Fact of Life: If you want to succeed in a big way, you need a proven system that actually works. Here it is ... get ready for an enlightening and entertaining romp through music history guaranteed to inspire. "The indispensables in pianistic success - are they not very much the same in all successes?" Josef Hofmann Yes, indeed! - and the reverse sentiment holds as well. The indispensables in any success are very much like mastering the art of playing the piano.The 19th century was a Golden Age of piano music when the likes of Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt set a standard yet to be exceeded. Enclosed, please find an amazing collection of wisdom gleaned from hundreds of old books, articles, letters and diaries in which history's most successful pianists and composers reveal how they did it. Here are their intimate thoughts on purpose, motivation, discipline, perseverance, even health and social skills - not to mention technique. Caution: a number of sacred cows from today's self-help scene will be ground into hamburger meat by a bunch of long-haired musicians. Better fasten your seat belt as the 'awakening' may occasionally be a bit rude. "When necessary - speak; and in a way that people will remember ... Whoever is most impertinent has the best chance." Mozart The era saw great advances in psychology and education, so relevant thinking by Freud, Jung, Reich, Montessori, Suzuki and Dalcroze is duly examined and integrated by the author. Also included is a lucid explanation of the Alexander Technique and its critical importance to optimal mind/body performance. This book is brimming with powerful information to fuel your dreams. Whether you're in the performing arts, business, management, education, or just looking to raise the bar in your personal life - this book is for you. It will rev up your engine and cause you to shift not only gears but thought paradigms.It's 19th century wisdom for a transcendent 21st.