By Heart: The Art of Memorizing Music

"This little gem is exactly the kind of book I had been searching for!"--Caroline Wright, Memorizing Music

"Cienniwa concludes that students should be required to play from memory...So just do it, and maybe start by memorizing this book."--Mark Kroll, EMAg (Early Music America)

"...the skills and techniques [the author] describes in memorizing are important for all performers, regardless of their instrument. Cienniwa writes in a direct, conversational style. This book...will serve as a guide to thoughtful performers, whether they play from memory or a score."--Sarah Mahler Kraaz, The Diapason

By Heart: the Art of Memorizing Music takes its readers from personal anecdote to practical skills for becoming a successful memorizing musician. If you are new to memorization, this book will give you the skills and techniques to get started with the process. You will carry those skills and techniques for the rest of your life. Even if you already have a solid memorization practice, this book will inspire some new or different approaches while also reinforcing your own convictions.

Many of the techniques presented are good for any type of practice, even for the non-memorizing musician. Therefore, this book is also a useful foundational study of how to practice.