American inventor Thomas Edison once said, “Genius is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration.” Some of classical music’s historic composers, from Ludwig van Beethoven to Gustav Mahler, are ideal examples of this mindset.
We often think of classical musicians in sedentary roles—sitting and practicing for hours at the piano or lying awake at night waiting to be struck by the muse. But quite a few took a much more physical approach to their work. To be a maestro of strings and keys, one must walk before one plays.
