Practicing: A Musician's Return to Music

I love this book. There's a certain melancholy and reality to it that these kind of books don't always approach.Author Glenn Kurtz was a bit of a guitar prodigy when he was a kid, and that carried him into college as a guitar performance major. At some point -- was it before or after graduation? -- he realizes he's not going to make it as a touring concert performer. There are so few opportunities for classical guitarists, and he also realizes that this just isn't "it." The instrument is not part of most ensembles -- symphonies, string quartets, chamber orchestras, etc. -- and there is so much competition for teaching jobs. Plus he loses the fire to follow the path he's been on for so many years. It happens to many if not most.It's a problem when college programs promise what is impossible to deliver -- careers in guitar music for all or even most of their graduates. Everyone hopes that they will beat the odds. But often the student discovers that this isn't the path for them, whether it's achievable or not. Taking care of the majority of students -- and how their education can help them grow beyond just musical performance -- should be top of mind in college arts programs.There are a lot of successful people in the arts who really couldn't do anything else. But there are many more who are not successful who also feel they can't do anything else. We tend to celebrate the successes and bury the rest.The book begins with Glenn pulling the guitar out and getting ready to practice, so you know he picks it up again, and I am glad I could follow along on his journey. He went in a different career direction, and I'm happy to see him succeed in that realm and keep his hand in with the guitar, as it were.There should be some daylight between "working pro" and "not playing at all," and this book shows one way to get there.

What does it take to be a great musician, the kind person who can transport audiences into a realm of musical rapture? Technique is important; it helps to have a lifetime's worth of skill at one's fingertips. But it is also essential to be a good listener, an intuitive student of musical theory, and a soulful practitioner of one's art. To be a truly great artist one must combine seemingly irreconcilable qualities; impeccable self-control with the capacity to harness the spontaneous potential of music. Great musicians play the right notes, but they also imbue them with magic.Most of us who seek to be great musicians will fail. But there is something noble about the struggle and suffering of aspiring artists. The endless practicing shapes our musical capacities, but it also shapes our soul, which is and inner ideal and narrative that all artists need to sustain them in their quest.Glenn Kurtz is familiar with this process. In youth, Mr. Kutrz was an accomplished musician pursuing his deeply-held passion, which was to become a world-class musician. But the gap between the romantic ideal he imagined and reality became an obstacle he could not overcome. Like so many, Mr. Kurtz deferred his dreams because his aspirations had become a crushing burden.Thankfully, Mr. Kurtz's musical quest has not been in vain. In words, he has found a medium to express what he had hoped to express in music. His autobiography is a loving-crafted and superbly rendered performance, which accomplishes what great musicians set out to do: touch audiences, hold them spellbound, and inspire them. Put simply, Mr. Kurtz writes the way Julian Bream or Segovia could play at their peak. That is to say, this is a work imbued with passion, virtuosity, and an artist's touch. Well done Mr. Kurtz. Well done indeed.Scott O'ReillyAuthor of "Yes and Philosophy."

This was a great book and reminds me of my own experience with the guitar/music. Easy read, lots of interesting stuff and inspiration. There's one chapter toward the middle where he goes over the history of the guitar, from ancient times up to our own modern version of it, which I found fascinating and probably my favorite part of the book. I kept my phone nearby and looked up any unfamiliar pieces and instruments he discusses so I could get a better idea of what he was talking about and I ended up learning a lot by doing this (I now have plans to build my own kithara). I've seen other reviews where people say this book was depressing, I didn't find it depressing at all; the whole message of the book (at least what I got from it) is to really explore the instrument and the music it makes and don't get too wrapped up becoming the next Segovia, since that's not what music and playing is all about.Highly recommended, I plan on re-reading it again in the future. And for what it's worth, I got the Kindle edition, no issues to report.

A very readable biographical work that provides a personal insight into the approach to the interpretation and performance of music, from a non-technical perspective, on the classical guitar. For guitarists interested in finding the music within the notes, rather than a JW technical performance - this is essential reading. Whilst it does not provide all the answers you may be looking for - it will stimulate you to search deeper and perhaps find more within yourself. It is a reminder that the performance of music is not simply a matter of playing notes - it is about how you play both the notes and the spaces between them.

This is an excellent book in many ways, but not in the terms it sets itself. The author is very interesting on the subject of growing into music as a talented child, then as a conservatoire student, then on his musical career in Vienna. Regrettably, though, we get only a relatively brief section at the end of the book on his return to music after years away from it, which is what I was particularly interested in reading about. A worthwhile book all told, but not the one it holds itself out to be.

Although this book is about a man's quest to become a musician, the lessons it contains are universal to anyone who has striven to achieve a goal and fallen short for whatever reason. I started reading this book before it actually arrived, courtesy of Amazon's preview facility on selected books. What I read there interested me so much that when the book arrived I started reading immediately. I was hooked and finished it within the day. The pain the author felt on realising that he wasn't going to be a concert musician is palpable. It must have been truely devastating at the time but the author does not dwell overlong on that. In fact the book finishes on an optimistic note and that lesson alone is worth reading the book. Highly recommended.

A great book, some absolute gems for the disenchanted who need a fresh burst of encouragement in any artistic endeavour. Thank you Mr. Kurtz, thanks to you I picked up my old classical guitar and started to play again.

A most heart felt account of a musician's struggle with his place within the world of classical music. Every musician reading this will draw their own parallels to the authors life. A fascinating read.