Psychology
The joy of practicing different
In my free improvisation course, Pocket Jazz, I dedicate a lesson to finding ways to mix it up in your practicing. Find
Getting over your guilt of not practicing enough
No, this is not a post assuring you that you don’t really need to practice in order to become a better player.
Michael Brecker on one’s individual sound
A friend sent me a link to a YouTube video with Michel Brecker talking about different topics as part of what looked
Musicians: getting over stage fright
Richie Beirach and I are about to release our new book called Teaching and Learning Jazz. As a promotion for the book’s
Does popularity define an artist?
A comment was recently written in one of the Pocket Jazz lessons. It was a lengthy comment but it ended with these
A rare example of excellence
I admit that I find myself too often frustrated by the awful service dolled out throughout the world. The list includes: Product
How you can play so much better right now
There is a fascinating process that I constantly see played out. Instantly, it can elevate the ability of players. They are amazed
Michael Lake
Jazz/latin trombone, author, multimedia artist, marketer
Three tips for hearing your playing better
I played with a rehearsal band last week. Something happened during the obligatory tuning process that gave me a thought about a major aspect of
The illusion of ego-less jazz
I was recently party to a heated email conversation between two very famous jazz teachers/players who hold polar opposite views on how one becomes proficient
Answering a question about Stranger in a Strange Land
After returning from vacation, I wrote an article showing the relationship to the treatment of language in Robert Heinlein’s masterpiece, “Stranger in a Strange Land.” It seemed to have made an impression on readers and attracted a lot of comments.
