Connecting Mindfulness, Confidence & Performance
Master Class spots are now filled. If you would like to be on the waiting list, please apply below.
Limited space still open for general participants.
Application deadline is Friday, July 3.
Click here to apply for Summer Program 2020 Master Classes.
Click here to apply as a Summer Program 2020 General Participant.
Is this you?
You’re often frustrated in your practicing and performing.
You feel stuck in habits of tension or anxiety.
You sometimes wonder if you really belong up there onstage.
You can change these things.
Imagine transforming your approach so that you can reliably perform with freedom and confidence.
See yourself performing with the expressive power you’ve always wanted.
Picture yourself supported in this transformative journey by an extraordinary community of like-minded musicians.
People just like you, who are all discovering their real performing potential in a supportive group process.
This is really possible.
The Art of Practicing Institute’s summer program has changed the lives of musicians from every corner of the globe.
And this year we’re excited to be offering this transformative program online.
Each musician in our community is, like you, endowed with a musical gift they want to share.
And like you, they’re looking to overcome challenges so they can tap into their true capabilities.
Master Class spots are now filled. If you would like to be on the waiting list, please apply below.
Limited space still open for general participants.
Application deadline is Friday, July 3.
Click here to apply for Summer Program 2020 Master Classes.
Click here to apply as a Summer Program 2020 General Participant.
“For the past 12 years I’ve had a bottle of beta blockers in my cupboard, for those high-pressure solos, to make sure my hands don’t shake. But by the end of the API summer program, I was onstage without beta blockers and there was no shaking. My breathing was fine, my knees were fine, and I was having fun! That had never happened before in a solo performance. I’ve let go of the need to prove myself, and it’s given me the freedom to just stand up there, play my instrument, and say what I want to say.”
— Kirk Ferguson, Assistant Principal Trombonist, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Join us in this dynamic six-day intensive to …
- Learn and explore a proven set of mindfulness techniques you can apply to practice and performance.
- Release physical tension while increasing expressive intensity in playing.
- Discover how to shift your focus from self-consciousness to generosity onstage.
- Connect to a confidence you never knew you had.
- Develop vibrant stage presence in your performances so you can connect more strongly with your audience.
Make these powerful new discoveries
New ways of practicing your instrument can help you trust your body and mind in performance, giving you more physical and expressive freedom onstage.
Daily support through mindfulness practices and group discussions can open you up both musically and personally, bringing you more joy and confidence as a musician.
A stronger connection with your natural musical impulses can liberate you from habits and concepts that have been holding you back.
Master Class spots are now filled. If you would like to be on the waiting list, please apply below.
Limited space still open for general participants.
Application deadline is Friday, July 3.
Click here to apply for Summer Program 2020 Master Classes.
Click here to apply as a Summer Program 2020 General Participant.
“It’s impossible to encapsulate the magnitude of the transformative experience of the API summer program with a few words. My body has begun to unwind years of muscular tension and clenching, and I can breathe more easily and freely. My musical soul has begun to resurface, and I’m reconnecting to the joy of being a creative, artistic musician, both physically and emotionally. I am so incredibly grateful.”
Pamela Smitter, Principal Trumpet, West Michigan Symphony
“Before I came to the API summer program, I felt very alone with music, not understanding why I was so afraid about performing. The teaching and community at this program helped me understand and appreciate myself, so I was able to put all of my own colors into the music. Madeline helped me realize that the connection between music and the player’s spirit is more important than playing perfectly, and I gave the best and happiest performance I’ve ever played on the closing concert.”
— See Young Song, flutist, Korea
Master Class spots are now filled. If you would like to be on the waiting list, please apply below.
Limited space still open for general participants.
Application deadline is Friday, July 3.
Click here to apply for Summer Program 2020 Master Classes.
Click here to apply as a Summer Program 2020 General Participant.
Special features for 2020:
- General participants are invited to each have a 10-minute coaching session on a passage to help them play it with more ease and expressiveness.
- Simultaneous master classes to choose from, according to your instrument and interest.
- Small peer gatherings in breakout rooms will happen each day to help you further share and deepen your learning experience.
Come be a part of this extraordinary gathering.
“The API summer program was a revelation. It’s mind blowing how it teaches you to unite everything that’s already in you – your personal story, your musical ideas, and all the things you’ve felt in your life – it unites who you are with what you dream of doing. And now, because of this program, my dreams have been transformed into plans. I feel confident that I can make them into a reality.”
— Miloro Vagnini, trumpeter, Italy
“In my experience, there is nowhere else in the world where musicians can openly explore what it really means to do what we do, at every level, in a place of acceptance.”
— Nora Krohn, violist, New York
Application deadline is Friday, July 3.
Master Class spots are now filled. If you would like to be on the waiting list, please apply below.
Limited space still open for general participants.
Click here to apply for Summer Program 2020 Master Classes.
Click here to apply as a Summer Program 2020 General Participant.
Faculty
Madeline Bruser, piano, author of The Art of Practicing, Founding Teacher
Stephen Burns, trumpet/winds, Certified Teacher of the Art of Practicing
Tim Mueller, piano, Certified Teacher of the Art of Practicing
Kirk Ferguson, trombone, Associate Teacher
Have questions about if this program is right for you? Let’s talk.
If you’re ready to join us, we’re excited to include you.
Madeline Bruser, Founding Teacher