Author name: Joseph Arnold

A person holding a violin in their hands.

“Why Does My Music Sound So Robotic?”

After playing her piece for me in a lesson one day, Sara, who was twelve at the time, asked, “Why does my music sound so robotic?” What a great question! What self-awareness! I was so pleased she had asked this because even though she had gotten all the notes right that day, her playing had sounded rather robotic. I was glad to know we were both on the same page about feeling emotionally unsatisfied with her performance. The stage was now set for discovering what to do about it.

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A man with long hair and beard holding a guitar.

“Guitar Face”: Authentic Expression or Creative Blockage?

Let’s imagine that you’re up on stage, playing a demanding and dynamic piece of music. You play all the right notes, you have perfect technique, you have a brilliant sound, you look like you’re trying to exorcize a demon from your instrument, and yet after the performance you feel unfulfilled and unmoved. You tried your hardest, but you just didn’t connect with real inspiration or genuine feeling. Why not?

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