Music

“Music is the divine way to tell beautiful poetic things to the heart.”
~Pablo Casals

"Music begins inside human beings, and so must any instruction. Not at the instrument, not with the first finger, nor with the first position, not with this or that chord. The starting point is one's own stillness, listening to oneself, the "being ready for music," listening to one's own heartbeat and breathing."
~Carl Orff

Mindfulness – the non-judgemental awareness of the moment – is training for the mind that allows one to choose one thought over another, using the mind as a tool in the creative process.

Mindfulness enhances music-making through increased focus and improved working and sustained memory, while reducing stress and anxiety (allowing the musician to be fully present).

Just as developing the skills and technique to play a musical instrument requires time, patience, and practice, so, too, does learning to be open to the moment and acquiring the tools to be present. Practice is necessary to be able to let go of negative self-talk and to either release performance anxiety or to put it to more productive use. An intimate relationship is necessary to understand one’s feelings and how thoughts may simply be thoughts or may or may not carry the truth. This path to a deeper relationship with oneself requires dedication and deep listening.

Musicians, like athletes, excel by:

REQUEST A PROGRAM

Sierra Mindfulness offers various programs that can be presented to your band, symposium, or clinic.
For more information, visit our sister site: www.musicandmindfulness.org.