Achieves Quote by Arnold Palmer
“It is not a dreamlike state, but the somehow insulated state, that a great musician achieves in a great performance. He's aware of where he is and what he's doing, but his mind is on the playing of the instrument with an internal sense of rightness.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Art of Performance, 2015
Great musicians enter a focused, insulated state where awareness of self fades and the instrument’s music dominates, guided by an inner sense of correctness.
In simple terms: Musicians achieve deep focus during performance.
Cultivate present‑moment awareness.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- concerts
- practice sessions
- recording studios
- teaching
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you apply this focused state to other skills?
- What practices help maintain inner rightness?
Such focus may be hard to sustain outside performance.