Monthly Archives: August 2019

Are we done stretching? Not yet!!

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So, throughout August we have stretched our artisticness away from the harp. We’ve stretched our bodies and we’ve stretched our repertoires.  What could possibly be left?

Maybe the most important part. Have you stretched you?

I hear you grumbling. I’m all stretched out. Yes, I’ve stretched me.

But have you stretched all of you?

Have you stretched to playing for others, in new places? For new audiences? Have you put yourself out there to share your art?  Have you stretched emotionally?

I really thought I had. I’d played for all kinds of people. What could be left? And then I was asked to play for first graders! Wow! A very different audience that I had never even thought of. They were great! Just imagine what I would have missed if I had said no. Was it out of my comfort zone? Oh yeah – I couldn’t even see it from my comfort zone!  But if I had to take a chance, what a great place to land!

How about that gig that isn’t your norm? I booked that one. Now I’m learning a tune that I’d never select – a pop tune I have always hated! But, now that I’m working on it, while I don’t like the tune any better than before, I can appreciate its rhythmic qualities.  And I can respect the technique that I need to play it accurately. It is drawing on skills I rarely use. So, I also got to stretch my practice routine to boot!

How about finding a new way to share with friends, family, or audiences? Have you taken the opportunity to unguard your heart (you know, the one that’s in your mouth when you contemplate something new, different, and challenging!) and share just a bit of the joy you find in playing? Or some other emotion – loss? happiness? contemplation? contentment?

Stretching to share your emotions can be very freeing. You know, after the freefall of terror.  As we’ve identified before, stretching can be many (good) things, and here are six:

  1. Stretching is the opposite of static and facing things straight on is definitely not static!  Meeting your resistance to something will help you keep moving, growing, developing.
  2. Stretching makes you flexible. When you’re sharing with others, you can telegraph what you’re feeling. Being flexible gives you the opportunity to change up what you’re doing to suit your audience (and yourself). I try to have a couple of options available for each program – for those times when noting is coming together. I want to convey to the listener that, even in the face of [pick one: forgetting how the tune goes, being unable to exert any control over my fingers, starting in the wrong key, (why yes, I have done all these things and more – in front of audiences)], I’m glad to be there with them, and grateful to know that they’re on my side, even if I can’t seem to conjure any knowledge of how to play the harp!
  3. Stretching helps alleviate stiffness – and putting yourself out there might make you feel stiff (terrified stiff?).  Nothing like working on music way beyond the pale of your favorites will help you approach new, different things with more freedom – that comes from the comfort of being less stiff as you approach the music…or the audience. Remember to “bend your knees” musically. Just imagine what I might do with that tune I hate (after I deliver it for the gig – I could completely rejigger it (perhaps literally – make it into a jig? Just an idea – I’m flexible like that!)
  4. Stretching helps relieve stress. Don’t you ever think that you’re the only one who feels stress (nervousness, tension, etc.) when you’re performing. We all do – even your harp hero! If you’ve done the stretches we have been talking about, you will be more comfortable no matter where you play.  And that will help you feel less stress while you are playing. Don’t get me wrong – you might feel a little bit of nervousness (and research suggests that this actually helps you play better) but you won’t have that heart-pounding, breath-stealing paralysis that gets in the way (ok, you can call it stage fright, but I can only focus on how I can’t breathe…until I remember that I’m looking forward to playing…once I get started!).
  5. Stretching helps develop and maintain focus. By stretching yourself to new audiences, you have to focus on them to share all that you have brought. You will, of course, get better at this with practice, so keep at it!  And remember to focus on the good – you know your music, you enjoy playing, and they will love you!
  6. Stretching stretches you. You will definitely benefit from sharing yourself and your music with others. Open your heart and give your gift. Do not worry about receiving a gift in return – just enjoy the delightful feeling of giving! And keep on giving as you stretch yourself again and again.

So, as the end of summer nears and we have stretched ourselves in so many ways – physically, artistically, emotionally, and through our repertoire. Each of these aspects of playing are essential – and stretching in each of them helps keep you flexible – ready to take on any challenge and not only succeed but also the enjoy it! Now that you’re all stretched – what will you take on next? Let me know in the comments!

Expand your musical reach – another stretch (or 7!)

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We have talked about stretching through making art and stretching our bodies.  There’s another place we need to stretch and that is in our music.  And it’s the perfect time to think about it – it will be the winter holidays and all the lovely opportunities to play will be coming.  I mention the holidays because they are the perfect foil for stretching our music.

The holidays are great from a repertoire perspective.  There is a relatively small set of tunes to work from and each year, those that have been on our set lists for a while seem to become easier to prepare and to play.  It’s also easier to knuckle under and practice – we know it’s coming; we know we’ll be playing; and we know the bulk of what we’ll bring to each performance.

That doesn’t exactly sound like stretching.

And that’s why it’s so great!  There are loads of holiday tunes – so you probably don’t know them all.  But you know some and so each year you can add another one or two to fill in your set list.  But we have to fight the urge to be lazy and just play all the same stuff. 

I don’t know about you, but I really like hearing new (to me) stuff at the holidays.  From countries whose music I don’t know well, from new sources, and from the set of those songs that hardly anyone records but are just so good. 

So, the holidays are an opportunity to stretch ourselves – musically.

What does stretching musically mean? Trying new things!  It can be adding techniques we don’t usually use, playing music we don’t usually play, finding stuff we didn’t know existed and fitting it into our lives, arranging music we like (from other instruments) and playing it on the harp, or more.

How is stretching musically good for us?  Here are seven unsurprising ways (some of these might sound familiar since they are as with making art)

  1. Stretching is (still) the opposite of static!  Static is not moving or changing.  Static introduces b-o-r-i-n-g into your playing.  It also means that you’re not growing as a musician.  So, learn how to do some effect you think is cool…and actually use it in your playing!  Do the work of technique practice.  And after learning some new technique, actually add it to your playing!
  2. Stretching makes you more flexible.  By adding new music, new sources, new techniques, new practice approaches, just new stuff to your playing, you will begin to explore yourself more and bring that into your playing and performance.  And you will be free to do more than you thought you could when you were less flexible.
  3. Stretching helps defeat stress.  The more you stretch your music, the more comfortable you become with playing it – because you’ll become more accustomed to being stretched.  In your practice, in performance, in ensemble, in sessions – no matter where you’re playing you will be more relaxed, able to enjoy the process and product of making music.  That comfort is an indication of your reduced stress.
  4. Stretching helps overcome pain and discomfort.  You might decide to stretch your music when you feel the discomfort be becoming bored.  Of course, once you decide to stretch your music, you might feel self-conscious, uneducated, or ignorant.  The music activities that stretch you might make you feel uncomfortable in and of themselves.  But keeping at it – a little bit each day – will help you be more comfortable and soon, you’ll be interested in the flexibility of trying new music.  I’d suggest adding time for creativity in your practice each day so you will be able to stretch musically with less (perceived) “stiffness”.
  5. Stretching helps you focus.  You can be mindful when you are stretching your music.  Mindful of what it is about the music that attracts (or repels) you, what technique elements you need to work on, what your harp really shines with.  In addition, a broader repertoire may help you to feel more accomplished and allow you to comfortably book gigs previously out of reach.  Be sure to pay attention as you’re stretching your music to identify what to keep on doing.
  6. Stretching improves your range.  As you add music to your toolbox, and include the listening, reading, technique and effects the new music might require of you, you will become more able to do more things with greater musicality – and add new things more quickly.
  7. Stretching stretches you.  There’s nothing like playing something you never thought you’d be able to (or possibly even that you never thought about adding) to boost your confidence and encourage you to try even more new things!

Stretching – the gentle kind that broadens your abilities, and leaves you relaxed and enjoying making music, is just what you need.  With these seven stretches you might become a better musician!  What kind of music might you add to stretch yourself?  What else might you do to stretch yourself musically?  Tell me in the comments – I can’t wait to hear!

Can there be a First Inning stretch?

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Last week we talked about stretching yourself in your art and I hope you’ll agree that is important.  But, we might have been a little bit ahead of ourselves.  Typically when we talk about stretching, we are talking about moving our bodies, stretching our muscles.  Maybe that’s the First Inning stretch?

Well, that’s pretty important too. And for a lot of the same reasons.  And for a few different ones.  Physically stretching may be important purely because playing the harp is a physical activity.  Don’t believe me?  Play a 3 hour gig!  Or even an intense hour long practice.  Then you’ll know. 

So that physicality, which is easy to minimize or rationalize away, is exactly why we need to be rigorous about stretching our bodies.  Here are six benefits when you need to stretch your body.

  1. Decrease stiffness – all over.  You won’t just stretch part of you – stretch all of you!  As stated before, stretching will also increase your ranges of motion – all those joints and muscles need to work together so you can play…and play well.
  2. Remember what relaxed feels like.  Now, you might think this is about chilling out, but really it’s about letting the muscles relax.  This relaxation needs to be paired with the contraction of the opposing muscle.  And together these actions make playing possible.  Balancing these is what really makes the tone possible – and you’ll get that when you not only contract the muscles but also let them relax.
  3. Stretch your body, refresh your mind.  Whether you’re practicing, performing, or just going through your day, you can have a little break just by stretching.
  4. You already know this – stretching may help you avoid injuries.  And while it will help you be flexible enough to not develop big injuries – perhaps more importantly, you’ll be more likely to avoid those nagging little nigglings that bug you but don’t qualify as injuries in your mind. These little insults can build up over time while you’re ignoring them – so stretch to prevent them in the first place.
  5. Stretching helps you become aware of your body.  That includes when you’re body is humming along….and when something is out of whack.
  6. Stretching helps you focus.  By helping to increase circulation and by promoting breathing, you will be more able to draw your focus to your activities of practicing, playing, and performing. 

If you’re not already stretching, you might consider adding it to your day.  You can incorporate ministretch sessions throughout your day.  At a minimum consider at least stretching during your practice time. Are you really out of practice?  Then you could start by having a big stretch before you get out of bed in the morning! 

Are you stretching?  Do you stretch as part of your harp practice?  What stretches do you do?   Which is your favorite?  Let me know – share them in the comments!

7th Inning Stretch

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The start of August is sort of the “7th Inning Stretch” of Summer. 

Most of the Summer is gone, but there’s easily another six (or more!) weeks to go, so it is the metaphorical 7th Inning.  For those of you unaccustomed to baseball, there are nine innings (in a regular game) so the 7th is about ¾ of the way.  Onlookers are encouraged to stand up and stretch before the end of the game commences.  It is a time of frivolity, merriment, and getting the last snacks before the vendors shut down.

In our case, it’s not the inning that matters – it’s more about the stretch.  So, for August, we’ll talk about stretching.

We actually started stretching ourselves in July by giving ourselves permission to cross into making art in other media.  This challenge to ourselves is a type of stretching –

  • Stretching our creative muscles
  • Stretching how we think about our arts
  • Stretching our comfort zone to share pieces in various phases of done-ness
  • Stretching our world of sharing.

So many of you graciously shared your work in other media (and continue to do so – don’t stop!).  This is a relatively easy way to stretch yourself.

Why is stretching so important? There are loads of reasons you should stretch yourself, but here are 7 (one for each Inning up to the stretch? Maybe 😊):

  1. Stretching is the opposite of static!  Being static is stultifying.  It is not making progress of any type.  It is status quo.  What it isn’t is electrifying!  Or creative.  Or enriching.  So we want to avoid being static.
  2. Stretching makes you more flexible.  The more you stretch, the more all of you can be brought to everything! Practice. Creating. Lunch with friends. Everything!
  3. Stretching helps defeat stress.  The more you stretch, the more comfortable you become with being stretched.  Because you are comfortable with stretching and being flexible, you can be more relaxed in the face of stressors and this comfort allows you face every stressor more easily.  And the more you create, the more flexible you will be as you create – anything.
  4. Stretching reduces pain and discomfort.  When you first start stretching you will feel self-conscious, uncoordinated, ignorant, and you might feel discomfort or pain from the activities that stretch you.  But if you go gently and keep at it daily, you will soon (sooner than you think) adapt and become more flexible.  So, by adding some time for creativity in each day you will be able to do so with less stiffness (e.g. “I don’t know what to draw!” or “I can’t paint!”)
  5. Stretching helps you focus.  You can be mindful when you are stretching, and your enhanced presence means you can focus on where you are rather than being focused on any pain or discomfort. By creating more in all domains, you will be able to focus on the act of creating at your harp when you are there (or your easel, your notebook, your kitchen counter – wherever you are focused and being creative).
  6. Stretching improves your range of motion.  As you might have seen by the challenge, your “range of motion” in other media might be limited – by self-critique, by lack of experience, by lack of training.  Stretching will allow you to side step these things and create anyway.
  7. Stretching stretches you.  What?  That might sound silly, but by stretching you are always challenging yourself to try more, new, different – and it feels good!

So, we’ve sort of gone backwards starting with stretching your creativity but that’s ok – we’re nothing if not flexible, right?  As we progress through August, we’ll look at other, more conventional views of stretching.  But as you’re creating, remember to stretch and be flexible.  What do you do to be creatively flexible?  Share in the comments – I can’t wait to hear!

PS – as I mentioned last week – if you’ve got a piece of art from another medium that you’d like to share – I will add it to the post.  Haven’t finished your piece?  Haven’t finished convincing yourself?  Still on the fence about sharing? Just do it for yourself!  When you send it to share, I will put it up.  If you missed last week’s post where people shared their amazing art from other media, prepare to be amazed and check it out here: