane to a higher plane and does it with a sense of humor. The next level is attainable. “Mastery is not perfection, or even virtuosity. It is giving oneself love, forgiving one's mistakes, and not allowing earthly evidence to diminish one's view of oneself as a drop in the Ocean of Perfection.” ‒ Kenny Werner Kenny's Info    https://kennywerner.com/    

My guest today is the world renowned pianist, educator, composer and author Kenny Werner. His landmark book Effortless Mastery has been revelatory for musicians around the world since it was published more than 25 years ago. His latest book Becoming the Instrument guides us further down the path of liberating the master musician within all of us. I consider Kenny's teachings to be some of the most important lessons any musician can ever learn. It comes down to nothing short of actually reprograming some of the most ingrained beliefs and habits holding all of us back. I put links in the description to his books, which I highly recommend. Please enjoy this episode of the podcast with an American Musical Legend, Kenny Werner. https://kennywerner.com/ Kenny Werner's Books Effortless Mastery https://amzn.to/3WsNZF0 Becoming the Instrument https://amzn.to/45q1CsM BETTERSAX SHED - all my free lesson downloads https://bettersax.com/shed ♫ BETTERSAX COURSES ♪ https://bettersax.com/products BetterSax Burnin' Mouthpieces - https://geni.us/6RcUMu The Better Sax Alto Saxophone - https://geni.us/BKIGTw Awesome Backing Tracks - https://bettertrax.com ★ Other Sax Gear I Love ★ ReedGeek Geeklet - https://bettersax.com/store/geeklet/ Ultimate Saxophone Swab Kit - https://bettersax.com/product/bettersax-ultimate-sax-swab-kit/ Ultimate Reed Case - https://bettersax.com/product/bettersax-deluxe-wooden-reed-case/ BetterSax Gear Recommendations on Sweetwater https://imp.i114863.net/bettersax ↪My Amazon Gear Recommendations Page: https://goo.gl/px3AvY INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK https://instagram.com/bettersax https://facebook.com/bettersax DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and then buy something, I may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Eric Pan is a composer, pianist, and storyteller.  Here is Eric's website. Follow his riveting Insta account @pandelic.  Explore his music on Spotify, Soundcloud, on YouTube,  or wherever you stream. We listened to Twilight Far and Oak Island. I dig Turtle on the Moon.  Take journeys with him on his Substack.  Eric urges you to read The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World and Effortless Mastery.  Do you enjoy these explorations of working lives? Please support this project on Patreon. Check out my free weekly newsletter, The Sabbateur.  All my other projects are over here.  Get in touch on Insta, Twitter, Facebook, or at podcastforaliving [at] gmail.  Please hit that follow/subscribe button, leave a review, and share the pod with your people.  Our theme song is Nile's Blues by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons by an Attribution 4.0 License. Thanks to Liv Hunt for the logo design. Please take good care of yourself. Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The staggeringly versatile skill-set of NYC-based Dutch Singer, Educator, Psychologist and Artist-preneur Vivienne Aerts busts myths around the ‘Jill of all trades' paradigm with a nonchalance that leaves even the most skeptical purist taking a bow, and her protege as co-facilitator of iconic Pianist Kenny Werner's ‘Effortless Mastery' irrefutably established. Assistant Professor at Berklee since 2014 where Werner and Aerts build a new generation of holistic performers at the Effortless Mastery Institute, the Fulbright scholars eclectic ‘experience' events in collaboration with her husband, renowned pastry chef Ted Steinebach was the root of her multi-disciplinary approach to the making of her new album, ‘Typuhthâng', which not just features a 100 female musicians from around the globe, but also comes with a bar of bean-to-bar chocolate from Original Beans Chocolate, a company that pro-actively empowers female cacao farmers of Virunga State Park in Congo. We catch up in this long-form conversation and exclusive listening session, as one of Tapasya Loading's founding guests returns with the fascinating journey that the past three years have been, close on the heels of the aftermath of an Effortless Mastery Weekend-Intensive retreat. This episode is brought to you by:  www.holisticpianoacademy.com (Now part of www.holisticmusicianacademy.com) (Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here) Listen to T.L.'s new album HERE Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com Produced by T.L. Mazumdar Text: www.tlwrites.com Recorded on a Zoom Podtrak P4 kindly sponsored by: https://www.sound-service.eu        Connect with Vivienne:  Website Bandcamp Spotify Instagram Facebook Edible art performances: www.vervool.com Connect with T.L. : Artist Website: www.everynowheremusic.com Mentorship & Coaching: www.holisticmusicianacademy.com Piano & Music Lessons: www.holisticpianoacademy.com Content Writing: www.tlwrites.com Instagram Spotify Facebook Twitter   

This week's guest is Brendan Buckley…a drummer with an incredible resume that includes Shakira, Perry Farrell, Morrissey, Tegan and Sara, Damian Rice, JJ Lin and many more. I gush all about his playing to his face in the chat so I'll leave that there, but I will say that he is one of the most articulate guests we've had on the show in regards to setting up each of his choices; and because of that, this is one of my favorites. He had a little bit of a different take on his choices, so buckle and enjoy this chat with Brendan Buckley. Cheers! For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Brendan's Honorable Mentions (as promised)... - Kenny Werner: "Meditation 1-4 "Effortless Mastery" 1996 - Carlos Vega: "Country Road" on James Taylor's "Live" 1993 - Omar Hakim: “Fortress Around Your Heart” on Sting's “The Dream of the Blue Turtles” 1985  - Steve Jordan: "Ramblin" on David Sanborn's "Upfront" 1992 - John Bonham: “Good Times Bad Times” on Led Zeppelin 1 1969 - Stephen Perkins: “Mountain Song” on Jane's Addiction's “Nothing's Shocking” 1988 - Matt Cameron: “Ugly Truth” on Soundgarden's “Louder Than Love” 1989 - Dennis Chambers: "Blue Matter" on John Scofield's "Blue Matter" 1986  - Matt Chamberlain: "A Sort Of Fairytale" on Tori Amos's "Scarlet's Walk" 2002 - Tony Williams: "So What" on Miles Davis's "Four And More" 1966 - Bill Stewart: “She's So Lucky” on John Scofield's “Hand Jive” 1994 - Boris Williams: “Icing Sugar” on The Cure's “Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me” 1987

In this episode, I talk with Grammy nominated composer and award winning pianist, educator and author of the best selling book “Effortless Mastery” and  “Becoming the Instrument” in part two of a great conversation.Find a place to sit and listen towards the end of the podcast for the meditation and then enjoy a live performance from Kenny.https://kennywerner.comScarlet's website: https://www.scarletkeys.comScarlet's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarletkeysofficial/To purchase Scarlet Keys' book "The Craft of Songwriting:https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Songwriting-Music-Meaning-Emotion/dp/0876391927/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PP55NU6E9ST6&keywords=the+craft+of+songwriting&qid=1659573139&sprefix=the+craft+of+songwritin%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1Podcast engineer Peter Sykes music:https://open.spotify.com/artist/41llpsdBBIDlQixP0VHVA8?si=LhMf9SylS_6k6rjfWf2DawThis is Apple Musichttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/peter-j-sykes/1599264277For info on Otto Gross:The show's theme song "What's in a Song" was co-written with Otto GrossRecorded and performed by Otto Gross: @OttoGrossProduction (instagram)@OttoGrossMusic (Youtube, facebook, TikTok)https://biglink.to/ottogrossmusic Scarlet's website: https://www.scarletkeys.comScarlet's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarletkeysofficial/To purchase Scarlet Keys' book "The Craft of Songwriting:https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Songwriting-Music-Meaning-Emotion/dp/0876391927/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PP55NU6E9ST6&keywords=the+craft+of+songwriting&qid=1659573139&sprefix=the+craft+of+songwritin%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1Scarlet's website: https://www.scarletkeys.comScarlet's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarletkeysofficial/To purchase Scarlet Keys' book "The Craft of Songwriting:https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Songwriting-Music-Meaning-Emotion/dp/0876391927/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PP55NU6E9ST6&keywords=the+craft+of+songwriting&qid=1659573139&sprefix=the+craft+of+songwritin%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1

Kenny Werner is a world-renowned pianist, composer, teacher and author from New York. His first book, Effortless Mastery has sold over 150,000 copies. He is currently the artistic director of the Effortless Mastery Institute at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. Werner is a Guggenheim Fellowship Award recipient for his seminal work, No Beginning, No End, and has performed with numerous jazz greats, including Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Lovano, Chris Potter, Ron Carter, John Scofield, Jack DeJohnette and Toots Thielemans. In this enlightening episode, Kenny shares his path to the concept of effortless self-mastery to lift musicians and artists to their highest level of performance. Richard and Kenny talk about Kenny's time in rehab with a bonafide hitman, learning to stop questioning how you sound when playing your instrument, and how to let go of  your expectations along with much more. This is a packed episode with great mind and body concepts and insightful meditative practices to better performance and life.   LINKS:   Website :  https://kennywerner.com/  Stay in touch :  http://eepurl.com/hveRMf  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/effortlessmastery/ Video:  https://youtu.be/k-gpIIFUjYs  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBnYgcmSJG8     Follow us on Instagram @WolfInTune  https://www.richardwolf.net/ Read "In Tune: Music As The Bridge To Mindfulness"  https://tinyurl.com/tz67aqm  

In this episode, I talk with Grammy nominated composer and award winning pianist, educator and author of the best selling book “Effortless Mastery” and  “Becoming the Instrument”.Here are some episode takeaways:You don't move forward unless you practice Let your arms defy gravitySate of presence of mindThe body is the instrument that plays the instrumentBE the instrumentGet your mind out of the way so the body can commit to muscle memory and motor skillThe need to sound good obscures the way the body would play itDon't hold your breathThe spaceGoing into the spacePractice hacks: 5 min at a timeThe problem isn't practicing, it's starting.https://kennywerner.comScarlet's website: https://www.scarletkeys.comScarlet's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarletkeysofficial/To purchase Scarlet Keys' book "The Craft of Songwriting:https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Songwriting-Music-Meaning-Emotion/dp/0876391927/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PP55NU6E9ST6&keywords=the+craft+of+songwriting&qid=1659573139&sprefix=the+craft+of+songwritin%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1Podcast engineer Peter Sykes music:https://open.spotify.com/artist/41llpsdBBIDlQixP0VHVA8?si=LhMf9SylS_6k6rjfWf2DawThis is Apple Musichttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/peter-j-sykes/1599264277For info on Otto Gross:The show's theme song "What's in a Song" was co-written with Otto GrossRecorded and performed by Otto Gross: @OttoGrossProduction (instagram)@OttoGrossMusic (Youtube, facebook, TikTok)https://biglink.to/ottogrossmusic Scarlet's website: https://www.scarletkeys.comScarlet's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarletkeysofficial/To purchase Scarlet Keys' book "The Craft of Songwriting:https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Songwriting-Music-Meaning-Emotion/dp/0876391927/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PP55NU6E9ST6&keywords=the+craft+of+songwriting&qid=1659573139&sprefix=the+craft+of+songwritin%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1

Learning to try to not try.

Kenny Werner, master pianist and author of Effortless Mastery, has a fantastic concept that I've been using for years to create chord sequences. The hipness is only as successful as your ability to voice lead though, so it's a great way to improve a bunch of skills with just one simple concept. Root motion, chord quality, chord voicings and voice leading. 

Kenny Werner is a prolific pianist and educator, well-known for his unique methodology designed to help you stop getting stuck in your head and instead make pure, honest music to your highest potential. In this episode, we discuss his Effortless Mastery  methodology and dive into the first steps to removing your musical insecurities. We also dive into his new book Becoming the Instrument and how his methodology extends even beyond music to have a positive impact on daily life. Kenny's New Book - 'Becoming The Instrument' (I receive a small commission when you purchase using this link): https://amzn.to/3LB9Va9Kenny's Original Book - 'Effortless Mastery'  (I receive a small commission when you purchase using this link): https://amzn.to/3wH0Kj5

A look at your personal style as a performer, as defined by your strengths, weakness, and limitations. Magicians generally tend to be all happy-go-lucky razzle-dazzle, but being yourself means bringing both the best and worst of yourself to the stage.Suggestions for further watching and listening:If you'd like to hear my favourite musical artist, John Hartford I recommend starting with his album "Aereo-Plain." https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2sh1eP4JA_O-HkoIOrRiiGJTzjPd4W-lAlan Watts speaking about Wu Wei, the principle of not forcing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzaUGhhnlQ8&t=635sJazz pianist Kenny Werner speaks about "Effortless Mastery" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAZOamxuw5wMusic used in this episode"Naptime" by David Benedict ...not John Hartford :)Three pieces played on the guzheng by Annie Zhou"Hidden Heart" by Lux InspiriaAll tracks are licensed for use from Artlist https://artlist.io/Ryan-18742

A look at your personal style as a performer, as defined by your strengths, weakness, and limitations. Magicians generally tend to be all happy-go-lucky razzle-dazzle, but being yourself means bringing both the best and worst of yourself to the stage. Suggestions for further watching and listening: If you'd like to hear my favourite musical artist, John Hartford I recommend starting with his album "Aereo-Plain." https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2sh1eP4JA_O-HkoIOrRiiGJTzjPd4W-l Alan Watts speaking about Wu Wei, the principle of not forcing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzaUGhhnlQ8&t=635s Jazz pianist Kenny Werner speaks about "Effortless Mastery" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAZOamxuw5w Music used in this episode "Naptime" by David Benedict ...not John Hartford :) Three pieces played on the guzheng by Annie Zhou "Hidden Heart" by Lux Inspiria All tracks are licensed for use from Artlist https://artlist.io/Ryan-18742

Kenny Werner has been a world-class pianist and composer for over forty years. In 1996 he wrote his landmark book, Effortless Mastery, Liberating The Master Musician Within. Werner has since created videos, lectured worldwide, and authored many articles on how musicians, artists or even business people can allow their “master creator” within to lift their performance to it's highest level, showing us how to be spontaneous, fearless, joyful and disciplined in our work and in our life. Kenny is the artistic director of the Effortless Mastery Institute at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. Kenny believes that mastery is available to everyone. His new book: BECOMING THE INSTRUMENT is available on amazon. For more info to study with Kenny, here is the link : https://kennywerner.com/study-with-kenny    Kenny is offering listeners of this podcast the meditations that come with the book: click on the language you want. https://kennywerner.com/effortless-mastery 

World-class pianist, composer, and author Kenny Werner is our guest for today's podcast episode. In 1996, he published Effortless Mastery, Liberating The Master Musician Within, a must-read for any musician. Werner has since created videos, lectured around the world, and written numerous articles on how musicians, artists, and even business people can allow their "master creator" within to lift their performance to new heights, demonstrating how to be spontaneous, fearless, joyful, and disciplined in our work and our lives. We connect with Kenny over the internet to discuss his landmark book, how he became a musician in the first place, and so much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Please subscribe! https://bit.ly/3uPCWaj (YouTube Subscribe) https://apple.co/3oiPy7m (Audio Subscribe) http://www.thednaproject.ca/shop (New Merch Out Now!) [Don't forget to check out The DNA Project Merch code "PODCAST" for 20 % off your first purchase!!] Thank you to our Sponsors: https://thednaproject.ca/ (The DNA Project)  https://www.the-mpl.com/ (The MPL Toronto) Want More Kenny Werner? https://www.instagram.com/ojwill/ (Instagram) Opening Credits: Daniel Cowans, Musical Director @ The DNA Project Produced By: Anthony Lewis and Diriki Palmer Mixed and Edited By: Mat Keselman

In this week's episode of Harmony and Healing, Jazzie interviews Dr. Matthew Clauhs, an Assistant Professor of instrumental music education at Ithaca College.  They discuss: culturally responsive pedagogy, improvisation, work-life balance, exercise, ways to maximize efficiency, mindfulness and medication, scheduling, and being kind to yourself. If you would like to reach out to Dr. Clauhs, you can email him at mclauhs@ithaca.edu.    Books and Apps mentioned in this episode: Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner Headspace Trello Board The Pomodoro Timer

Let's take a deep dive into Kenny Warner's book "Effortless Mastery". We are going to talk about how to achieve musical freedom, problems with current music education, why people stop playing, and why you feel worse about your playing when you hear someone great play. More on Tim Buell: https://linktr.ee/timbuell Check out DistroKid and save 7% on your first year's membership with this link: https://bit.ly/3gToqZu Podcast Rewind Playlist (on Spotify) to catch up on my favorite past episodes of the podcast: https://spoti.fi/3ExTvwv

World renowned, American Jazz pianist, Kenny Werner has performed with among the greats: Dizzy Gillespie, Betty Buckley, Charles Mingus, Lou Rawls and also Toots Thielemans, who would have turned 100 years-old come this April – Kenny will be part of international events in honor and celebration. Artistic director of the Effortless Mastery Institute at Berklee College of Music, Kenny has created a new book that mixes his philosophical, spiritual perspective with his mastery of Jazz – to create a life map – allowing you to clean-out all life's baggage and pull out the best within you – stripped down to be as authentic as possible – to lift your performance in all aspects of your life to the highest level – fearless, strong, forgiving and unbound BECOMING THE INSTRUMENT: Lessons on Self-Mastery from Music to Life. A master of music and artistry – Kenny's creativity seeps through his every pore – creating his own artistic way – mixing Jazz, his inner spiritual perspective and bits of humor – to create unforgettable spellbinding, soul searching performances – https://kennywerner.com/media/videos FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Meryl Moss Media Group; Tracy Goldblatt | tracy@merylmossmedia.com | 203.292.8152 “Perfection, 360 degrees of soul and science in one human being. My kind of musician.” — Quincy Jones “I wanted to find my own personal voice as a jazz artist. Kenny and Effortless Mastery were the keys for me. His book is tremendous.” — Herb Alpert BECOMING THE INSTRUMENT Lessons on Self-Mastery from Music to Life By Kenny “Krishna” Werner When we hear music, we often experience how the physical flirts with the spiritual in profound and moving ways. But what we don't realize is that this confluence is possible not just in music, but in life, and it's easier than you think, says the founder and musical director of the Effortless Mastery Institute at the Berklee College of Music Kenny Werner in his new book, BECOMING THE INSTRUMENT: Lessons on Self-Mastery from Music to Life (Sweet Lo Press; January 2022). Packed with profound insights and uplifting anecdotes from his 40 years of studying, performing and teaching music, BECOMING THE INSTRUMENT follows his landmark book, Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within, with a guide for accessing the spiritual in our everyday existence and applying it to the pursuits we love. Werner shows us how musicians, artists or even business people can allow their “master creator” within to lift their performance to its highest level, showing us how to be spontaneous, fearless, joyful and disciplined in our work and in our life. Whatever you are trying to master, Werner says the key is learning how to slip into The Space, the place beyond the conscious mind that allows us to effortlessly embody whatever we are doing. Entering this sort of flow state may seem esoteric and difficult to achieve, but Werner has easy exercises that will allow you to access this and achieve mastery. As Werner points out: “Mastery is not perfection, or even virtuosity. It is giving oneself love, forgiving one's mistakes, and not allowing earthly evidence to diminish one's view of one's self as a drop in the Ocean of Perfection,” Werner says. “And here is the good news: You don't have to be a musician to have the experience!”

Guitarist Mike Rood talks about his first 4 months training armwrestling, what it all means to him now, how it affects him specifically, and what new insights we can gain from sharing the data through contemplation and discussion. Support this podcast by buying me a coffee! Coffee keeps me going daily and you can be a direct contributor. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crucifixgym Support via PayPal! https://paypal.me/dreaminglife --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thraxton-stirling/support

Becoming the Instrument: Lessons on Self-Mastery from Music to Life with Kenny Werner In Becoming the Instrument, Werner shares how anyone can experience mastery, drawn from his experience as a musical master. It's the guide for seeing the highest in oneself and others. This new book is for anyone who wants to understand the fine art of mastery and how it applies to their own life. He brilliantly yet simply expresses how to lift one's perceptions from the mundane to a higher plane, and he does it with a sense of humor. Kenny Werner has been a world-class pianist, composer, and teacher for more than 40 years. In 1996 he wrote his landmark book, Effortless Mastery, Liberating the Master Musician Within. In 2010, Kenny received the Guggenheim Fellowship Award for his seminal work, “No Beginning No End,” a musical journey exploring tragedy and loss, death and transition, and the path from one lifetime to the next. For more information visit: kennywerner.com *************************************************** For more information about BITEradio products and services visit: http://www.biteradio.me/index.html To view the photography of Robert at: rpsharpe.picfair.com

Dans cet épisode, on sort complètement du domaine scientifique pour explorer le contenu d'un livre qui m'a marqué dans les dernières années. C'est un livre qui n'est pas basé sur des recherches scientifiques, mais qui, selon moi, est un des meilleurs exemples d'application que j'ai vu des savoirs qu'on a abordés dans le cadre de la première saison : le livre Effortless Mastery du pianiste Kenny Werner. Au passage, je me permets un brin de philosophie sur le niveau des pièces qu'on entreprend et le concept de facilité. RéférenceWerner, K. (1998). Effortless mastery: liberating the master musician within. Alfred Music.

With a history of collaborators and peers that constitutes some of the most significant names in Jazz history in the past century, Guggenheim fellowship Award winner, Emmy Award nominee, prolific pianist, composer, and author Kenny Werner lays claim to an extremely rare and iconic status of a performing artist of the highest caliber, who has managed to impact the lives of thousands of musicians and practicing artists all over the world additionally as an author with his path-breaking book 'Effortless Mastery'.   On the eve of his much-awaited second publication 26 years later titled 'Becoming the Instrument', we talk about the inner trust that helped him allow himself to receive the global redemption that his work has been to two generations of both autodidactic and college-educated musicians, the importance of discerning the subtle differences between being a source and a channel and the story behind his new book.   (Please click on the link below to join the live webinar /masterclass for the book launch on 11th Jan 2022)!   https://kennywerner.lpages.co/bookparty/   This episode is brought to you by:  www.holisticpianoacademy.com  Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com Text: www.tlwrites.com   Produced by T.L. Mazumdar Recorded on a Zoom L8 mixer kindly sponsored by: https://www.sound-service.eu        Connect with Kenny: Website  : www.kennywerner.com  Instagram :  https://www.instagram.com/effortlessmastery/  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kennywernermusic/   YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/KennyWernerVideo    Connect with T.L: DEBUT SOLO PIANO ALBUM   Artist Website: www.everynowheremusic.com Coaching: www.holisticpianoacademy.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everynowheremusic/ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39S0dP5 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlmusician Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlmazumdar  

Kenny Werner has been a world-class pianist and composer for over forty years. In 1996 he wrote his landmark book, Effortless Mastery, Liberating The Master Musician Within. Kenny uses his own life story and experiences to explore the barriers to creativity and mastery of music, and in the process reveals that “Mastery is available to everyone,” providing practical, detailed ways to move towards greater confidence and proficiency in any endeavor. While Werner is a musician, the concepts presented are for every profession or life-style where there is a need for free-flowing, effortless thinking. Effortless Mastery has had a profound impact on how Sean views any path to mastery whether it be in sports, art or business. This conversation doesn't just focus on Mastery but about life.  Episode Transcript Watch on YouTube Subscribe to my Newsletter Connect with us! Whatgotyouthere Eight sleep is revolutionizing what a great night of sleep means. Receive $150 off by using code Sean at checkout or go to eightsleep.com/Sean. NuSkool Snacks Collagen Protein Bars https://nuskoolsnacks.com/

LinksBlossom Deariehttps://www.blossomdearie.com/The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenmentby Eckhart Tollehttps://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577311523/ Effortless Mastery by Kenny Wernerhttps://www.amazon.com/Effortless-Mastery-Liberating-Master-Musician/dp/156224003X/ Zen in the Art of Archery by Eigen Herrigelhttps://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Archery-Eugen-Herrigel-ebook/dp/B08NXTHM26/ Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenanceby Robert M. Pirsighttps://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry-ebook/dp/B0026772N8/ In FED We Trust by David Wesselhttps://www.amazon.com/FED-We-Trust-Bernankes-Great/dp/0307459691/ Effortless Mastery with Kenny Werner | The Authentic Spiritual Journey 125https://www.experienceofthesoul.com/feed/asj125-kenny-werner The Observer Self | The Authentic Spiritual Journey 144https://www.experienceofthesoul.com/feed/asj144-the-observer-selfThe Soul Works Grouphttps://www.thesoulworksgroup.com/ Cynthia Alice Anderson’s Courseshttps://www.cynthiaaliceanderson.com/courses Private Coaching with Cynthia Alice Andersonhttps://www.cynthiaaliceanderson.com/private-coaching-1 •Supportek StaffingSupportek Staffing is a responsive staffing agency, caring about their employers and employees as they navigate these new career challenges!If you are an employer, they want to be your Human Resources partner and help with the changes needed during the pandemic.If you are a candidate, they want to help you with your career and help you grow into your fullest potential.Supportek prioritize support over money, integrity over greed and will do their best to take care of your business and career as if it was their own.To lean more: supportekstaffing.comTo apply for jobs: supportekstaffing.com/applyContact: info@supportekstaffing.com•Center for the Healing ArtsCenter for the Healing Arts is one of the first dedicated group practices devoted to challenging, supportive, and nurturing therapy.Their dedicated therapists have a wide range of expertise, including Relationship/Couples Therapy, Individual Therapy, Addictions, Neurofeedback, Play Therapy for children, adolescents, and families, and therapy for blended family issues.They also regularly offer daylong intensive workshops for Relationships, addiction Recovery, adult children of alcoholics and healing trauma in the LGBTQ+ community.For more information please call 407-657-8555 ext 1, or visit www.centerforthehealingarts.com.•f you would like to help be a part of bringing shows like this and other programs to the channel, please consider becoming a supporting patron. For patron information, episode show notes details about our other shows on the channel, head over to ExperienceOfTheSoul.com.And if you enjoyed this program, you can help spread the word by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or the podcast platform of your choice.The Authentic Spiritual Journey is copyright 2021, Cynthia Alice Anderson. All Rights Reserved. Our theme music is composed by Dave Kropf and used with permission by RRHOT Publishing.The Experience of the Soul Podcast Channel is a production of 818 Studios.Disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate, Cynthia Alice Anderson may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through these links.

Albert is back to chat with the Sol Women about what it’s like to live life as a creative person and choosing your art as your career path. The group answers a listener’s question asking 'how do you know the importance of stopping and stepping away from our passions and come back with fresh eyes versus pushing through the feeling of being unmotivated.' Albert goes into depth about this journey to become healthy and balance within his personal practice, career, and life in general. An important question that comes up in this episode is “do we work hard because we feel like we aren’t enough, or because we simply WANT to be better.” Mar touches on the difficulty for women to show confidence without coming off as being bossy or controlling and how that plays a role in the individualistic society that we live in. Albert paints a picture of what it’s like to create in a fear based state versus a flow state. He gives valuable tips and tricks for how to detach and ground himself before, during, and after his creative sessions and processes. The question of HOW we can detach comes up and the group talks about ways in which they practice the art of detachment. Albert and Cally refer to the book Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner. The subconscious mind effects everything we do and create, so how can we work on getting right within our own minds? They finish up with conversing about the risk it takes to be who you are and live fully into your authenticity, in a world where that isn’t the “norm.” We enjoyed this episode so much and we hope you do too. Stay tuned all the way to the very end for a montage of Mar bloopers, which are the best kind of bloopers in our opinion.

In this episode, we talk all about how Kenny Werner's landmark text has applications for the practical musician. My guest is Dr. Benjamin Whitcomb. For more info about him, go to http://www.benjaminwhitcomb.com.

Vivienne Aerts grew up in The Netherlands, and started piano at age 5, and by age 12 was the choir conductor. After performing all over, she got a scholarship from Berklee College of Music, majored in voice and the global jazz program. While there, she met Kenny Werner, author of the book Effortless Mastery. Since then, she has performed often with Kenny and administers the Effortless Mastery Institute at Berklee. She says that, as Kenny writes in the book, to become a master musician, playing needs to become effortless, where the music plays itself "from the space." She says one can train their mind to play from that space, from the now, which is similar to mindfulness, where you watch yourself play. "It is really a cognitive exercise in letting go," she says. The western world has forgotten wthat we can practice effortlessness. She feels there is a community building around Kenny's concepts of effortless mastery. More about Vivienne is at www.vivienneaerts.com.

In this episode, I speak with world-class pianist and composer Kenny Werner who's prolific output of compositions, recordings and publications continue to impact audiences around the world, and author of the impactful book, Effortless Mastery, Liberating the Master Musician Within.  In our conversation, Kenny expands on: His incredible journey, leading to the exploration of effortless mastery How the need to play well is the thing we should – yet will never – surrender How focus behaves like water How to let “the master” play Fear-based practicing and performing How detachment can help us play better than ever & where lack of flow in performance comes from Effortless Mastery in a nutshell: Go into the space (it's easier than you think, and Kenny shows us how…) and play a note in that state Move around the instrument freely while in that space (think Ouija Board! Or try playing something as fast as possible.) Play something you know really well in that state of effortless mastery Practice in that state (and the state becomes your teacher!)   Kenny is an artist and pedagogue of great depth and I know the things he talks about today could transform your approach to practicing and performing!      Frustrated with your playing?  Unsatisfied with you career?  Ready for a change? Whatever your challenge, you don't have to go at it alone and I CAN HELP!  Visit https://www.mindoverfinger.com/workwithme  to learn more and book your call so we can discuss how to get you from where you are to WHERE YOU WANT TO BE!     MORE ABOUT KENNY WERNER: Website: https://kennywerner.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgHDUXumPbIfYbCcMozdEYg Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kennywerner Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kennywernermusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/effortlessmastery/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kennywerner   For Kenny's full discography and credit list, click here.  For Kenny's educational credits, awards, published works and educational videos, click here.  For musician and press quotes about Kenny, click here.   Biography   Kenny Werner is a world-class pianist and composer. His prolific output of compositions, recordings and publications continue to impact audiences around the world. Kenny was recently awarded the 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship Award for his seminal work, No Beginning No End. No Beginning No End is a musical journey exploring tragedy and loss, death and transition, and the path from one lifetime to the next. Utilizing over 70 musicians, Kenny's third album for Half Note Records is an expansive composition featuring Joe Lovano, Judy Silvano, Wind Ensemble, Choir and String Quartet. Born in Brooklyn, NY on November 19, 1951 and then growing up in Oceanside, Long Island, Kenny began playing and performing at a young age, first recording on television at the age of 11. Although he studied classical piano as a child, he enjoyed playing anything he heard on the radio. In high school and his first years of college he attended the Manhattan School of Music as a classical piano major. His natural instinct for improvisation led Kenny to the Berklee School of Music in 1970. There he sought tutelage of the renowned piano teacher Madame Chaloff. Her gracious wisdom and inspiration became a driving force in Kenny's conception: music conscious of its spiritual intent and essence. From Boston, Kenny traveled to Brazil with the saxophonist Victor Assis Brasil. There he met Victor's twin brother, Brazilian pianist Joao Assis Brasil. He studied with Joao, who provided another piece of the puzzle for Kenny's conception that would lead to Effortless Mastery, his landmark opus on how to allow the master musician from within to manifest. Kenny started his own trio in 1981 with drummer Tom Rainey and bassist Ratzo Harris. The Kenny Werner Trio matured for fourteen years, wowing audiences in America and Europe and recording four albums along the way. Kenny had written many original compositions featuring trios and other small group configurations, but in the mid 1980s, he became the pianist for the Mel Lewis Orchestra (currently known as the Village Vanguard Orchestra). Challenged by Mel and Bob Brookmeyer to write for the band, he produced his first compositions and arrangements for jazz orchestra, consequently leading him to write for the major bands in Europe including the Cologne, Danish, and Stockholm Jazz Orchestras, The Umo Jazz Orchestra of Finland and several times as the guest composer and soloist with the Metropole Orchestra of Holland. Since then Werner has had many commissions to write for large ensembles such as jazz orchestras, full orchestras and most recently, wind ensemble, choir and string quartet as featured on his latest CD, No Beginning, No End. Several outstanding musical partnerships began in the 1990s. Kenny continues to play duo with Toots Thielemans, the legendary harmonica player. For twenty years he has played with and arranged for Betty Buckley, a Broadway legend. They made six albums together and she has sung his arrangements for small band and orchestras across the globe.  He also has had a nearly forty-year friendship and musical collaboration with Joe Lovano. They have recorded on a number of each other's projects. In 2000, Kenny formed a new trio with Ari Hoenig on drums and Johannes Weidenmueller on bass.  They played nearly a decade together and released three albums, with Kenny acting as composer, arranger, and pianist.  Their last album, Peace - Live at the Blue Note, released in 2004, began a wonderful relationship with Half Note Records, the recording arm of the Blue Note Jazz Club.  He created three CDs before the release of his masterpiece, No Beginning No End.  In 2007, Kenny Werner released his first album for Blue Note Records. Lawn Chair Society, featuring Chris Potter, Dave Douglas, Scott Colley, and Brian Blade, received critical acclaim for its fusion of electro and acoustic elements. Kenny's groundbreaking work on Improvisation, Effortless Mastery - Liberating the Master Musician Within, was published in 1996. Using his life experiences as a microscope into the artist's mind, Effortless Mastery is a guide to distill the emotional, spiritual, and psychological aspects of an artists' life. Today it is one of the most widely read books on music and improvisation. The book is a required reading at many universities. Werner, without intention, touched off a revolution of inspiring musicians to do inner work on the mind, body, and soul in attempt to upgrade their musical experience from the mundane to the profound. The book is also popular with artists of other mediums and business professionals.  Kenny continues to teach and give clinics in the United States and abroad. He is currently on the Jazz Piano Faculty at New York University.     Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome!  This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights!   Don't forget to visit the Mind Over Finger Resources' page to check out amazing books recommended by my podcast guests, as well as my favorite websites, cds, the podcasts I like to listen to, and the practice and podcasting tools I use everyday!  Find it here: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources!   Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support!     THANK YOU: A HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Thank you to Susan Blackwell for the introduction!  You can find out more about Susan, her fantastic podcast The Spark File, and her work helping creatives of all backgrounds expand their impact by visiting https://www.susanblackwell.com/home.   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/    

LinksKenny Wernerhttps://kennywerner.com/Effortless Masteryhttps://kennywerner.com/effortless-mastery All Cynthia Alice Anderson Courseshttps://www.cynthiaaliceanderson.com/courses Dream Big Mastermindhttps://www.cynthiaaliceanderson.com/dream-big-mastermind The Divine Revealed in Naturehttps://www.cynthiaaliceanderson.com/divinerevealedinnature Private Coaching with Cynthia Alice Andersonhttps://www.cynthiaaliceanderson.com/private-coaching-1 °Natural Awakenings Magazine of Central Florida/Greater OrlandoEach month Natural Awakenings magazines across the country take a practical look at the latest natural approaches to nutrition, fitness, creative expression, personal growth and sustainable living. Natural Awakenings Magazine is a free publication and is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are located. You can learn more, including advertising opportunities for your business by calling 407-628-0705.•Zen Living Realty’s mission is to mindfully serve, connect, and positively impact their customers, partners and community through their Zen approach to real estate.Their vision is to be the most trusted real estate brokerage in the Central Florida area.You can reach Zen Living Realty at: ZenLivingRealty.com or call at 407-800-2717.•Supportek Staffing is a responsive staffing agency, caring about their employers and employees as they navigate these new career challenges!If you are an employer, they want to be your Human Resources partner and help with the changes needed during the pandemic.If you are a candidate, they want to help you with your career and help you grow into your fullest potential.Supportek prioritize support over money, integrity over greed and will do their best to take care of your business and career as if it was thei own.To lean more: supportekstaffing.comTo apply for jobs: supportekstaffing.com/applyContact: info@supportekstaffing.com•This channel is also made possible through the continued support of our Angel patrons: Aggie Payton, Anna Evans, Arlene Meyer, Diana Cox, Lesley Williams, Nora Miles, Shawn Kilgore, Susanna Garcia and Teryn TuckerIf you would like to help be a part of bringing shows like this and other programs to the channel, please consider becoming a supporting patron. For patron information, episode show notes details about our other shows on the channel, head over to ExperienceOfTheSoul.com.And if you enjoyed this program, you can help spread the word by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or the podcast platform of your choice.The Authentic Spiritual Journey is copyright 2020, Cynthia Alice Anderson. All Rights Reserved. Our theme music is composed by Dave Kropf and used with permission by RRHOT Publishing.The Experience of the Soul Podcast Channel is a production of 818 Studios.Disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate, Cynthia Alice Anderson may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through these links.

Our guest for this episode is the double bass player Keenan Zach. We've known Keenan for years, and we've seen him perform countless times—he's a fantastic musician and an overall inspiring person. Keenan plays both jazz and classical music, and he's currently pursuing his doctorate at Stony Brook University. So we begin the conversation by asking some deep questions about jazz, especially the features that fascinate our classical musician brains: what is groove and how does it work? How do jazz musicians improvise and how can one practice that skill? We also talked about the differences between jazz and classical music training, and how each side can be helped by the other. But the meat of the conversation centered around one of my favorite topics, meditation. Keenan has had a disciplined meditation practice for many years, and had lots of wonderful things to say about mindfulness, enlightenment, and the value of letting go. These concepts help all three of us to be better people and musicians. Timestamps (clickable on https://exploringkodawari.blog/podcast-episodes/keenan-zach-jazz-meditation-enlightenment (webpage))[06:32] The differences between jazz and classical training, and how they influence each other. [13:27] What is groove and how does it work? [21:27] How to practice improvising, and the approach of teacher Ray Anderson. [25:42] How Keenan got started with a meditation practice. [28:32] Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery, a must read for any musician, about learning to integrate your inner critic and perform in a flow state. [32:32] The "waking up" moment of a meditation practice. [41:32] What is progress in meditation? [47:08] What is enlightenment? [55:14] The value of being able to let go of things and its relationship to fulfillment—what meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg calls "the letting go muscle". [01:08:19] Bonus Questions Links Discussed:https://www.inquiringmind.com/article/2701_w_kornfield-enlightenments/ (Enlightenments) by Jack Kornfield https://medium.com/the-ascent/how-to-punctuate-your-busy-life-with-small-tastes-of-enlightenment-e4e75656914c?source=friends_link&sk=99b9c0d07abfe04dee28ae73ddf58737 (How to Punctuate Your Busy Life With Small Tastes of Enlightenment) by Luke (that's me!) https://kennywerner.com/effortless-mastery (Effortless Mastery) by Kenny Werner https://youtu.be/3aVET-CDRWk?t=886 (Stefan Jackiw play Bruch Scottish Fantasy )(amazing performance!!) https://youtu.be/gMoRtJhVoxc (How Do I Love Myself?) A video of meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanh https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/the-vipassana-facelift-f4c3e8242c14?source=friends_link&sk=43c3065da5b29aeb0cf47e131fd8bb54 (The Vipassana Facelift) by Luke (that's me again!) https://shambhalatimes.org/2018/10/07/before-and-after-portraits-from-dathun/ (Peter Seidler's "Before and After"), a photo series taken before and after a meditation retreat. https://samharris.org/podcasts/drugs-and-the-meaning-of-life/ (Drugs and the Meaning of Life) by Sam Harris https://www.amazon.com/10-Happier-Self-Help-Actually-Works/dp/0062265431/ref=sr_1_1 (10 % Happier) by Dan Harris https://pemachodronfoundation.org/product/when-things-fall-apart-book/ (When Things Fall Apart) by Pema Chodron (Keenan's favorite book) Support Us:You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media. But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website: https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/ (https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/) Follow Us:https://exploringkodawari.blog/ (Our Website/Blog) https://exploringkodawari.blog/newsletter/ (Newsletter) Twitter: https://twitter.com/EKodawari (@EKodawari) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exploringkodawari/ Support this podcast

Kenny Werner is a Grammy nominated pianist and composer and a 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship recipient. He has performed with jazz greats such Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Bobby McFerrin, John Scofield, and many others. Kenny put out over 30 CDs as a leader & composer for many major Jazz Orchestras worldwide, including the BBC orchestra. He wrote "Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within" and is now the artistic director of Effortless Mastery institute of Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Albert is many things, most notably he is a wonderful human being, a member of the Grammy Nominated band Tank and The Bangas, the co-creator of his new band SaxKixAve, as well as our lovely Sol Woman Cally's partner in life. He was featured on Episode 6 of the Sol Women podcast, if you haven't heard, that is a great episode to go back and touch on. In this episode he opens up about his journey with music, the highs and lows of being a musician, and how he has gotten to where he is today. He plays saxophone, flute, and piano, as well as produces music and has a fascinating story of how he became the successful artist that he is today. He touches on how his upbringing had to do with how equipped (or not equipped) he felt he was to handle the daily struggles in life, how he had to hit rock bottom with music and his instruments even with experiencing immense success within his band, and how he came back from feeling numb to it all. He talks about some of his greatest influencers, in particular a book called Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner. Reading this book as well as making significant changes within himself and his environment allowed him to face some inner demons, and to become inspired by music once again. He gives us amazing tips on how to continue to find inspiration when we are in a dark place or feeling unmotivated or depressed. He talks about how we are not defined by our careers or skill-sets and how all it takes to be successful is SHOWING UP for yourself each and everyday. He finishes with some super helpful affirmations that he uses daily. Not only will you be extremely inspired by this episode, but us Sol Women were able to take away so much valuable information for ourselves in our daily lives as well. Get ready to feel motivated after listening to this one! Can't get enough Alb? Find him on Instagram @albthebuilder @saxkixave @tankandthebangas Pre-order his new song I Don't Wear Suits by SaxKixAve And support both of his bands by buying and sharing their music! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/solwomen/support

Jesse had just come back from a cruise, Pre Covid 19, and was dealing with disembarkment syndrome. Jp doesn't get cruise culture. We discuss recent changes we've made, Kenny Werner's book Effortless Mastery and we have a "get off my lawn" moment.

Adam's become a practitioner of a "mindful" lifestyle, and today he and Peter talk about how you can apply that to the practice room.For more on this topic, read the excellent Kenny Werner book Effortless Mastery, which you can pick up here. If you want to be even more 21st century by getting an app to help you with your mindfulness, you're in luck! Take a peek at Waking Up with Sam Harris.There's a new course from Open Studio: Elements of Solo Piano! Learn from modern jazz master Geoffrey Keezer as he shows you the strategies and techniques to become a better solo pianist. You'll also get Guided Practice Sessions featuring Adam Maness, where he walks you through how to practice each lesson in the course. And for even more piano courses, sign up for the Piano Access Pass.Interested in more music advice? Go here to browse our catalog of jazz lessons and courses available for purchase. And be sure to check out our All Access Pass - every course from Open Studio on every instrument.Let us know what you think by leaving a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review, or head over to our YouTube channel.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

LinksMichael Beckwithhttps://agapelive.com/The War of Art by Steven Pressfieldhttps://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/Effortless Mastery by Kenny Wernerhttps://www.amazon.com/Effortless-Mastery-Liberating-Master-Musician/dp/156224003X/Shifting Souls Boutiquehttp://shiftingsoulsboutique.com—-This week's episode is made possible with the help of our podcast partners: CCU Orlando, Natural Awakenings Magazine, and Unity of Nashville.CCU OrlandoCCU Orlando is a welcoming community, dedicated to transforming lives, celebrating diversity, and supporting soul growth. CCU Orlando is located at 771 Holden Ave in Orlando FL with Sunday services at 9 and 11am. You can stream services live online as well as learn more at ChristChurchUnity.net.—--Natural Awakenings Magazine of Central Florida/Greater OrlandoEach month Natural Awakenings magazines across the country take a practical look at the latest natural approaches to nutrition, fitness, creative expression, personal growth and sustainable living. Natural Awakenings Magazine is a free publication and is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are located. You can learn more, including advertising opportunities for your business by calling 407-628-0705.—-Unity of Nashville, a sister ministry of CCU OrlandoIf you’re searching for a like-minded church community and a personal connection that supports your heart and mind in the central Tennessee area, then join Unity of Nashville at 10:00AM every Sunday at 5125 Franklin Pike. For more information, head over to unityofnashville.org.————-This channel is also made possible through the continued support of our Angel patrons: Dove Borland, Peter Gibson, Paul Caswell, JJ Hamilton, Arlene Myer, Kathy & Terry, Marcia Mott, Nora Miles, Diana Cox, Lesley Williams, Susanna Garcia, and Shayla MountIf you would like to help be a part of bringing shows like this and other programs to the channel, please consider becoming a supporting patron. For patron information, episode show notes details about our other shows on the channel, head over to ExperienceOfTheSoul.com.And if you enjoyed this program, you can help spread the word by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or the podcast platform of your choice.The Authentic Spiritual Journey is copyright 2019, Cynthia Alice Anderson. All Rights Reserved. Our theme music is composed by Dave Kropf and used with permission by RRHOT Publishing.The Experience of the Soul Podcast Channel is a production of 818 Studios.Disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate, Cynthia Alice Anderson may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through these links.

Kenny Werner might try to talk you out of becoming a jazz musician. “Please don’t become a jazz musician just because you think you should. That’s like saying you think you should become a typewriter salesman. Nobody needs you. I would do everything I could to talk them out of it and if they couldn’t be talked out of it then I would say go for it. It’s got to be a thing of extreme love because it doesn’t make any sense otherwise.” For Kenny, playing piano always came easily. Even as a young boy growing up on Long Island, he was an exceptional musician, first recording on television at the age of 11. Although he studied classical piano as a child, he enjoyed playing anything he heard on the radio. He has dedicated his life to playing jazz. Over his extensive career, he’s worked with an exhaustive list of the greats, including long lasting creative relationships with Joe Lovano, Toots Thielemans, Betty Buckley and the Mel Lewis orchestra. Quincy Jones has said of Kenny, “Perfection, 360 degrees of soul and science in one human being. My kind of musician.” As Kenny says it, a driving force in his work is to make “a music conscious of its spiritual intent and essence.” But despite all his natural talent for playing from a young age, the rest of the world was a bit of a mystery and a struggle. He didn’t like to do too much work. He didn’t like to exert too much effort, and he really didn’t like to practice the things that didn’t come easily to him. He liked to watch TV. (In fact, he told me, he still likes to watch TV.) However, he had a natural gift for explaining the kinds of hangups and challenges that many musicians and music students deal with in their own development, and through years of work on himself and as a teacher of others, he devised a technique to overcome those hangups. He says now that maybe this came easily to him precisely because he didn’t worry too much about what people thought of him as a teacher - he was still caught up in being a jazz musician. In 1996 Kenny wrote Effortless Mastery, Liberating The Master Musician Within. The book influenced generations of jazz musicians and continues to be a seminal text in contemporary jazz and creative education. Werner has  since created videos, lectured world-wide and authored many articles on how musicians, artists or even business people can allow their “master creator” within to lift their performance to its highest level, showing us how to be spontaneous, fearless, joyful and disciplined in our work and in our life. Kenny says that since the book was published, he constantly hears people who tell him how the book changed their lives (myself included). Nonetheless, it took him years to come to terms with his path as an educator, and to accept the accolades, and feel good when he received praise for his book and the subsequent journey on which it led him. “Today I get a bigger kick from helping people with whatever wisdom I have than I do from playing. I finally accepted I have a wisdom that can really be useful. As musicians we’re not used to doing something that’s useful.” We met in a midtown New York hotel in December to talk about his life and career, the Effortless Mastery phenomenon, coming to terms with his own wisdom, and his newest record The Space, a solo piano project informed by Werner’s own teachings. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review on iTunes and consider supporting the podcast on Patreon! And now you can also listen to the podcast on Spotify!

Kenny Werner has been a world-class pianist and composer for over 40 years. His prolific collection of recordings, both as a bandleader and a sideman performing with jazz luminaries like Lee Koonitz and Archie Shepp, continue to have a profound effect on audiences around the world. In 1996, Kenny wrote his landmark book “Effortless Mastery: Liberating The Master Musician Within.” He has since created videos, lectured worldwide and authored numerous articles on how musicians, artists or even business people can allow their “master creator” within to lift a performance to it’s highest level, showing us how to be spontaneous, fearless, joyful and disciplined in our work and in our life. Join us for a very special “Leonard Lopate at Large” with this master of the creative arts.

Jazz pianist, composer and author Kenny Werner sits with Brynner to discuss his journey into the world of music from an early age. Discover how Kennys natural born talent inspired him to write his bestselling book, Effortless Mastery, and how he is now teaching his philosophy at Berklee School Of Music.

** Circles for more important things. . We're teaming up with the fine people at Sugar Percussion, Paul Mabury and That Sound, Drummers Corner Group and the team at Drumeo to give to those in need. Drum fan or not, help us help out. Details on the raffle are as follows. Sugar Percussion is offering a 14x6 Eastern Black Cherry snare drum with a gig bag. Tickets are $5 each and there is no limit on tickets purchased. . Payment sent as gift via PayPal to js@sugarpercussion.com . Send an email to js@sugarpercussion.com with your name, address and telephone number. . The Raffle runs for the month of September, and we are sending payments to organization every week. . The charities we have chosen to support is Texas A&M University Veterinary Emergency Team and for Hurricane Irma we are sending money to Direct Relief. Thank you everyone so much for showing your appreciation and support for our raffle. We love all of you. **   The intro to this episode is a montage of audio clips from Aaron Edgar's SQ-590 "The Holy Grail" unboxing. Music is by Oli Bernatchez   So as many of you recall I had interviewed Aaron back in Episode 12 about six months ago. After that session we touched base every so often, mostly in the form of bug pictures and snow storm videos. But one time he sent me a really interesting update. Aaron said he was changing his studio, his business and also about how he was working on a book, but nothing more. At this point, I decided that he needed to be back on the show because of these major transformations that were happening but I didn't understand much beyond that.   In many cases with DrumGAB everything is fail-safe and proofed for any catostrophies while recording the show. I plan the show pretty meticulously as a rule. Aaron's show was no different. However, once we got chatting and the show started going, I only used the notes a couple times for major points I wanted to discuss and to direct the show. But in this episode the conversation took over pretty fast. This episode is as real as it gets I feel. I am blown away with how well this session turned out.   The main thread in this episode is the idea of self awareness and evolution. What you need to understand is that Aaron has been biting off big portions for years as a way to prove to himself that he can do anything he wants. In addition to that point, Aaron is a workoholic and has difficulty with saying no and because of this he felt that he was becoming spread too thin. Aaron had reached a threshold and had to reinvent himself.   Now, what's really interesting about this interview is that he shares so openly about all of this. I sensed some self-reflection, almost like the podcast session was a time for Aaron to unwind to someone. So within the first 30 minutes the chat hits some deep points and then we "close" on some snare shop talk. Aaron talks about his SQ-590 snare drum that has some of the most incredible providence I have ever heard about. The story behind how Aaron became the owner of that drum is a story for generations to tell. Legendary stuff. And then we begin concluding and it sounds like the show is over.   I remember how I felt during this part when we recorded it. There was an awkward tension in the air as it didn't feel over yet somehow. I can't really explain why, but I decided to blurt out a question concerning Stickman out of the blue. I didn't even see it coming. Aaron says it was great and next thing you know he's telling me about how he rewrote his clinic and lead a meditation et cetera. At this point shit got real. He opens up like I have never heard on this show. He openly talks about what his life is like and how blindfaithing his career had really taken a toll on him. He discusses a particular book he read several times called "Effortless Mastery" and how it changed his life. He talks about being kinder to himself and treating himself like a human being, not just locking himself away in his basement teaching, making video content, freelance gigging and working on projects. His entire adult life has been without much of a social life. It has just been drums and music and he is now realizing that he needs to reform in order to keep the fire going strong within.   When I think about all the caterpillar pictures he sent me over the summer, all I can think about is what those caterpillers represented to Aaron. As he explains, "What does a caterpillar represent? It gets into a cocoon and turns into a completely different animal." It is amazing when your guest lives in the moment on your show. It is rare when it is this genuine and I am so glad I captured it.   Music by: Third Ion Song: Van Halien Aaron Edgar Social Media Instagram | Facebook | Website DrumGAB Social Media Instagram | Facebook | Website

Kenny Werner, artistic director of Berklee's Effortless Mastery Institute, discusses how musicians can learn to play from the deepest parts of themselves and rediscover their connection to music.

Veteran jazz pianist Kenny Werner explains the mindset of mastery, why we need to get over our addition to "getting better" and how we can be more improvisational in our daily lives.

Ariel Swan discusses her 2014 album Symphony Plastique, facilitating youth agency through improvisation at Musikaddict, her recently completed Master’s thesis from McGill University. Additionally, hear Kenny Werner talk at the Blue Note on themes from his book Effortless Mastery. This show originally aired on CFRU 93.3 FM on February 26, 2015. Sound It Out is hosted by Rachel Elliott who is a PhD candidate in Philosophy at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Sound It Out is produced in conjunction with the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation. The show explores whether and how improvised music can serve as a basis for discursive inclusivity, the creation of new forms of shared meaning, and more democratic means of connecting with each other. Sound It Out airs on Guelph’s campus and community radio station, CFRU 93.3FM, on alternating Tuesdays at 5pm.

Interview With: Albert and Gage, guests for Strings on Grass November 13, 2015 RSVP here.Listen here or podcast here.Interview Conducted By: Will TaylorWill: Christine Albert & Chris Gage are appearing with Strings Attached at our Strings on Grass series, coming up on November 13th—after being rescheduled two times because of rain in Austin!—So, we’re here to talk a little bit about the two of them, and some questions that I have pulled together, as well as some reflections that they have on working with Strings Attached. I hope this interview will get people excited about the show.The special thing about Strings Attached and our concerts, is that we have this one-time experience when we get together with singer-songwriters, and reimagine their music… sometimes to an extreme level. For instance, when we do Beatles tribute shows, we might reimagine the music in a completely different way than the original versions. Along with our ever popular cover shows, we love to collaborate with singer-songwriters in the Austin area,—like Eliza Gilkyson, Slaid Cleaves—which was the original direction our band took in the beginning, years ago. We bring to the table, certain things like jazz improvisation, or different vocal sounds, adding some color to the arrangements. We try to create a unique experience for people to come out and be intrigued. That’s the first thing that I wanted to talk about. If I remember correctly, we had a show about 10-15 years ago. Chris: Has is been that long?Christine: Yeah, I think so, I think it has.Will: Yeah, and it was at Saint David’s church, which is a beautiful space. Yeah, it’s a distant memory for me. I’m curious to see if you remember anything specifically about working with us… or anything in general about what we do. So yeah, my first question is: Was there anything notable about that performance?Chris: I just remember being thrilled to hear our songs envisioned by someone else. Like you said, everyone has a different take on music. Some people come from a more classical background, and some people have a little more jazz. You know, I do this gig at Strange Brew every week where I’m playing with somebody different every each time… it’s a lot of time the same songs, but each person is going to bring something different to it. And what you do with Strings Attached, is real inventive. And plus, you have a core group of people that do this a lot. And so they know what you’re thinking when you write an arrangement, and they can help you bring it to life. It’s just real exciting for me.Christine: Yeah, I think every artist has sort of a fantasy of hearing their music with strings or with an orchestra… more arranged in that way. For me, it brings an elegance to the music that we try to bring that to our performances at Don’s Depot. It’s not always there. Chris: Well, I turn on the string machine sometimes. (Christine laughs.)Christine: So especially at Saint Davids, and in that beautiful environment, it was almost mystical. And I imagine the Strings on Grass is a different kind of environment, but also brings a sort of natural, organic beauty to it that really compliments the music. Will: Exactly! Yes, that’s the same approach that we were taking with the original Strings Attached series in the church; was that context where people walk into it. It’s not just about hearing the music directly, but it’s the environment that you’re in. It really affects the emotional receiving of the song, or the music. So same thing, you’re right! With Strings on Grass, we’re in this beautiful, gorgeous yard with large trees, and there’s lights shining in the trees, along with the stars above. There’s something about hearing music in a natural setting. It’s very different from Saint David’s, but I think it’s very natural. You know, for instance, Karen and I love Kerrville (The folk festival). So there’s a little bit of a being-around-the-campfire feeling, and we really enjoy it. So people are coming for the experience. The full on music in nature experience. So we look forward to hearing your songs. It makes me think, are there in nature songs in there? (Will chuckles.) Maybe we should pick out a song that’s fitting for that setting.Christine: Yeah, we’ll have to look at that.Chris: How many of these have you done, Will?Will: We’ve been doing them for about a year, just over a year. So we’re probably at 12 or 13. Chris: Oh cool!Will: We’ve done one every month, and we take off the winter months, obviously. And yeah, I’m really enjoying putting these shows on. People enjoy bringing kids, but still are able to really enjoy the music. Some outdoor events, you know, people start to talk, and then the music becomes the background to conversations. So we’re still trying to bring over that respect for listening, which is what we started with at Saint David’s. Chris: Well we’re really looking forward to it.Will: That sounds great. So, okay, onto the other questions. There’s an artist whom I really respect, and I have been studying his book called Effortless Mastery. You may have heard about it when I sent you the list of questions. Kenny Warner talks about the idea of just getting out of the way of yourself and your ability to grow and thrive as an artist. It has a relation to mindfulness work, meditation, you know, the idea of just letting things happen. Like the song “Let it Be” that the Beatles wrote. So I’ve been very attracted to this idea of getting out of the way of myself, as a performer, as a creative person. There’s this quote in here, I’ll read it quickly: “Ultimately, musicians of the world must come to realize their potential of their calling. Like Shamans, we may service  healers, metaphysicians, inciters, exciters, spiritual guides, and sources of inspiration. So if the musician is illuminated from within, he becomes a lamp that lights other lamps.” And it goes on. I was very attracted to that idea, and the fact that we could relate this to you, for instance how you have the swan songs organization. How do you resonate with this? Christine: Well, most of it does. In fact, all of that resonates with me especially because I do practice mindfulness meditation. Recently my mind has been very busy because I’m so active in other things. So I’m in a different mindset most of the day, and then I get to the performance, walk onstage, and start singing. When I find my mind racing, and I’m not really present, I actually close my eyes and practice meditation, in between the lines of the song. That’s by focusing on my breath, and being in the moment, it brings me back to why I’m there, and then it starts to become a gift to me when I can really get out of my own way.  It’s certainly hard for me, because there’s so much going on in my life and in my brain. But that’s the technique that I use. And I have my own personal prayer that I wrote years and years ago that I say. For instance, every morning, or especially before a performance. One of the phrases in there is: “My life is a vehicle for divine love, and my music is the instrument of expression.” So I believe that the quote you just read resonates with me because of what I say to myself.Will: Mhm. And so you still find that you have to remind yourself when you get up there on stage.Christine: Totally. It doesn’t come naturally, but the more you do it, the more years you sing, as a performer, and I think just as a person who’s connected to why I do this, it’s obvious to me when I’m not connected, I’m like whoops! oops! oops! It’s kind of like when you’re meditating, and your thoughts start to take off, and thinking, and you have to bring it back to the breath. When I’m doing that on stage, I realize “Oh, I am really not here. I just created an agenda in my mind while I’m trying to sing a song. “ And that of course is not going to work for the entire performance. And I think I can feel it when I shift back. And I think Chris can feel it too, he’s like “okay! you’re here with me now.” He knows exactly when I’m not. And even if I’m singing all of the right notes, and getting all of the lyrics, it’s obvious when I’m not present.”Chris: Well it’s amazing how much you can think about while you play. And I look at it this way: We spend our whole lives learning, and preparing, but when you step on stage, and that one person has come because they love your music, or they need something out of that evening, well then it’s time to just let it seep out, explode out. And I know that when I totally forget that I’m taking a piano solo, for example, if I just let it fly, those are the ones that get responded to the most. Not if I’m trying to play like Fats Waller, or if I’m trying to make sure that my left hand is in time, you know. If I just explode, those are the ones that people react to. Will: I was going to ask you a question, related to that comment, actually. What does a great solo feel like, or look like to you? And part of what you’re saying, is you’re so out of the way, you really don’t even notice it. So that’s what you’re saying?Chris: Well it’s come from years of doing it, you know. There are solos that musicians have a term for, that you’re very aware of. It’s called noodling. And it’s just you know what notes go on the scale, and so you play some. But to me, a solo is like a whole song itself. It’s a whole competition. It has a beginning, and it has a rise, and it has to resolve itself at just the right time. It has to be emotional, it has to be clever at times, you know, but it more than anything, it has to just fit the mood of the piece that you’re in. Will: So I’ve got a little follow up question with something related to that. I’ve always wondered: For me, I’ve studied the jazz traditional method, and if you look at Charlie Parker, or even Louis Armstrong, when they take a solo, they take certain approaches. With Louis, he takes the melodic approach, always relating his solo to the main melody. Whereas Charlie Parker and some of those main cats, you know, the bee-boppers, completely are going way off. So how much are you actually improvising? Do you consciously go off completely from the melody? Or do you generally always try to work off of the melody?Chris: You know, in the studio, when I’m trying to get something out of a soloist, I refer to it as “melody plus”. Which is an odd thing. Will: Okay.Gage: I don’t like to get too far away from the melody. And I’m totally happy with a baritone guitar solo that plays the melody, I think that’s beautiful. One of the coolest solos on record—and this also relates to you mentioning “What’s your favorite song?”—there’s a Glenn Campbell recording of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman”. And when the solo comes in, its just the melody, and it is so satisfying to hear that. It’s better than any hot lick that could ever have been picked by Tommy Tedesco, or another guitar player. It’s just the melody. (Chris starts humming.) And it’s just gorgeous. So there’s a lot of songs that I will just play the melody, and others, “melody plus”, as I call it. You’ve got to sneak off and do something exciting, two-thirds of the way through. Bring it back to the home base at the end of a solo. Will: So it’s like those little shuttle inflections on the melody that make it your own. It really brings it into the moment. This particular melody you’re talking about, he pretty much states it the way it is?Chris & Christine: Yeah.Will: Nice. Okay, this is from a musician standpoint. I’m always interested to hear other musicians’ approach to that. Because the jazz players sometimes will be like: “Oh, well that’s boring. I don’t want to hear the melody over and over and over again.” But then if I listen to some folk or pop records, that’s all they do! And it’s like you said, it’s actually very pleasing to hear the melody. I don’t want to get too far off on that, but I’ve come from a jazz position, and then for the last 15-20 years have been around people like Eliza, and you guys, and been pulled back toward “this”, kind of stating simplicity, and roots music. And so it’s an interesting journey for me to get back to being grounded; what naturally comes up as opposed to—. You know as you were talking about earlier, I’ve got this classical background, but I’ve spent a lot of times in the last 25 years just coming back to the roots music. Which is an oral tradition, it’s not a written tradition. So I love it. I love staying with the melody.Christine: It’s interesting, as a singer, I’ve found, that because I’m playing with so many different players now at Mystery Monday, (Monday nights at El Mercado) lead players jump up there without hearing most of the songs we’re doing. And so I’m really struck by how a soloist impacts the way I sing, and what I get from that and the way we interact. Chris was saying there’s a beginning, a middle, a rise and end, and really the whole solo can be a mess, but if you end it in a way that really leads into what I’m about to say or sing, I’m always like “Yes that was awesome!” There’s something about setting up what the singer’s about to do next that is part of the role of the solo. If it’s a certain kind of solo, I bring that excitement and that energy, or that tenderness or that folk. Whatever it is, it so compliments what the singer is about to do. And feeds into it. So I really appreciate that.Chris: Well and I think that’s the role of the soloist… especially in a vocal group. The role is to not draw the attention away from the song, not to be all “Look at me look at what I can do!” That’s when they’re not considerate of the melody, or the vocalist, that’s about to come back and deliver the song. And it has to relate to the song itself. I’m a jazz fan, and I love the older stuff. I used to love the Miles Davis Quintet records, and I would just get lost in them because half the time I couldn’t follow what they were doing. On a heart-level, it doesn’t get me, but just washing through my brain, and giving me exciting musical experiences it does that. But on a heart-level, I would much rather just hear a great country song, actually. I’d rather hear Lefty Frizzell sing about forgetting to shave that day. Will: Yeah, I get that. And from working with singer-songwriters for the last 15-20 years, I enjoy the sideman aspect. I enjoy the simple art of laying out and finding where to fill, to compliment the song. Because from my standpoint, a great song exists with simply the melody and the lyrics. Even without a rhythm part, you can just sing it a cappella . So then therefore everything that I’m bringing to the table has got to be supportive. Essentially, I’m not really needed. So I’ve got to find this beautiful space where I can just slide my creativity in, and so I’ve really enjoyed that, because I originally came from playing instrumental jazz. In that, i was playing all of the material. What I’m trying to do is bring what I’m learning from this—playing with singer-songwriters—back to the instrumental music. Bring the heart back.Chris: And that’s exactly right. And when Christine and I do a show, and we have a new musician with us, including y’all, we always say, find your spots, but don’t forget, we do this all the time without you. You know, it’s all there. It just needs a little spice and seasoning. Will: Exactly, okay now to the next question. That was good, nice organic flow. So, do you have a preferred question? Chris: Well you asked what we do on date nights. We went to see the Martian in 3-D the other night. That was a good date. Christine: Yeah, at the Alamo. We actually don’t get many date nights, we’re just always so busy. We play so many weekly things. He plays every Sunday morning at Riverbend, and we both play Mondays at different venues. He plays every Wednesday, we’re almost always working on weekends, and we spend a lot of time doing studio sessions during the day. So date night, usually we opt for a movie or if we have a night off, we always want to be with our kids, and grandchildren, so we do family dinners a lot. That’s our indulgent time is to get the entire family over, and cook together. And they’re all great cooks, so I get to take advantage of that, because I’m not. (Laughs.) Our evenings are late. Chris doesn’t usually come out of the studio, and I’m not usually home until 9:30 or 10, so we have late evenings together. That’s our down time too, if we’re not working. Will: Yeah, with Karen and I, I always dreamed of having a musical family. We kind of do, like with Coralina, we have some music that we play with her. But it’s not like there’s music being played all the time in the house, because we try to take a break from that. Is that kind of what it looks like in your household?Chris: Yeah, we actually have one album that we play every time we cook, and it’s Paolo Conte’s greatest hits! It’s all in Italian, and we all sing along, even though we don’t know the words. (Christine chuckles.) But it’s just the perfect kitchen music.Will: That’s funny.Christine: Yeah you had asked also about practicing, and what that looks like. And we really don’t, we really don’t practice. When we have new songs, we sort of learn them as we go on stage. Although, I need practice more than Chris does, I’ll say. I’ll be like, “We really need to sit down and go over this, if it’s a new one that we’ve released.” I really need to get it in my brain, and go over what the arrangement is. But quite often it’s just as we go because we’re playing so much. And then there’s so much business to take care of during the day. And with all of my nonprofit work, I’m just like an office person everyday. It’s just regular office hours and then I play gigs. Will: Oh, I’ve got a great follow up question to this. It’ll help me to hear your answer to this, because I myself spend so much time taking care of my business as well. And in the Western world, we’re so focused on time, and doing. And after all, we’re actually not “human doings”, we’re “human beings”. Sometimes I just think: Okay, well if I didn’t have to do all of those business oriented tasks, what would you do if you had more time available. Let’s say if you had four more hours in the day, is there anything you’d want to do in regards to practicing and taking your music to the next level? Christine: If it was musically, I would relearn to play the piano, and to write with it. I enjoy  writing with piano, but I hardly ever do it. Piano was actually my first instrument as a child, but I haven’t really played in two years. So if I really was going to spend indulgent time on the music part, I would reconnect with piano, and I would get my flute fixed, because my flute has such old pads, that I can’t event play it. I would revive my flute because I also used to play that for many years. And I love to play it I just haven’t put the focus onto it. And just creatively in general, I really want to write more books and essays. I would spend more time writing, which means you have to spend a lot of time unplugged, in solitude. Nature helps me, gardening helps me, to get into that space. And I am so far from that right now. Chris: Yeah we don’t have time for that right now. I haven’t written a song in a long time because I’m so busy working on other people’s songs. All day every day. And then I take 30 minutes to try to think about what I’m going to do for example, I’ve got a show tonight at 6 o’clock with a guitar player I’ve never played with. And I’ve got to think about what might work between us when I don’t have even a clue of what his style is. So I’ll take some time and put a little thought into that. Christine: And he’s in the studio now working on someone else’s music all afternoon.Chris: Right, now if I had four hours a day, I’m sure I would be composing, and working on some tracks for t.v placement, and writing a new song for Albert and Gage. Will: Nice, well this was great. We took a little extra time, so thank you guys. I wish we could go on, I just love it. I’m trying to do these little interviews to create some interesting content where it’s from the point of view of us as musicians. I think it could create some interesting conversations. And this could be content that you could have up for years. This feels kind of like as if I was Terry Gross, except for Will Taylor with Fresh Air. So I appreciate y’all for being guinea pigs for my new idea, I really appreciate it. I enjoyed you guys.Christine: Thank you, it was a good conversation.RSVP to the show here.

Ariel Swan discusses her 2014 album Symphony Plastique, facilitating youth agency through improvisation at Musikaddict, her recently completed Master's thesis from McGill University. Additionally, hear Kenny Werner talk at the Blue Note on themes from his book Effortless Mastery. This show originally aired on CFRU 93.3 FM on February 26, 2015.