Inspiring interview from Yo-Yo Ma for musicians around the world

[Lucien]

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/10/booming/yo-yo-ma-and-the-mind-game-of-music.html

I had like three epiphanies reading this:

"Practicing is not only playing your instrument, either by yourself or rehearsing with others — it also includes imagining yourself practicing. Your brain forms the same neural connections and muscle memory whether you are imagining the task or actually doing it."

  I never knew...

"I would be the worst musician if I can’t somehow project my imagination into someone else’s mind. I often say that to be a classical musician is to be a forensic cultural analyst."

"Musicians often forget they are athletes and that it’s important to stretch before and after practicing or performing. "

"I think in shapes and in movement and images much more than in sound. I’m not an instrument freak."

"Does fame make it harder to connect with people and fellow musicians?
No, not at all."