The Mindful Musician - Mental Skills for Peak Performance

by Vanessa Cornett

In The Mindful Musician: Mental Skills for Peak Performance, author Vanessa Cornett offers guidelines to help musicians cultivate artistic vision, objectivity, freedom, quiet awareness, and self-compassion, both on- and offstage in order to become more resilient performers. Contrary to modern culture's embrace of busyness and divided attention, Cornett's contemplative techniques provide greater space for artistic self-expression and satisfaction. With the aid of a companion website that includes audio files and downloadable templates, The Mindful Musician provides a method to promote attentional focus, self-assessment, emotional awareness, and creativity. The first of its kind to combine mindfulness practices with research in cognitive and sport psychology, this book helps musicians explore the roots of anxiety and other challenges related to performance, all through the deliberate focus of awareness.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: The Mindful Musician
Chapter 2 Habits of Successful Performers
Chapter 3 Music and the Mind: Performance Anxiety and Other Challenges
Chapter 4 Mindful Performance Psychology
Chapter 5 The Art of Mindful Breathing and Relaxation
Chapter 6 Imagery for Peak Performance
Chapter 7 Mindfulness Practice and Meditation for Musicians
Chapter 8 The Mindful Achiever: Practical Applications for Long-Term Success
Chapter 9 The Mindful Visionary: More Practical Applications for Long-Term Success