The New Toughness Training for Sports - Mental, Emotional, and Physical Conditioning from one of the World's Premier Sports Psychologists James E. Loehr, Ed.D.
(This goes along the same lines as "The Inner Game of Tennis" by W. Timothy Gallwey, but with a comprehensive regimen thoroughly explained.)
In their attempts to understand the nature of musicianship, music psychologists have generally focused their attention on cognitive processes and abilities. Although a kind of folklore has long existed within musical circles relating to personality differences between players of different instruments, this is the first book to examine the impact of personality and temperament on musicianship. After an introductory chapter which summarizes the relevant personality theories, the book deals with each facet of musicians' personality in turn: introversion, independence, sensitivity, anxiety, and gender issues. Different forms of musicianship (such as orchestral playing, singing, and conducting) are considered next, to clarify the ways in which specific skills impact upon personality development or predispose a person towards different instruments and styles of performance.
I came across this book last year in the art section of a bookstore. It is a fast read and offers great emotional advice for those of us pursuing life in the arts. I strongly recommend this one.
This book is just a rich book to have. Full of anecdotes of composers on the subject of music. Ernest Bloch on "The State of Music", Robert Schumann on "Preserving Music of the Past", Bela Bartok on "Stravinsky's use of Folk Music", etc.
Audition success chronicles the story of two musicians as they learn how to prepare for important auditions, employing the same techniques and strategies used by top athletes to perform well under extreme pressure. It is based on the artists' transcribed conversations with Dr. Don Greene during an intensive two month training period.
This book's title speaks for itself. Explains how to prepare the body and mind to practice with ease, understand the effect of posture on flexibility and expressiveness, make efficient use of the hands and arms, employs listening techniques to improve coordination, increase the range of color and dynamics by using less effort, cultivate rhythmic vitality, perform with confidence, warmth and freedom. Ms. Bruser offers practical techniques for cultivating free and natural movement, a keen enjoyment of sounds and sensations, a clear and relaxed mind, and an open heart.
This book is a valuable tool to any performing artist. I have included a page just for excerpts from this book since it is out of print currently. (click on the name Strasberg) I would suggest independent bookstores and libraries in trying to locate a copy of this book. It would be worth the search. There is so much wisdom to be had from other art forms that benefit us as musicians and performers. This book is a wealth of wisdom from a very intense and insightful artist. Please read through some of the transcripts and you will see what I mean. He talks about relaxation, triggering imagination, will and discipline, subjective interpretation of technical problems, expression, and so on. I actually had the opportunity here in NYC to have a couple of acting lessons with a professional and this book was the most impressive of his sources. I was able to see the positive impact this kind of "cross-training" can produce.
Listen to the Music - A Self-Guided Tour Through the Orchestral Repertoire by Jonathan D. Kramer
Listen to the Music offers a fascinating and entertaining tour of 290 of the most frequently performed and best-loved symphonic masterpieces. Engaging and concise descriptions written in "program notes" style set the works in their historical contexts and reveal captivating biographical details about their composers.
This one speaks for itself as does The Inner Game of Tennis.
"When I helped musicians apply the techniques described in this book to their performance approach, these performers took command of the stage. They learned to commit one hundred percent of themselves to their performances. And, since our work together, they have continued to work as successful performers. Now this book will help you do what I helped them do."
"Ms. Ristad discusses the problems of nervousness and/or nervous energy with a psychological understanding of human behavior under stress, imaginative and original psychological insight, and just plain good common sense. The valuable solutions she suggests for the problems of musical performance can be applied just as readily to the vast gamut of physical and intellectual actions and reactions any individual is confronted with in daily living. " - Samuel Sanders, concert pianist, professor, Juilliard School of Music.