Monthly Archives: August 2022

Again

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Again – a word I’m pretty sure most of my students get tired of hearing.  Probably because I say it a lot –

Do it again.

Let’s do that again. 

One more time.

Three times for luck.

To be fair, I do say these things again and again and again…

I love doing things one more time – again – when I’m doing (whatever) I think is important (practicing, for instance, and maybe eating cookies!).

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I have a dear friend who is an amazing artist.  She paints beautifully.  But her drawings just make me happy!  She thinks I’m pulling her leg, but I adore her sketches.  I enjoy them so much that I want to be able to do them too.  I can’t.  My sketches look like…well, like I drew them.

So, I follow a lot of artists. They are from different modes – some painters, some sketchers, some mixed media-ers, a sculptor.  They each talk about a lot of different stuff.  I read their posts, but I don’t improve my sketching.  Why? Because I read them, enjoy them, often apply the thinking to my playing, but never seem to get around to applying it to my drawing.  They often point out the importance of doing things – you guessed it – again and again!  I don’t do it and unsurprisingly, I don’t get better.

Interestingly, in the same week, two of them talked about failure.  But not really.  They used the word “failure” but what they were really talking about is the mismatch between what you wanted or expected to come out and what actually happened. 

One of the artists I follow is Danny Gregory*.  Danny is the author of a number of books including Art Before Breakfast and Shut Your Monkey.  He more often than not says smart things about being the artist you can be and about being unafraid.  I interpret that to mean not so much being unafraid but being comfortable with being afraid…and doing it anyway!  I really enjoyed his latest post which focuses on – doing it again.  He shared an amazing video about sticking to it until it comes together.   

The video he highlighted is entitled – One More Try.  You can watch all of it (it’s only about a minute and a half):

One More Try – an experimental skate video from Najeeb Tarazi on Vimeo.

The first thing I noticed in the video is how easy we have it!  If we don’t play what we meant to, we don’t hit the pavement at speed!  And we certainly don’t get bruises every time we attempt something that may (or may not) work the way we envisioned it. So, there’s that.

But also, I was struck by the embodiment of “again” – you might notice how many tries some of those tricks required (and probably more because, just like when we play, I’m sure you’re not seeing all the background work that goes into each of those events; nor how much technique or other technical work needed to be learned and embedded before even attempting them).

And so, I say, again! and say it over and over!  Because not doing the thing you meant to isn’t a failure – it’s an opportunity, if you let it be.  The other thing you might notice you’re not seeing in the video is the time each of those riders thinks about and evaluates what they did, what worked, what didn’t work and what they might try next, and how they might do it.  This is a crucial step that can be overlooked if you’re only kicking yourself for your “failure”.  Think about it and do it again.

What do you think? How comfortable are you with doing something over and over again?  How tired are you of hearing me tell you to do it again?  Let me know in the comments!

 

* Again, because I’m daft, this is my thinking and not a paid product placement.  I don’t get anything if you check it out.  Well, that’s not true, I will get a tiny frisson of happiness each time something I share becomes something that helps move you forward! I’m goofy like that.  If you want to follow Danny too, go here to sign up for his posts.  You might, like me, learn a lot – all while not learning to draw! 

 

 

Play it like you mean it

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You’ve seen the markings:

“Expressively”  

“Dolce”

“Tenderly”

“Furiouso”

“insert-your-favorite-emotion-here”

And there is no confusion – after all, you speak English and you’re pretty good at music Italian.*

But, when the rubber meets the road – or more appropriately – when your fingers meet the strings, do you play it like you mean it?

Don’t get me wrong, it can be challenging to play it like you mean it.  There are mental, technical, and performance challenges that can each get in the way of you being able to do so.  What does that mean? Well…

Mental – let’s deal with the easy one first.  What does the expression (as given in the expression marking) mean to you?  You do need to know what the words mean – then you can begin to imagine what that particular expression feels like and then how it might sound.  For example, if you don’t know what “misterioso” means, it will be difficult to determine how it will sound (or how to make it sound like that)!

These expressions can also be thought of as being aligned along a continuum (just like the emotions they are meant to represent) so there can be subtle differences between them.  For example, what’s the difference between “happy” and “joyous”?  Think about how those expressions make you feel.  Is joy a flat thing (maybe like a ramp going up?) or is it undulating (like a roller coaster)?   Does sweetly mean to be played quietly – or is there more to it than that?  Once you’ve thought through that, then imagine how that feeling might sound.

Keep in mind as well that how you feel about the music and about the expressions might change.  And that’s ok, it just means that you can change up how you play that tune to reflect how you are choosing to express it just then!

Technical – once you have determined what you think about the tune and its expressions and emotions, then you need to pull out all your technique chops to execute!  Expressive playing is built on solid technique.  When you mean to play pppp you must be able to get that out of your harp, and it needs to be disctinct from ppp.  You also have to handle yourself so that when you ask yourself to make a change … you get what you demand.

Performance – it’s all well and good to know what you want to come out of your harp and to be physically able to play it.  But when you are performing, you still have to have the control to bring it all together and not only conjure those emotions in your own imagination but also to evoke the same emotions in the minds of the listeners.  That requires that you be focused on those emotions – to be present while performing and not letting your mind wander!

All of these things can be achieved – you just have to (you know what I’m going to say…) practice them.  Here are a few ways to actually practice.  BTW – this assumes that you already know the tune – it’s really hard to emote when you are struggling to remember what the next note should be.

Make a list of emotions – happy and sad are a start but really plumb your thesaurus – exuberant, dolorous, playful, martial – get some really meaty emotions on your list (look them up if you have to!).

Start simply – pick a tune you already know well as an initial “workspace”.  Try to play that tune from each of your listed emotions – angry, hungry, petulant, tired, whatever comes to mind.

  • Don’t be afraid to change the tempo, the rhythmic flow, the arrangement
  • Don’t play it once, grimace, and quit! This is another one of those white knuckle things that’s like driving on an unknown mountain road – you have to focus, to worry and to work – and then, when you are sure it’s all coming apart and you’re going to plunge off the side, you reach a summit and suddenly, you see a beautiful and welcoming valley right before you.  AAaaaaaah! An exhilarating ride…once it’s over.  And a ride you can do over and over again enjoying each time.
  • Keep iterating – as before, no emotion is flat.  There is happiness in times of sorrow, joy in the midst of despair, grief in celebration – explore all those different faces of the emotions.
  • Be sure to be contrary – find the happiest sounding tune you know and turn it into a dirge.  Turn a lament into a jig!.  At a minimum this is a good exercise, and it has the potential to allow you to view the tune in a completely different way.
  • Lather, Rinse, Repeat – as you get more facile with playing with these expressions, practice moving from one emotion to another. Crash from one to the other and back again.  Once you’ve done that, can you gently slide from sad to happy and back again.  (PS – yes, you can, do not doubt it).  Start slowly, find your feet, and build from there.  Find what techniques you need to strengthen and then fix those gaps (PS Don’t mistake pppp for air harp – it’s a very controlled playing that is quiet yet still present!). 

This is your story – tell it your way – and like you mean it!

Are you playing like you mean it?  Do you tell the story your way?  If so, share how you do it.  If not, share what you need to learn – in the comments!

 

* If not, add that to your list of things to learn – even if it’s just for the sake of learning.

 

Be Creative (Be Quiet)

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As musicians, we are artists. What does that mean?

When I asked Dr. DuckDuck what an artist is.  The reply?

One … who is able by virtue of imagination and talent or skill to create works of aesthetic value, especially in the fine arts.*

Yup, right there in black and white (ok, right there in pixels really) – TO CREATE – we are meant to be creating!

Don’t look at me like that – yes, we are meant to be creating so that our creativity is reflected in what we create.

SO, yes, we need to add being creative to our daily practice lives.

“Oh great”, you’re thinking, “now she expects me to be creative on top of all the other stuff she’s always telling me I need to be doing, practicing, learning. HOW am I supposed to do that?!”

I don’t blame you – there is a lot of stuff to do to be an artist! But like everything else we do, doing a little bit of creative work consistently will help you to be creative – more! 

Why do you need to be creative? Well, I hope you’re not asking that, but if you are – you can be creative about what you play, how you play, what you decide to work on – there’s no aspect of your harping that can’t stand an application of (even just a little) creativity!

Uncharacteristically, this time I’m only going to suggest one thing to do.  Just one thing to add to your day to help you be creative.  This one thing doesn’t require a lot of resources or time.  You might want to build it into your practice every day, but I think you can do it.

You ready for me to share this one magic solution?

Are you sitting down?

Got your pencil so you can take notes?

Drum roll please:

To be creative –

be quiet.

That’s it – BE QUIET

Told you it was a simple step.   I didn’t say it would be easy.

Being quiet can be a challenge (don’t ask me how I know). Here are some ways to get to quiet:

1. Give yourself time to be quiet – this can be part of your practice time or just a part of your day.

2. Breathe! There are plenty of reasons to breathe but here, breathing helps clear your head so you can enjoy the silence.

3. Go for a walk – Remember you’re wanting to be quiet so this is more of a ramble than a fitness walk – so that you can quiet your mind.

4. Focus – on being present and only on that.

A few don’ts –

1. Don’t check email, face-tok-gram, or anything that streams.

2. Don’t use this time to make your list of things to do.

3. Don’t focus on making anything or on being creative – just be.

The hard part is doing this every day – just a little bit.  The point is not to use this quiet time to create anything, but rather to give your brain an opportunity to unbend.  It’s this unbending that will help you be more creative so that when you want to be creative you can Be Creative.

Have you tried being quiet?  If not, give it a try this week.  Either way, let me know in the comments!

* unceremoniously lifted from:  https://www.wordnik.com/words/artist

Upon Reflection

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Do you ever hear someone say, “I’ll never play as well as (insert-the-name-of-your-favorite-accomplished-harper here) does”.  I always wonder if they’ve reflected on what they are actually saying.

Because, while It is a natural phenomenon to compare ourselves with others, it is only upon reflection that we have the chance to grow.  In addition, no matter how natural it is to make those comparisons, it does you no good.  You might convince yourself you’re determining where the “bar is set” but you’re not.  We do comparisons as a shortcut for self-assessment, so we have to stop it before it can fully derail our progress!

There are a few reasons people make comparisons and each holds a potential lesson:

  • If your goal is to be someone else, I hate to tell you this, but they are already them, so you should stick to being you. You don’t know where other people started or how their path has differed from yours, so your comparison is a false assessment at best and certainly doesn’t serve you!
  • If you only look at people who you think are “better” than you, you don’t have time to look around for others who could learn something from you where you are or how you got there. We all have something to contribute – someone may need to learn something you already have.
  • If you are watching someone else, by definition, you only see their “performances”.  That means you haven’t seen all the work they had done before, behind the practice room door over a long time. You only see the polished, finished work while you likewise have to suffer through (and endlessly replay) your own bloopers – how is that an accurate comparison?
  • If you keep watching someone else, you won’t be paying attention to yourself.  And that means that you won’t necessarily see when you make a breakthrough. You have to be paying attention to yourself so you will be able to detect your own improvements – but you won’t see them if you’re watching someone else.
  • If your goal is a who, you’ll definitely miss the what. Wanting to be someone else isn’t really an actionable goal.  If instead, you pay attention to you and work toward what you’d like to achieve (you might identify the what by watching someone else, just don’t try to be them!).
  • If you consistently compare yourself to others, you’ll always be disappointed. This is because you’ll either be comparing up (and thereby find yourself wanting) or comparing down (thus finding yourself “better” but not more satisfied).  If you instead compare yourself to you – that is, compare where you were to where you are – you’ll be delighted by what you find!

While it might be natural to compare yourself to others, it doesn’t help you improve.  So how do you escape this?  There are a few things you can do that will help you grow without making you grow green with envy!

  • Write it down (I know, I know, I’m always telling you to write things down… because I mean it!) – identify what it is that you think you’re lacking in comparison. Be specific – is it a technique you don’t know? Or a manner of playing? The harp itself? Something else?  Once you know what it is, you can work on it.
  • Write more down – now that you know why you’re feeling comparatively lacking, write down what your gap is (or if you even have a gap!) – this will help you realize what you have to do to close your perceived shortfall.
  • Be nice – remember to talk to yourself like you’re someone you like and are friends with!  Pillorying yourself won’t help and might actually hurt.
  • Get to know them – talk to the person you’re comparing yourself to. We harpers are a small, friendly, and accepting group and I’m always delighted by others’ willingness to share their journey, their tips and tricks, and they’re own thoughts.  All you have to do is ask.
  • State your goal – no, really, be very clear on what it is you think you need to work on…and do it!
  • Keep track of what you do – and how much progress you make.
  • Lather, rinse, repeat – consistent, persistent effort will help you move forward – but it has to be both consistent and persistent!

It also helps to keep track of when you’re feeling like you’re falling short and instead focusing on you (rather than on someone else). 

Have you ever felt like you’d never measure up? Have you tried any of these suggestions?  Let me know in the comments!

Are we there yet?

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Remember asking that? “Are we there yet?  …How ‘bout now?  …yet?  I’m bored!”

Amazing some of us survived to adulthood!

But why did we always ask that question?

You already know – when you don’t know what the end looks like, it feels like you’ll n-e-v-e-r get there.  And that is a terrible feeling!

So, when we’re at the beginning of a tune, that road stretches ahead, uninterrupted – and you might feel like you’ll never get it.

What about when you have been working on the tune for a while?  Then you might ask yourself again, “Are we there yet?”

How do you know when you get there? How do you know you’re done? When is a tune “finished”?

The long answer is that you have to decide what you mean by finished. Is it finished when you’ve learned the tune?  Or is it finished when it’s perfect?  Or performance ready?  Competition ready?  Moved unceremoniously into the Bored with/Don’t want to play any more pile?  What is your definition of done?

I don’t have a definitive answer for your definition. It really depends on you, your level of development, the time you have available, your goals, your personality, and loads of other things that only you can answer for you.

There is also a short answer (but you might not like it).

Short answer – you’re never finished! WAIT – what?!?

Of course you’re never finished – the tune will never be done.  What? (I did say that you might not like the short answer)

After all, making music is a creative activity – you will have to decide for yourself what done will look/sound like.  Yup, it’s entirely up to you (and yes, I’m v-e-r-y aware just how uncomfortable that can be!).

If you stop working on a tune, it’s definitely done, but is that what you wanted for that tune when you started?  If you “finish” it and never let it be a living element of your playing, it will stultify and die (which isn’t really what most of us want from our music).

If a tune is “finished” then it’s done.  But why do you play and perform (even for the cat and the curtains)?  What keeps you coming back to your harp?  I’m guessing it isn’t because you want to be stagnant.

So how do you know when you are done enough? Here are some ideas:

  • You got where you were going (that is – you met your goal).
  • You have run out of ideas to continue to add to the playing – your arrangement is fairly stable.  But keep an open mind so you can continue to create as you go – forever!
  • A trusted mentor has suggested that the work is good.
  • You are comfortable when playing the tune for your audience (whoever that might be).
  • You’ve “got” the tune but you’re not enjoying playing it.
  • You feel “bored” playing a tune.
  • The holiday you learned the tune for has arrived(!).
  • Now that you’ve learned the tune, you just don’t enjoy it.
  • As much as you’ve worked on it, the tune is just not coming together (this is likely because it was a stretch for you in which case you should set it aside and pick it up later).

Think of tunes as being somewhere on a continuum from performance-ready or shelf-bound.  Either they’re good for sharing with others (performance ready) or they’re not going to see the light of day (shelf-bound).  There are, of course, various stages in between, but what that continuum looks like is up to you. 

Do you have any tunes that are finished?  How did you decide?  If you don’t, how would you define done?  I’m curious to hear your thoughts – let me know in the comments!