Creative Performance Practice

When most people think of creativity in music, their mind goes automatically to the exciting but often intimidating realms of IMPROVISATION and COMPOSITION.

Here is an alternative, deeply creative approach accessible to even musicians with classical backgrounds and limited creativity training.

Traditionally, one of the most important goals for classical performers involves a meaningful yet prescriptive process called A.P.P.

Authentic Performance Practice (A.P.P.)

Honor intentions of composer/printed music,

playing “right” notes, rhythms, dynamics, articulations, timbre, and form

in stylistically appropriate ways.

As an educator and performing artist, I’ve spent literally thousands of hours pursuing this reconstructive approach, and benefited immensely from doing so. This practice emphasizes many important goals: attention to detail, stylistic consistency, pursuit of excellence, etc.

But it is only one way to experience music making.

An alternative—achieving different outcomes—involves a method described in a term I coined, called C.P.P.

Creative Performance Practice (C.P.P.)

Using written music as a foundation,

alter notes, rhythms, dynamics, articulations, timbre and/or form as necessary

to build highly personalized statements.

This unconventional approach empowers performers to make PERSONALIZED CHOICES.