Musical practice

Joshua RomanAmerican cellist, composer, and TED speaker, former principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony

• Roman argues that practicing is fundamentally about building trust in oneself rather than checking boxes.

  “Practicing is about trusting. And just like in any other relationship, trust is a matter of building the trust part, not the verify part”

  TED Radio Hour: What this musician’s identity crisis teaches us about navigating change (Sep 11, 2026) · Listen from 32:02

• Roman believes he is playing better than ever after changing his approach to practice.

  “another paradox or irony or whatever you want to call it is that I think I'm playing better than ever”

  TED Radio Hour: What this musician’s identity crisis teaches us about navigating change (Sep 11, 2026) · Listen from 29:56

• Roman says he decided to stop practicing when he didn't want to, and found his focus while playing improved as a result.

  “there was a point that I realized I needed to stop practicing when I didn't want to practice”

  TED Radio Hour: What this musician’s identity crisis teaches us about navigating change (Sep 11, 2026) · Listen from 30:32

• Roman says that before the pandemic he practiced six to ten hours a day and lived at a relentless pace.

  “So I used to practice anywhere from six to ten hours a day. I was always reaching, striving to make myself better”

  TED Radio Hour: What this musician’s identity crisis teaches us about navigating change (Sep 11, 2026) · Listen from 6:29