The Mindful Musician: Mental Skills for Peak Performance

by Vanessa Cornett

In The Mindful 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.

Genres: Music

276 pages, Hardcover

Published June 25, 2019

Reviews

[indy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy addition to any musician’s bookshelf. The book is a pleasure to read from cover to cover and the kind of resource I’ll keep on hand. You get actionable advice and exercises for more mindful practice and performance. Vanessa Cornett’s compassionate and thoughtful approach shows on every page and in every anecdote.

Folks already familiar with mindfulness practices and literature will recognise some of the activities and scripts in the book, but they are adapted for musicians. Cornett knows her stuff and is open about the limits of her expertise; I admire the author for that.

[Jacinta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful text which I will be dipping into and re-reading again. Lots of different activities to try to promote mindfulness while playing music to reduce performance anxiety.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A life-changing book worth revisiting.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a lot of helpful activities and reflections for any musician who wants to integrate mindfulness into their life and musicianship. The information and activities in the book are valuable, and I appreciate the resources on the companion website.

As someone who studied psychology and is currently enrolled in a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, my one critique is that the author spends much time on the more simplistic concept that adults are responsible for their own emotions. This is a true and valid concept that can be very enlightening, yet it does not take into account the complexities of human biology and experiences of trauma, which deeply influence people’s emotional landscape.

I wish that the author spent more time acknowledging this reality, and also offering hope for individuals who experience things like depression and anxiety, and who are recovering from trauma. I felt that this aspect of mental wellness was whisked over with the advice to talk to a professional in such a way that could unintentionally perpetuate the stigma of seeking mental healthcare, with the implications that if you need mental healthcare then your “problems” are worse than mere mindfulness is capable of helping, instead of acknowledging the wonderful advances that science has made to treat the effects of trauma and the fact that talking to a professional counselor can be a healing experience that can be beautifully paired with mindfulness practices to lead to an even better quality of life.