Daily instrument practice
really means more to our personal growth and wellness than simply having greater
veracity on an instrument. As a professional musician practice time can be
scarce. “We practice on the gig” as they say. The truth is the solitude needed
for a true connection to practice is best done in the practice room, away from
anyone else. It is a sensory meditation of sorts. The sound of your own
instrument speaks to you. It tells you every bit of information you need. Just
the single stroke of a cymbal hit and its resonance can be therapeutic. How
does the cymbal sound? How am I reacting to it today? Where then does it direct
me musically? As we play we must listen to ourselves intently. I want to be
clear about the idea of listening to ourselves, not to be confused with judging
ourselves as we play. That is the mental/emotional trap all artists fall into.
Playing is output time. When we play if we listen without judgment our stream
of consciousness will direct us and our performance output will be optimal. If
we judge ourselves it only hinders the flow. The hindrance comes from the
notion that we only have so much mental capacity, and all of it must be on the
experience of creating music. When we choose to split of mental energy into judgments
of our playing, we are not creating and growing at our optimum. There is plenty
of time to criticize ourselves to improve. Recording devices do just fine. Even
just reflecting on a performance after the performance is a helpful tool for improvement.
But we must honor the power of music with our greatest focus and being to serve
when playing. We serve not only for others listening, but for ourselves. The
service to ourselves is about our spiritual expression and growth as a human
being. If mental occupation is all you seek out of instrument study there are
better devices out there designed to focus on just that. Playing music is an infinitely
greater experience that challenges the whole of our being. Playing music is an
expression and communication of emotional and transcendent connections between us
and others, as well as us to ourselves. Back to daily practice- How and what we
are playing is what connects and communicates to the transcendence of our life
beyond the instrument play. For example, when I practice if I notice that I am
clenching the sticks, it definitely has a relationship with my life. Perhaps I
am fixating on something unhealthily, or afraid to let go of something. Just
like I would choke my flow and sound clenching the stick too tight, I choke out
the flow in my life by fixating or not letting go of something. Then there’s
the practice session where I am a franticly forcing things in, and not letting
a flow of ideas stream, even if I am technically sound and relaxed. I explore
where in my life does this notion of forcing things persist? Where am I forcing
something that just doesn’t fit my path? Our music practice and life are one in
the same. Both interrelate to affect our sound performing, and daily experience.
I have worked with countless students, from the young to professional colleagues
on this concept and see their playing and life (as mine), change for the
positive instantly. Art is life. Never forget that we play music for that which
transcends us. The growth and exploration is infinite, the power to transform
us a divine gift.
