Inspiration

  • Machiavelli
    Want To Change the World or Your Profession? [Inspiration Point] Want To Change the World or Your Profession? [Inspiration Point]

    Want To Change the World or Your Profession? [Inspiration Point]

Want To Change the World or Your Profession? [Inspiration Point]

Trying something new as a teacher, composer, artist, or entrepreneur? I love this beautiful wisdom from Machiavelli:

And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those […]

By |February 25th, 2013|Creativity, Inspiration, [Inspiration Point]|Comments Off
  • relaxing by brixton
    Sacred Places [Inspiration Point] Sacred Places [Inspiration Point]

    Sacred Places [Inspiration Point]

Sacred Places [Inspiration Point]

There are no words necessary for this thing of beauty and inspiration.

i
Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill—more of each
than you have—inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your poems,
doubt their judgment.
ii
Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensioned life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it […]

Inspire Your Students with Great Performances

We’re always looking for ways to inspire our students, yes? I think a big part of the equation for inspiring others is being inspired ourselves. When we are passionate about what we do, this can really light a fire for others. Sometimes however, our passions and inspirations are far removed from our students. Have […]

By |September 13th, 2012|Games and Activities, Inspiration, Piano Teaching|Comments Off

Advice for Beginner Composers

This is a wonderful collection of advice from Ira Glass, writer and host of This American Life. It’s great advice to the young songwriters that I trained last week, and even continues to be good advice for me though more experienced in composing.

Fantastic Article on “Imagine: How Creativity Works”

I rarely pre-order a book, but the new book by Jonah Lehrer Imagine: How Creativity Works intrigues me enough that I pre-ordered today. It’s set to be released in just days, March 19th. I read the very interesting essay How to Be Creative by the author in the Wall Street Journal and […]

Must Art Teach a Lesson?

I have read many theological discussions and defenses of the arts, and I am always torn in my response to them. For one thing, it saddens me when we feel the need to justify art by making it serve some other non-artistic purpose like teaching morality. But also, many of these defenses of art (think of Christian justifications for fantasy) seem to be afflicted […]

Learning from Giants

When a giant figure like Steve Jobs dies, everyone feels a need to comment. Of course, writing or commenting often helps us process our grief and shock in sad moments like these.  But, sifting through the volume of comments and articles can be overwhelming.

I don’t have anything new to say about Steve Jobs’ death of legacy, however I think I found just the right article […]

By |October 12th, 2011|Composing as a Career, General, Inspiration, Piano Teaching|Comments Off

Art and Self-doubt

I bought a book last weekend called Art & Fear: Observations on the perils (and rewards) of artmaking.  I have yet to determine if it’s a good book, but there have been a number of good points made that I wanted to share.  Especially for the very reflective individual, I found this particular quote […]

By |October 3rd, 2011|Composing, Creativity, General, Inspiration|Comments Off

Writing is Easy

While this is not necessarily inspirational, it does remind me that it is normal if the process of composing is often difficult, tiring, and taxing.  It also made me chuckle.  Here is a reflection on writing from Gene Fowler:

Writing is easy: all you have to do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.”

 

By |September 26th, 2011|Creativity, General, Inspiration, [Inspiration Point]|Comments Off

Eternal Appetite for Infancy Source

Quite a few people commented and sent me messages about the life-altering quote from G. K. Chesterton on repetition.  I thought it might be good to tell you the source of this in case you want to read this fantastic book yourself.  The quote is from the 4th chapter called “The Ethics of Elfland.”  Doesn’t that chapter title just make you want to read […]