‘The artistic process is a mystery, but that hasn’t stopped philosophers and musicians across the centuries from plumbing its depths in the search for meaning. Eric Schoones has organized a roadmap for the journey to the core of the puzzle, quoting great artists and thinkers on such aspects as practice, ego, and the emptiness of unknowing, and framing it all in the context of Zen. The result is truly enlightening. Whether he is citing pianist Dinu Lipatti on discovering emotional truth, Eugene Herrigel on detachment, Glenn Gould on giving free rein to your desires, or Sergei Rachmaninoff on the limitations of following rules, this collection is a must for any musician’s bookshelf.’
STUART ISACOFF, author & critic