Gerald Klickstein is Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and an active guitarist, author, and arts advocate. He frequently lectures at prominent music conferences and appears at leading American music schools and festivals where he performs, teaches, and directs original workshops. He currently serves as Artist/Member-at-Large on the board of the American String Teachers Association and is a member of the College Board's National Task Force on the Arts in Education. He also authors The Musicians Way Blog and maintains www.MusiciansWay.com, the extensive companion website to The Musician's Way.

INTRODUCTION ; PART I: ARTFUL PRACTICE ; 1. Getting Organized ; Artful Practice ; Defining Practice ; Creating a Practice Environment ; The Five Practice Zones ; Planning Your Practice ; Scheduling Practice Sessions ; Choosing New Material ; Self-Recording ; 2. Practicing Deeply, I ; Practicing Deeply ; Habits of Excellence ; Essentials of Artistic Interpretation ; Mental Imaging ; Warming Up ; 3. Practicing Deeply, II ; The Craftsmanship of Practice ; Starting New Material ; Managing Repetition ; Solving Problems ; 4. Practicing Deeply, III ; Ripening Your Repertoire ; Taking Breaks ; Memorization Concepts ; Memorization Strategies ; 5. Practicing Deeply, IV ; Building Technique ; Upgrading Musicianship ; Fueling Motivation ; Committing to the Creative Process ; 6. Musical Collaboration ; Musical Collaboration ; Professionalism ; Interacting in Rehearsal ; Correlating Solitary and Group Practice ; Igniting Synergy ; Forming a Musical Group ; PART II: FEARLESS PERFORMANCE ; 7. Unmasking Performance Anxiety ; Fearless Performance ; Unmasking Performance Anxiety ; The Basic Anxiety Equation ; Anxiety's Effects ; The Roots of Performance Anxiety ; Portraits of Anxious Performers ; Crafting Confidence ; 8. Becoming a Performing Artist, I ; Becoming a Performing Artist ; The Heart of Performance ; The Five Facets of Preparation ; Preperformance Routines ; Backstage Techniques ; 9. Becoming a Performing Artist, II ; Stage Deportment ; Shaping Your Stage Presence ; Starting and Ending ; Harnessing On-Stage Energy ; Connecting with an Audience ; 10. Becoming a Performing Artist, III ; Dealing with Errors ; Postperformance Routines ; Practicing Performance ; Evaluating Your Progress ; 11. Performing like a Pro ; Performing like a Pro ; The Peak-Performance Myth ; Designing Concert Programs ; Three Model Programs ; Creating a Preparation Timeline ; Auditions and Competitions ; The Recording Studio ; PART III: LIFELONG CREATIVITY ; 12. Injury Prevention, I ; Lifelong Creativity ; Musicians and Injuries ; Causes of Injury ; Warning Signs and Responses ; Injury-Prevention Basics ; Recovering from Injury ; 13. Injury Prevention, II ; Balanced Sitting and Standing ; Meeting Your Instrument ; Voice Care ; Hearing Conservation ; 14. Succeeding as a Student ; Succeeding as a Student ; Student-Teacher Dynamics ; Appreciating Criticism ; Embracing Career Challenges ; Counteracting Substance Abuse ; Boosting Creativity ; NOTES ; SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ; INDEX