Gerald Klickstein

I help music colleges, arts organizations, and aspiring musicians succeed.
Author of The Musician's Way.

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

“Provides a wealth of information that would otherwise take years to accrue.” -British Journal of Music Education https://t.co/s8P0ovkqwm

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Dozens of articles and resources for performers, educators, composers, students, and industry pros.

The Musician's Way Newsletter, Summer 2026 Issue. Unique and Free Since 2009.

#piano #voice #musicindustry #musiced #music https://t.co/9sL41putyq

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Musicians are routinely sidelined by preventable health problems, yet few music schools teach occupational health concepts to their students.

This article equips educators & musicians with crucial evidence-based occupational health info. https://t.co/86lOXU2sPC

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Musicians commonly endure avoidable, music-related health problems. Let's change that:
1. Understand & Prevent Music-Related Injuries
2. Safeguard Your Hearing
3. Conquer Performance Anxiety
4. Care for Your Voice
5. Foster Inclusive Health
#guitar #piano https://t.co/86lOXU30Fa

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Sudden increases in practice or performance time are prime causes of injury among musicians.

How much can we increase safely?

This article provides a guideline recommended by music medicine professionals.

#violin #piano #voice https://t.co/rKxGmC10Hl

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Music teachers advise students to use metronomes in practice. But do students do so optimally?

This article offers strategies to use metronomes imaginatively, in ways that enhance both rhythmic precision & expressiveness.

#musiced #piano https://t.co/ebDzTFuGu2

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Are students of classical music typically encouraged to be creative?

Or does traditional schooling emphasize correctness at the expense of creativity?

Constructivist learning strategies can embed creativity into all levels of instruction.

#education https://t.co/JP3donmLIZ

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Spring 2026 Issue of The Musician's Way Newsletter - More than two dozen articles & resources for performers, educators, students and industry professionals. https://t.co/CiSeN7xryt

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Four ways for aspiring performers to learn how to excel in high-pressure settings (click for details):
1. Acclimate to Diverse Performance Settings
2. Build up Presentation Skills
3. Learn Performance-Enhancing Techniques
4. Get Organized
https://t.co/TNHI8OIX7S

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

“Music making is a never-ceasing process of change and progress.” -Jacqueline du Pré, cellist

This article compiles resources for musicians to stay ahead of change and be equipped for lifelong artistic growth.

https://t.co/jzqNt1uvEl

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Six strategies to practice meaningfully on days when time, energy, or mental focus are in short supply:
1. Pinpoint Tiny Goals
2. Arrange Brief Practice Sessions
3. Slow Down
4. Incorporate Mini Breaks
5. Review Core Repertoire
6. Embody Self-Compassion
https://t.co/huPVf7a77E

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Errors are not failures, nor are they shameful.

Rather, errors are information.

And when we treat them positively, they aid our development, as this article describes.

#Creativity https://t.co/0KdyqhQndF

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

“Herein lies the secret to artistry on the concert stage: artistic performers are prepared performers.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 155

https://t.co/G3hFeBUloh

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

The go-to resource for aspiring musicians, The Musician’s Way is the only book to equip music students with the holistic know-how of pros.

"Provides a wealth of information that would otherwise take years to accrue.” -British Journal of Music Ed https://t.co/tqUiMK0Ye5

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

"I choose discipline over temptation, focus over fun." Michael Jordan exemplifies the characteristics and choices of people who commit to excellence.

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

As a young man in my early twenties, I’m unsure if I would have made the same decision as Michael Jordan…but what I do know is that these kind of sliding door moments are all around us every day…

In different flavours and in varying degrees of influence…but they really are all around us.

This can be as small as choosing to get up a little earlier, completing that bit of work that needs finishing rather than stopping, or reading those extra few pages to learn a little more (rather than skipping over them). Or it can be bigger moments - summoning up the courage to have that conversation that can make a difference to your career (rather than being passive from fear), or owning up to a mistake that has been costly to the people around you (rather than ignoring it and damaging relationships at a later time).

I write all of this not because I’m some kind of machine that gets these moments right. I write this not because I’m someone who makes great decisions all the time and walks through the right door often.

On the contrary, I regularly miss the door or walk with carefree abandon through the wrong one.

I write this as a reminder to myself. Those sliding door moments are all around us. They impact our relationships, success and enjoyment at work, and experiences in life.

Moments make a life. That’s worth thinking about daily…

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Does on-stage adrenaline ever scuttle your performances?

For expert musicians, on-stage energy helps them focus & emote. For others, adrenaline can trigger shakiness & anxiety.

This articles shows how aspiring musicians can gain the know-how of pros. https://t.co/4yBvXrbMsv

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

To Memorize, or Not To Memorize?

This article helps musicians resolve that age-old question.

#piano #violin #musiceducation https://t.co/sUu6InbwjX

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

Music industry news, teaching tools, audience building, practice tips, uplifting stories, protected species travel updates, and more.

Fall 2025 issue of The Musician's Way Newsletter - unique & free since 2009.

https://t.co/1AfQzt59cy

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

For musicians & arts orgs, financial sustainability hinges on building new audiences.

This article compiles 10 sites offering free, high-value audience development resources that can boost revenues, impacts & creativity.

#artsleadership #artsadmin https://t.co/eBhDyauCmF

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

~13% of freshman music students don't return for their 2nd year.

But there's a proven way to retain more students via a specific sort of freshman music seminar that uses The Musician's Way as its core text. Here's how.

#highered #MusicEducation
https://t.co/IP0Gsr5NO2

[Gerald Klickstein @klickstein]

#OccupationalHealth problems among musicians are alarmingly high. But music educators can change that.

If you teach music, please send this link to your students & reinforce the concepts from this article in lessons & classes.

#musiced #violin #piano https://t.co/As8Oe1aEOX