We all have so many critical voices in our heads.

Telling us what's good, what's not, and what should be. We must stop the criticism if we are to play the music that is inside of us - but how? How do we turn off the inner critic and start to trust our inner voice? By listening to it. Most of us are taught not to trust our initial impulses, but it is these innocent prodding's that bring authenticity in our improvisations and musings at the piano.

To deny these impulses is to deny yourself of what is truly rich and necessary for creating a music that is full of both joy and longing. Combine these two and you have the secret duality that is in the best of music. It's something you can recognize immediately yet it's hard to put your finger on exactly what causes it. It's a combination of sadness and joy. Cast everything aside. What you want is not important and will hinder your ability to hear the inner voice.

Whenever you want to create something you set yourself up because you block that small inner voice that says. "Let me go where I will." Your ego may think it won't be happy with the results. Your ego wants people to say "Ah what a great job you're doing. You really can play well." These comments can set you up to think that you are really great. This is false gratification and, contrary to opinion, not healthy self-esteem.

Puff yourself up all you want, but if you want to really feel the connection between you and the music, you will have to abandon what you want and, instead, let your inner voice decide. It may not be the kind of music that will get you on American Idol, but it will be the kind of music that will get you to a special place few can know - that place where you disappear and the music appears out of thin air. The feeling you will get from this will far surpass any kind of ego gratification that may come from fame or fortune.