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