Artist Well-Being

Resources for Creative & Performing Artists

These are resources for creative & performing artists and private music teachers to foster well-being in the study of music.


Creative & Performing Musicians

Portney Chase, Mildred. Just Being at The Piano: Harmony Begins in the Soul, Long Before the First Note is Played. Los Angeles: Devorss Publications, 2017.

Westney, William. The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self. London, Amadeus Press, 2006.

Bernstein, Seymour. With Your Own Two Hands: Self-Discovery Through Music. New York: Manduca Music Publications, 2016.

Nachmanovitch, Stephen. Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art. USA: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1991.

Werner, Kenny. Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Musician Within. New York: Alfred Music, 1998.

Duckworth, Angela. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. New York: Scribner, 2018.

Klickstein, Gerald. The Musician's Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness. UK: Oxford Press, 2009.

Bruser, Madeline. The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart. USA: Crown, 1999.

Williamon, Aaron. Musical Excellence: Strategies and Techniques to Enhance Performance. UK: Oxford University Press, 2004.


Creative Process

Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Creative Battles. Efinito Publishing, 2022.

May, Rollo. The Courage to Create. New York: Norton Reprint, 1994.

Rubin, Rick. The Creative Act. New York: Penguin, 2023.

Cameron, Julia. The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. New York: J.P. Tarcher/Putnam, 2002.

Jung, C. G., Chodorow, Joan. Jung on Active Imagination. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1997.

Gelb, Michael. How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. USA: Delacorte Press, 1998.

Levine, Stephen. Philosophy of Expressive Arts Therapy. United Kingdom: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019. 


Wisdom for Performance Anxiety & Impostor Phenomenon

James, Muriel, Jongewaard, Dorothy. Born to Win: Transactional Analysis with Gestalt Experiments. USA: DaCapo Lifelong Books, 1996.

Trungpa, Chogyam. Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself Through Meditation and Everyday Awareness. USA: Shambhala, 2016.

Watts, Alan. The Way of Zen.USA: Vintage Press, 1999.

Epstein, Mark. Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective. New York: Basic Books, 2013.

Yalom, Irvin. The Schopenhauer Cure. Harper Perennial: New York, 2020.

Yalom, Irvin. The Spinoza Problem. New York: Basic Books, 2013.

Shapiro, David. Neurotic Styles. New York: Basic Books, 1973.

Dyer, Wayne. Living Wisdom of the Tao. USA: Hay House, 2008.

James, William. Talks to Teachers on Psychology and Life's Ideals. New York: Dover Reprint, 2001.

Ansbacher, Heinz. The Individual Psychology of Alfre Adler. US: Harper, 1964.

Horney, Karen. Self Analysis. USA: W.W. Norton, 1994.

Dreikurs, Rudolf. Fundamentals of Adlerian Psychology. USA: Adler School of Professional, 1975.

Kishimi, Ichiro & Koga, Fumitake. The Courage to Be Disliked. USA:Atria, 2024.

Polster, Erving & Polster, Miriam. Gestalt Therapy Integrated: Contours of Theory & Practice. USA: Vintage, 1974.


Physical Well-being

Roskell, Penolope. The Complete Pianist: From Healthy Technique to Natural Artistry. New York: Alfred, 2022.

Pilafian, S., & Sheridan, P. The Breathing Gym. USA: Focus on Excellence Books, 2002.

Kleinaman, J., Buckoke, P. The Alexander Technique for Musicians. USA: Methuen Drama, 2014.

Mathay, Tobias. The visible and Invisible in Pianoforte Technique. UK: Oxford, 1958.


Learning Disabilities & Reading Music

Morrow, E. (2023). Music Reading for Students with Learning Disabilities. American String Teacher, 73(4), 21-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/00031313231197638

Hosseini Sheerin. 2020. “The Lived Experiences of Adult Musicians with Dyscalculia: A Heuristic Inquiry.” https://scholarship.miami.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/The-Lived-Experiences-of-Adult-Musicians-with-Dyscalculia-A-Heuristic-Inquiry/991031524480802976.