Mastering the Art of Performance: A Primer for Musicians

by Stewart L. Gordon

In Mastering the Art of A Primer for Musicians , Stewart Gordon offers seasoned advice to musicians intent on meeting the challenges of performance. Through real-life examples and pre-performance exercises, this accessible manual gives musicians and other performers practical insights into every aspect of performance. While other books merely identify and describe the problems associated with performance, this book offers detailed suggestions for solving them.
First, Gordon tackles the critical planning and preparatory stages, helping performers to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. The book's easy-to-follow exercises address the self-doubt and anxiety many musicians contend with, helping them to analyze why they perform, set goals and assess the level of energy needed to achieve them, and develop a performance philosophy. The book also offers techniques that will help musicians deal with some of the classic pitfalls of performance preparation, including repetition and drill, changing bad habits, and developing memory.
For the performance itself, Gordon's insights help musicians with pacing and managing stage fright. For the aftermath, Gordon arms performers with strategies for dealing with criticism and conducting a constructive self-evaluation, equipping them to face the challenges of a lifetime of performances, including career plateaus and burnout.
Gordon draws from more than forty years of experience in front of audiences to offer readers invaluable tips and personal reflections. While aimed primarily at musicians, the book will be useful to anyone facing the pressures of performance, such as actors, dancers, and even public speakers.

Genres: Music, Teaching, Nonfiction

210 pages, Hardcover

First published December 15, 2005

Reviews

[David]

I learned nothing that experience hasn’t already taught me. I do respect the author’s intent and musical excellence, however - see his book on Beethoven sonatas, especially, which was a much more enlightening volume.

[Peter]

Stewart Gordon gives in-depth advice on preparation and performance for musicians. While Gordon is a classical pianist the book's information is applicable to all instrumentalists. This is a book I first encountered at a community college library 15 years ago and the planning was too rigorous for me at that time. In 2025 I decided to re-read the book fully to help in my long range planning for a masterclass I played in California. It was helpful for that and it will be a helpful reference book for future performances.

[Marylee Lannan]

Written for people early in their careers but still some good ideas for older people like me

[Joannie]

3.5 stars, really. Performance, and particularly piano performance, has a lot to do with mental training and psychological preparation. That said, this book provides a lot of in-depth analysis and insight in the process before, during, and after a performance. It was a fairly informative read, though a little wordy for my preference and I felt the same things could have been said with less text. Anyone who aspires towards piano performance may find this fairly helpful in reinforcing a good balance between practising, performing, and finding a good perspective on it all.

[Kay-em]

Great book! Especially if like me you always dread performing before audiences. I bought this on the eve of my grade 6 piano exams, with the intention of pacifying the inevitable "stomach butterflies". It actually helped - tremendously in fact. My confidence level was at a much higher level than its been on such previous occasions. Recommended for anyone pursuing music either as a hobby or direct/side career. Plenty of useful and pragmatic advice for all cases.

[Miriah]

This book is a great source for me to use especially when I wanted to face the crowd and conquer my nerves. Music is the medicine for my system and it can possibly heal others. The more you do it, the more you love it.

[Angela]

Had a rough time getting into this one. Certain exercises were extremely useful.

[Andrew Amirzadeh]

It's ok. It's very alike to other self help books but translative to musicians. It really drags at times.