In
The Mindful Musician: Mental Skills for Peak Performance, author Vanessa Cornett offers guidelines to help musicians cultivate artistic vision, objectivity, freedom, quiet awareness, and self-compassion, both on- and offstage in order to become more resilient performers. Contrary to modern
culture's embrace of busyness and divided attention, Cornett's contemplative techniques provide greater space for artistic self-expression and satisfaction. With the aid of a companion website that includes audio files and downloadable templates, The Mindful Musician provides a method to promote
attentional focus, self-assessment, emotional awareness, and creativity. The first of its kind to combine mindfulness practices with research in cognitive and sport psychology, this book helps musicians explore the roots of anxiety and other challenges related to performance, all through the
deliberate focus of awareness.
"While
The Mindful Musician will be particularly helpful to readers who struggle with self-defeating behaviors, negative self-talk, or difficulty focusing during performance, its ideas and insights would help any musician learn to reframe his perspective to lead to more focused performance, greater
resilience, more patience, and greater happiness overall." -- Lesley McAllister,
Piano Magazine