By Kenny Werner<\/em><\/p>\n The moment my resistance to reading lifted was on a long drive to a gig out of town with a guitar player friend of mine. He seemed to radiate a new level of chill I\u2019d never seen come from him before. On the drive, we got to talking about life, and specifically mindset. He told me about a book called Effortless Mastery<\/em> by Kenny Werner that really helped him with some of his issues, both on and off the instrument. This sounded like exactly the type of thing I needed.<\/p>\n The following day I went and bought a copy of Effortless Mastery<\/em>. I was still a little apprehensive about reading but I was trying to keep an open mind. Little did I know, the following moments would grip me into the book and make a reading addict out of me almost immediately. The book opens with \u201cThe realm of the gifted has always seemed to be an exclusive club. The common belief is that ‘Some of us have it, some of us don\u2019t.’\u201d<\/p>\n The concept of this book is that mastery is something that is available to everyone. The book goes on to explain many of the mental and emotional things we go through as artists, and offers clear direction on how to shift yourself onto a path toward mastery. Even things in my head where I thought I was alone were addressed directly. The best part is that you\u2019ll learn to treat yourself better. It not only opened up music to me in a way that I found immensely helpful, but this new path has also helped me evolve into a better person!<\/p>\n Not bad for the first book I had ever read recreationally!<\/p>\n In Effortless Mastery<\/em>, Werner references many more relevant books for artists in any discipline at any stage of their development. That\u2019s my favorite thing about non-fiction: almost every book I enjoy leads to numerous others! Two of my favorites (although there are many more) are Zen in the Art of Archery<\/em> by Eugen Herrigel and Free Play<\/em> by Stephen Nachmanovich.<\/p>\n Zen in the Art of Archery<\/em> was the next book I read. The author, Eugen Herrigel is a German philosophy professor. While teaching at the University of Tokyo, he took it upon himself to take up Zen, which in Japan is learned through art forms such as archery. Learning in this way is more about spiritual growth through an art form. I was fascinated to find an uncanny parallel between musical headspace and what Eugen describes in some of his experiences learning archery and, more specifically, Zen.<\/p>\n Free Play<\/em> embodies the concept of art for art\u2019s sake. It discusses the creative process and dives deep into improvisation. I even learned one of my favorite words from this book: \u201cgalumphing\u201d! Nachmanovich explains, \u201cGalumphing is the seemingly useless elaboration and ornamentation of activity. It is profligate, excessive, exaggerated, uneconomical. We galumph when we hop instead of walk, when we take the scenic route instead of the efficient one, when we play a game whose rules demand a limitation of our powers, when we are interested in means rather than an end. We voluntarily create obstacles in our path and then enjoy overcoming them.\u201d It\u2019s not just fun to say, it\u2019s an accurate description of how I feel when I\u2019m exploring and improvising in music.<\/p>\n Since Effortless Mastery<\/em> first got me hooked on reading, I\u2019ve amassed a library with hundreds of books that I\u2019ve found helpful. Here\u2019s a short list of a few more books in a similar vein you should add to your reading list:<\/p>\n By Victor Wooten<\/em><\/p>\n This one is a little bit strange. Within the first few pages, Victor exclaims, \u201cTo my friends: This is the book you\u2019ve been waiting for. It\u2019s probably not what you expected but believe me, what you asked for is here. It\u2019s up to you to find it.\u201d A massively insightful read, despite being completely bizarre!<\/p>\n By Dan Millman<\/em><\/p>\n Another book in the line of personal and spiritual growth through developing an art form, it’s written from the perspective of an Olympic gymnast. This is an especially helpful read for anyone who holds too much body tension while playing. There\u2019s even a list of stretches inside that I use daily.<\/p>\n By Rich Redmond<\/em><\/p>\n In this book, Rich breaks down his \u201cCRASH\u201d acronym (Commitment, Relationships, Attitude, Skills, and Hunger) in-depth and describes how to use each of these in all areas of your life. Written by one of the hardest working drummers in the industry, his perspective is a must-read for any drummer looking to enhance their skills and mindset!<\/p>\n By Bernie Schallen<\/em><\/p>\n This book includes exactly what the title suggests, but is the only book on the list written by a drummer for drummers. Goal setting, band dynamics, and motivation are some interesting topics discussed here.<\/p>\n If you want to learn more about “liberating the master musician within”, I’ll leave you with a lesson from Kenny Werner. I know it’s not drums, but I promise it’s worth your time!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/03104510\/02-books-1.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Music Lesson<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
Body Mind Mastery<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
CRASH! Course for Success: 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Personal and Professional Life<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
Mind Matters: Overcoming Common Mental Barriers In Drumming<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n