Comments on: A New Beginning at Berklee College of Music – Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #014

By: Can You Hear the Music? – Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #016

Can You Hear the Music? – Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #016 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:32:20 +0000

[...] After attending Berklee on and off for three years, I got the opportunity to go to Rio de Janeiro. [...]

By: Claudio Grisonich

Claudio Grisonich — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:52:18 +0000

Over the years I have tried to get to the place where technique was part of breathing.
Any note would have it’s own life. Of course the the events of the day could upset the balance and music would become a memory instead of in the moment. For your sharing Kenny
Thank You
Claudio G

By: Madame Chaloff and The Secret of Music - Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #015

Madame Chaloff and The Secret of Music - Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #015 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:47:01 +0000

[...] In our last post, I wrote about my new beginning at Berklee College of Music. [...]

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:27:26 +0000

A spiritual awakening, finding out that I was unconditionaly loved, and realizing that I had love to give, inspired me to continue performing and teaching music.

By: charlie L

charlie L — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:19:16 +0000

thank youKenny, I try to find the courage to persue a musical career,
and your generosity and your help are such example to be inspired with,
practicing mental relaxation is not easy though…

By: Brad Smith

Brad Smith — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:21:39 +0000

Kenny is right on. Dealing with the real elements of what makes music.
Jazz began with the idea of playing in new ways on familiar things. Then those familiar things ( pop tunes of the 1930’s, 40’s, 50′ ) have gradually become less familiar to the current generation. How can someone appreciate your rendition, if they have no idea what you started with? Jazz then became so esoteric, and so “original” that people lost touch with not only the basic tune being played, but also the technical jargon being foisted on it and them.

At the same time, no rules apply if you are connecting with hearts via your medium, regardless of anything. If you are ‘laying it down’ and it can be felt, no rules apply.

I agree wholeheartedly with the priorities laid down when Kenny says that the player / artist has the job of being ready and able to ‘go’ wherever the ‘creator / universe / God’ wants it to go. That’s why I want to smoke on bebop at high tempos, and intentionally work at it, in practice……but not for that end in itself, but to be able to go there in the moment, IF the music takes me there. NOT because politics / convention / showing off / envy …..has taken me there.

Delicate dance between hard work and surrender.

It really ought to be called “free music”……because you might not actually do something associated as ‘jazz’ in the process. Who says it has to be called ‘jazz’?

Art happens when an artist is inspired to communicate something meaningful that would not be there otherwise……through their (the artist’s ) medium, directly to the hearts and minds of those who hear / see / feel / touch it.
The world is thus changed, one heart at a time. What nobler cause could one have?

THANKS KENNY !!!

By: amanda Trees

amanda Trees — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:46:26 +0000

I was very touched by the openness and honesty of Kenny Werner in this contact message. I guess when you hear someone play who totally wows you, it’s hard to imagine that person as someone who would go thru all this anguish and doubt. The fact that he is willing to share this with us is spectacular. It gives us hope, that even in the darkest hours, someone is out there pulling for you, because he was there also and wants to throw you a rope to pull yourself up and out where you belong. I have been doing more practicing now. It helps to keep hearing to do this because it’s too easy to slip back into the dungeon of darkness where you are not in direct contact with the power that is in you to play.