A private lesson with the masters: The groundbreaking author of The Inner Game of Music reveals ten qualities shared by the world’s most successful musicians, from Leonard Bernstein to Bobby McFerrin, that make them truly great.

The Inner Game of Music , the breakout hit that became a standard primer in the music world, has taught thousands of musicians—professionals and amateurs alike—how to overcome self-consciousness and stage fright and to recapture a youthful, almost effortless capacity to learn.

Now, in his follow-up book, The Mastery of Music , Barry Green turns his expert hand to the artistic qualities that make an extraordinary musician. He culls advice from dozens of interviews with legends including Joshua Bell, Dave Brubeck, Jeffrey Kahane, Bobby McFerrin, Christopher Parkening, Doc Severinsen, Frederica von Stade, the Harlem Boys Choir, and the Turtle Island String Quartet. As bassist Barry Green discovered in these dialogues, it’s not enough to have a cerebral and emotional connection to the notes; musical excellence requires a mastery of these ten unique qualities of the soul and the human spirit.

Green organizes this ineffable virtuoso quality that the greats possess into ten characteristics, such as confidence, passion, discipline, creativity, and relaxed concentration, and discusses specific ways in which all musicians, composers, and conductors can take their skills to higher levels. He carefully incorporates all instruments and techniques in his rejuvenating discussions, inspiring the stifled student to have fun again and the over-rehearsed performer to rediscover the joy of passionate expression. Essential reading for every musician, The Mastery of Music strikes a beautiful new chord.