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Summary: Heightened levels of confidence, creativity and enjoyment
Review: The book's themes are universal and can be applied to anyone at any stage of musical development. The book helps you to focus more on making music and connecting emotionally with it. It also allows you to eliminate those internal demons which plague people's abilities. You can put the book's methods into practice almost immediately and at the same time spend a lifetime studying and absorbing the techniques at your own pace. Be prepared to abandon conventional methods of learning and really tap into your full potential.
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Summary: A book for all musicians
Review: There's a lot to like about this book, including the specific techniques used to get past mental obstacles, so musicians can play better and enjoy their playing more. I also enjoyed the encouraging tone it takes with the reader. The authors give you the sense that anyone can make music.The personal stories that illustrate the book's strategies help you connect more deeply with the material. You may even get a chuckle or two from some of these. What I get from the book is that we all have inner resources that we've hidden from ourselves, and that we can learn to tap these resources with a bit of work and AWARENESS. This book could actually help in lots of areas besides making music. If you like motivational books, such as those by Tony Robbins, or books on NLP, this book might actually seem tame in comparison, but still relevant.
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Summary: Could be the coach you've been looking for.
Review: This book is a miracle for me. You might have heard of a book called the Inner Game of Tennis. In this book, the author reveals how he vastly improved his tennis skills through the revelation that he was actually playing 2 games: 1) The outer game, i.e. his skills and physical abilities and 2) The inner game, i.e. his mastery over his own psychological and emotional states while practicing and playing. Well, these principles are not limited to the game of tennis, but wholly applicable to any challenge in life, from playing music to forming good relationships to whatever. Along comes a musician who recognizes this, teams up with the original author and writes a miraculous book for the musicians of the world. I doubt if there are many musicians who could not benefit from the information in this book. Why should you improve your inner game? The book gives a great example... think of something that is easy for you to play, something you can play well every time. Now picture yourself thrust down onto the stage of Carnegie Hall in front of a packed house that expects you to play something brilliant. Do you think your nerves might get in the way of playing this simple little piece to your potential? If so, then you probably need this book. If not, you are a master already and I wonder why you are wasting your time reading this! Remember that your skills, no matter what level, are considered part of your "outer game." These skills are particular to you, your physical limitations, your instrument, and your instrument's limitations. This book focuses on the inner game, which is universal. By universal, I mean the inner game is not even specific to music, but applies to any challenge. By using language, stories, and metaphors that are familiar to musicians, the book can help you improve your musical inner game, but there's no reason it should stop there. The Inner Game of Music does an ingenious job of simplifying the psychology and spirituality of playing music into something practical by putting aside debatable beliefs about ego, id, subconscious, conscious, etc, and focusing simply on whether you are playing your inner game or losing it. An example from my life... I have been studying with a master jazz guitarist for a couple of years. At times when I practice, I find myself playing a good inner game, very relaxed, playing from the heart, amazed at the notes I hear. I find that when you play a good inner game, you feel more like an observer than a participant. Well, when I sit down with my teacher, I become aware of his mastery. My own nervousness and desire to play well for him quite often cause enough interference to make me play well below my ability. Since reading this book, I have found that more often I can really relax with him, stretch out and really play to the best of my ability, often surprising us both. I find myself coming further in my limited practice time and playing better in unfamiliar situations. It is all about the inner game!
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Summary: A bit full of itself.
Review: This book seems intent on promoting the Inner Game as some cure-all life philosophy (no doubt with seminars and an entire line of books and other products on the way, if not already here), with Timothy Gallwey as its high priest, rather than providing a useful reading for musicians. It has some really useful ideas (and many good anecdotes) for improving the mental element of one's music, such as creating mental movies for pieces as a way of improving expression. It furthermore encourages musicians to experiment and explore improvisation, something lacking in many areas of music. At the same time, however, many of the ideas seem somewhat unoriginal, and I'm not quite sure how they relate to "the inner game," which by the end of the book has inflated itself into a catch-all for anything that might improve one's musical experience. I think many people listen to music at times by listening to individual instruments or parts, and I don't consider that a musicological revelation that needs the life-giving breath of Timothy Gallwey. In addition, towards the end is a tedious meditation section ("breathe in... breathe out...") that seemed little more than a page-creating device. The book also borrows far too heavily from the related books on tennis and skiing, and really should have more original music-related content. Yes, the Inner Game translates across the entire spectrum of human experience (slight whiff of sarcasm), but I bought a book with "music" in its title not because I wanted to read about sports. The Inner Game of Music might be a good aid for teachers, providing ideas to use with their own students, but as a reading for a musician to use in reflecting on, improving, and enjoying his or her own music, it reads too much like a gimmicky self-help book.
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Summary: Outstanding book!
Review: This book will change the way you look @ playing your instrument! It is great...I would recommend it to anyone!
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Summary: very helpful
Review: This book, "The Inner Game of Music" helped me put more of myself into my music. It explains how music is only 50% physical, but also 50% mental. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for some new techniques and ideas to use t advance musically.
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Summary: The Must Read Far All Musicians
Review: This is the most incredible book ever written on all aspects of music. This is a must read for any musician, regardless of your level. If you are at the top of your career or just starting out this book's techniques can help you in many ways. Barry Green is the master of helping people preform to their best. If you ever get the chance visit his web site www.innergameofmusic.com or attend one of his blockbuster workshops. I CAN"T WAIT TO READ HIS NEXT BOOK!!!!
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Summary: The Must Read Far All Musicians
Review: This is the most incredible book ever written on all aspects of music. This is a must read for any musician, regardless of your level. If you are at the top of your career or just starting out this book's techniques can help you in many ways. Barry Green is the master of helping people preform to their best. If you ever get the chance visit his web site www.innergameofmusic.com or attend one of his blockbuster workshops. I CAN"T WAIT TO READ HIS NEXT BOOK!!!!
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Summary: Well developed techniques for musicians
Review: Using Timothy Gallwey's "Inner Game" techniques, Barry Green has provided here an excellent resource for musicians who feel that they practice adequately, but still lack a "certain something" in their music. Mr. Green leads the reader through a series of examples and techniques that combat nervousness, a lack of emotion, and many other problems that most musicians face. Although I am a rather well versed saxophonist, I tended to get nervous before many of my performances and auditions, and the techniques of the "Inner Game" have helped me to combat that. My practice time is now more effective, and my performances are better because of this book. Some may feel that the only shorcoming in this book is that Green discusses too many varying techniques, but in actuality they are all similar in philosophy and practice, and they all lead the performer to greater chances of success.
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