Tag Archives: Performance

Just Listen –

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Harp can be a somewhat lonely instrument. We play solo so often. If we play in recitals we are likely to be alone on the stage. It’s not that we can’t play with others, it’s just that we do spend a lot of time on our own.

But playing in an ensemble is something special! I cannot encourage you enough to find a way to play with somebody – other harpers, other instruments, combinations of two, three, 100 – whoever you can find to play with.

Playing with others gives you the opportunity to remember that when we’re making music, it’s not about you. And playing with others in ensemble can yield incredible benefits to you as a musician. I hear you saying (skeptically), “like what?”

There are the obvious benefits like being part of a team and being camouflaged. But there are even bigger payoffs. Here are some ideas for your consideration.

Being on a team shifts your attention from what you are doing to what you are doing together. No one has the lead the whole time. The melody moves between the players and parts. Sometimes you have the harmony, or the melody variation, or a highlight bit. The pressure to perform is shared. You can breathe!

You learn the importance of following the conductor. This can be obvious with a person standing in front of you, reading a score, and herding the cats with a baton. Or it can be subtle with someone selected to set the tempo, or count you in, or do some pseudoconducting (waving an arm to direct until their part starts and they have to play too). No matter the level of conducting, you must pay attention and listen to the direction you’re receiving. You’re not solo and you need to follow the conductor as a part of the ensemble team.

All of this is built on you having strong skills – good technique and good musicianship. You will be listening for your own tone, rhythm, dynamics as agreed, and you will be filling in tweaks to create the shared music.

But perhaps most importantly, you have to know your place. You must listen to the whole, not just your part. You listen for your entrances and make compromises to ensure the music is musical. You have to hear how your part fits into the whole. And you have to hear how the other parts are in and around your part. You will only get that if you listen intently and with purpose. You need to match yourself to the rhythm of the group and incorporate the inflections of the ensemble.

You must constantly just listen, stay with the crowd, do your part, and contribute to the whole. Just Listen – that’s how you do it.

Have you played in a group (of any size)? What did I miss? If you’re new to ensembles (or after reading this want to do even better) how will you improve your listening? Let me know in the comments!

Gift Guide for 2024

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Gift Guide for 2024

It’s gift giving time. That glorious time of year when the days are short, time is shorter, tempers might be shortest of all. And it’s not like it doesn’t come along every year at the same time. No matter which winter holidays you celebrate, there’s gifting involved. And where there’s gifting, there’s stress over what to give and whether it will be the best gift given.

Well, I have a shortcut for you! People love handmade presents. And there’s nothing like the present. And when you present someone with their gift that you have made especially for them, while you might have trepidation, they are just too busy being delighted to notice.

What better handmade present than to share your music? There really isn’t one. Your recipient instinctively knows that there’s a little part of you in the music. They know you had to work hard to bring their gift into the world. They know how precious that time is – because the music is ephemeral. And they can carry it with them for the rest of their life because while it is ephemeral it is also permanent as a memory. They might be extra happy that they don’t have to find a place to put your gift (or dust it) because it will be stored in their heart/brain.

You might not have thought making music for someone is a gift, but it is. You need to value it as such. And I don’t just mean for kids to give their parents – although I have found that this motivation helps my kid students focus on learning their Christmas tunes. And I have to give a special thanks to my parents who taught me at a young age that playing for someone is a good present (although I never really believed them – until I started teaching).

Because you want each gift to “fit” you can choose from many options:

If you have a fan(s) – you can play a concert! (not kidding). Play all the tunes they love – a curated playlist just for them.

If you have a supporter – you can compose a tune for them (or an improvisation – you know a composition that you don’t bother to write out fully). Play it one off (with a heartfelt, “I made this for you!”) or make it part of the concert you give them.

You can make them a recording to take with them. Good quality recording is available easily now so you can probably make a solid attempt with your phone and a quiet room. If you really want to make yourself crazy, you can use a free editor to put the whole thing together.

  • Really a glutton for punishment? You could use that recording to make a video with pictures and snippet videos embedded with the music. Use graphics that share your thoughts and feelings about the music (e.g., you could find some video of eagles on the wing to pair with a soaring melody or a photo of a fire for a cozy tune).

If you’re crafty, you could go in other directions and still reflect your music.

You might have an admirer who listens to you practice all the time. This might make you feel like a performance isn’t a good fit. How about decorating a score and framing it? Use the dots from one of their favorite tunes. This can be plain with just the score in a frame, or you can literally decorate it by making a picture from the shape of the melody. Or you can draw and paint on the score as a canvas. There are so many possibilities!

You could knit a scarf that represents the music of their favorite tune. I thought of this when I watched my friend make a “sky scarf” that reflected how sunny, cloudy, rainy, or snowy the day had been. No reason you couldn’t also knit the “story” of your music! Chose the colors that you “hear” to reflect the mood of the tune and (if you’re a better knitter than I) even change stitches to reflect the shape of the melody.

How about a bake that incorporates the tune? Shortbread would go with absolutely any Scottish tune. Soda bread for your Irish? Cream horns to play hornpipes? Sacher torte for your favorite Viennese waltz? You get the idea. You can have a tea party or refreshments for your concert.

That’s just a few ideas to help move your holiday gifting along. I know you have other, better ideas. Let me know what you’ve made or are planning to make to share your love with your giftees – leave me a comment (you know the drill).

Follow through…

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Follow through…

I love it when you ask me questions! They are always good, they make me think, and they give me something to share here! (hint hint – if you have a question, I will do my best to answer you).

One of you recently asked a question and I wanted to share it. I want to highlight it now because it’s the holidays and this seems to be a time when other people have no compunction asking you to play for them – for money, for free, for whatever. It’s just likely to happen around this time. And, frankly, it’s hard to say no – because it’s the holidays and who says no to heartfelt requests at this time of year? I think it’s hard to!

So, what was this problem – let’s hear it from you:

Here’s my latest issue- I’m having problems at the end of pieces during a performance. I almost always bungle the last few notes and end up playing the wrong chord or nothing at all. I think I lose focus because I’m almost done. Should I memorize the ending? Practice it more? Take drugs? Let me know what you think.

Great question! If only because it happens to us all.

You might be tempted to assign blame to your aging brain, or lack of preparation, or nerves, but I don’t think that’s it at all. Will it take drastic measures?! Nope!

Here’s my answer:

You might be suffering from “get-home-itis“. What’s that? Well, that name for it comes from aviation where it is often not just an embarrassment – it can be fatal.

Get-home-itis happens when you can feel the end is coming. It’s pretty exciting – whether you’re flying home after being away or closing out a tune (or program). But get-home-itis causes you to shift your attention away from what you’re doing, and instead think about what will come after that. It can be momentary. You might not even know you’ve done it. But it’s just enough of a shift to make you bungle, and leave you shaken, frazzled, and embarrassed (which one can argue is better than actually being dead – even if it feels like you’d like to die right there on your bench).

So, how do you get over a case of get-home-itis? It’s actually fairly easy and much more comfortable than bracing yourself for impact!

  1. Memorizing your piece is a good place to start. That’s more for the reality that if you’re shaky going into the tune, you’re going to come out worse for wear at the end. Doing significant preparation will mean not only memorizing the beginning but also nailing the end. To do this – don’t always start at the beginning when you’re practicing. Break out portions of the tune that are not going smoothly. A strong start will encourage you, but the finish is what your audience will remember.
  2. Practice thoroughly. This will, of course, support memorizing the tune (because the more you practice it, the more facile you will be with it – all the way through). And extra preparation never killed anyone. Unless you’re being paid to deliver a specific tune, you should always feel free to shelve something that feels shaky until it’s actually ready.

Here’s the biggie:

  1. Think of your tune as having a follow through. Picture focusing on the end of the tune and its follow-through (like a golf swing, bat swing, doing a grand jete, or using an egg whip). The follow through includes not just the last note of the tune, or even the final chord but also your final gesture, the breath you take (and release), and putting your harp down. If you’re having trouble picturing this, think about how a beginner ends their tune – they typically spank their strings and we’re done – no follow through. Train yourself to think “through” the tune, focusing on playing all the way through to the end. Don’t skip a (brain) step between where you are and the end of the tune – picture all the notes, dynamics, gestures, phrasing – all the things. And remember that the end is not when you stop playing! Rather, it is after the final gesture, whether you muffle the strings and/or put the harp back on all four feet. T-h-e-n you’re done.
  2. All of this is in aid of focusing on what you are doing. Don’t be thinking about how glad you’ll be to get off the stage. Or what flavor ice cream you’re going to have on the way home. Or how many more times you’ll have to play this tune this season. Or even how tired you are and how much you just want to go home. Keep your head in the game! We’re not done here – not until the last ringing of strings is hovering in the air on the bated breath of your delighted listeners. Only then are you finished playing that tune. Don’t pull up short! Commit!

Stay present. There is only this moment. Later moments will have their own time – after you follow through on this one. No need to be thinking about what comes after – enjoy this right now.

I’ve sort of avoided the topic of taking meds for this. If you experience crippling performance anxiety, then you should definitely seek professional help, and medicine might be part of that solution. However, if you find you’re only a little anxious, I’d point out that you’re human. If it’s just a frisson in the pit of your stomach, breathe. * In addition, while medicine might take the edge off – equally it might cause you to lose your edge. Then you have a different problem (not playing like your usual self).

Whether you have experienced this or not, give it a try and see if the end of your tune isn’t just a little bit better when you purposefully follow through. As always, you know I want to know what you find! Let me know in the comments.

 

*I’m not a psychiatrist, nor am I opposed to using medicines if needed. Feeling nervous before performing is normal – in fact, one could argue that not feeling nervous is not a good sign). If you aren’t sure, try this (not very rigorous) self-test – next time you’re feeling anxious before performing, do some breathing (deep inhale for 4 counts, hold for 5 counts, exhale for 8 counts a few cycles). If that helps (your head clears a little, you feel less like throwing up, and you can remember how your first tune starts!) then try to go it unaided. If it doesn’t help, definitely find a physik to help. Don’t ask me how I know this.

Do the thing that scares you

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Do the thing that scares you 

What scares you? Ok, let’s scale it back to what scares you about playing. You don’t have to say it out loud (unless you want to), but definitely say it in your head.

DO THAT!

I’m most scared of doing something wrong. Not so much when I’m by myself (ok, yes, but…) more when I’m playing with other people. Because the options of doing something wrong are very uncomfortable –

     I’ll sound really bad (not fun)

     We (as a group) will sound really bad (embarrassing and not fun)

     I will be blamed for sounding bad – not just this time but every time after that (continuingly embarrassing and not fun)

(and the perceived outcome – no one will ever want me to play with them again)

DO THE THING

I had the wonderfully terrifying opportunity to join in on a final tune in a recent show. The bass player and the guitarist both told me that it was easy, just follow along. That there was only one chord. That I just had to hit that chord on the 1 and all would be well.

So, I did the normal thing – I said yes (!)

And then I panicked! (the much more normal thing for me)

It’s never that easy. I’m not good at following – especially a tune I have only heard a couple of times before (and frankly, I wasn’t really listening then)

Then they told me the key – Bb min (yup, that would be five flats – not easy on a lever harp tuned to 3 flats.

I might have hyperventilated a little bit just then.

But I dared to hope.

I looked up Bb min (thank you Maestro Google). And verified that the 1-5-8 chord would be playable (Bb – F – Bb) and that the V chord would be playable (F – C – F). And my hope grew infinitesimally.

But I would have to stay off the IV chord! And I’d definitely have to stay off the iii!

That didn’t completely calm me though – because I’m not good at catching the change (and I don’t practice it enough).

So, I looked up a chord sheet for the tune. The bass player didn’t lie – it really did only have one chord! (ok, there was one place where there was a change to the V, but only one and if I missed it, it would be over quickly).

I felt an eerie calm come over me at that point.

And then an icy chill – because the bass player and the guitar player had had a rehearsal. They knew what they were doing while I was going to have to wing it on stage in a performance.

Do you know what happened? Want to guess?

If you guessed that – no, I backed off and gave it a miss, come on – have a little faith!

If you guessed that – yes, I did it – you win a cookie! I went on stage and played my single chord – up and down the harp – in time and actually on the (right) chord. I was shocked. Then I was delighted. Then I was a little more self-impressed than the feat deserved, but – celebrate the tiniest wins, right?!

So, the next time some terrifying opportunity arises, I’d like to encourage you to step up. Breathe and step into it! If it helps, remember that, while your heart hammers and your palms sweat, you will come out with a new accomplishment under your belt. And from there, you could go anywhere!

Want to share your secret dread (it could be someone else’s if you prefer – you know, asking for a friend)? I’d love to hear it (and feel just a little less alone!). Let me know in the comments!

 

 

Don’t Get Me Out Of Here!

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Don’t Get Me Out Of Here!

We talked about why you might experience anxiety playing for other people and we shared a few reasons that might happen (you can revisit that here). And that’s all well and good – kumbaya and all – but what can we do to get past all that mess and on to the fun part of sharing music with other people? Well…

Let’s start with recognizing that it’s normal to feel a bit discombobulated before performing. That feeling is a response to a perceived threat. And few things feel as threatening as having your fears exposed like you’re the stomach of a biology class frog.  It can be a bit daunting! But it’s important to know that it’s not just you (even though it feels like it!) – everyone gets a bit tangled when they’re going to do something uncomfortable. Welcome to being human.

Of course, it can be difficult to do some of these things.  It is easy to forget to not be scared when your inner wildebeest thinks it’s been scented by a hungry lion! But if you don’t control your fear, it will control you. And besides, we do this because we enjoy it – so we might as well enjoy it!

You can’t really grow out of being human but you can learn to be better at it. So here are some ways to help yourself get out of your own way. *

  • Breathe! (or meditate or pray, as you prefer) This is so important to help you keep a clear head and to not hyperventilate! It also helps lower your blood pressure and heart rate which makes you feel calmer (because scared people don’t have a lower BP and pulse!). (Sometimes I write “BREATHE!” at the top of the set list – just in case I forget).

  • Assess the situation. I like to look over the audience and realize I don’t (typically) know the people.  It’s not like favorite teacher (or a frenemey) was watching. Those people want to be there and be part of the experience. They want to be there! Bask in the beauty of that! And let it assuage your fear a bit.

  • Name the beast. What are you most afraid of? Say it out loud (or write it out or paint it – you get the idea – make it real outside your head). When it’s outside your head, you can skewer the thoughts with questions and observations. Remind yourself that, while your brain is trying to protect you, there is no physical danger, and you are ok – just scaring yourself. If you can, laugh at what’s scaring you.

  • Sing Happy Birthday. If you’re ruminating on these thoughts, sing a song, take up the space in your brain and interrupt the thought train the same way you stop an earworm!
  • Take care of you. Do your best to get some rest and eat well. This is not the time to break your caffeine habit (or start one) or radically change your diet!
  • Acknowledge your preparation. We often start to tell ourselves that if we just had one more week, we’d be set. Give yourself enough time to prepare and use that time to make yourself comfortable that you are in fact ready.
  • Practice. The best tip I ever got about performing was to practice! Get out and perform every chance you get. Don’t just play for the cat and the curtains – but for real (and appreciative) people! As recently as just a few years ago many of us went out to share music with our neighbors. No reason you can’t still do that. They will be just as appreciative without the threat and pall of diseases!
  • Think! I know it’s tempting to focus on thinking that you’re not ready, you’re feeling sick, and you’re afraid. Instead, actually think about what you’re doing. Hear your tunes in your head. Focus on what comes next. Do this not only as you perform but also when you’re practicing at home – get in the habit of thinking before you play.
  • Turn your frown upside down. Practice delivering your internal dialog positively. Remind yourself of how hard you have worked and how well you are doing. No, I don’t mean lie to yourself. Be honest. If you can’t, pretend you’re talking to a friend of yours and tell that person.
  • Perform. Your real goal isn’t to slay it but to do better than you did before. You can only improve compared to yourself.

You don’t have to feel like you have to make a break for it or send out a message to “Get me out of here!”. You can, of course, also try just telling yourself to get over it, but I haven’t found that to be a particularly successful strategy.

Keep in mind that all of these things are not “one and done” you might have to do one, start to play, employ another, play some more, etc. You are also you (you might have noticed) so not all of these may work for you – use some and see what works best. And then incorporate it every time!

 

Have you used any of these strategies? Did they work for you? Do you have other methods of dealing with your nerves? I can always use more ideas, so let me know in the comments!

 

* As I mentioned in the earlier post, I’m talking about situational anxiety which is NOT the same as generalized anxiety. If you suspect you have more than just a twinge of getting in knots over stepping on stage – seek professional help.

Keep breathing

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Keep breathing 

I think we could easily agree that playing requires concentration. A lot of concentration. Of course, some things make us concentrate harder than others.  For instance, we have to really focus when we’re learning. Maybe when a tune is really well learned we don’t have to focus so much (or at least we feel like we have more brain capacity available).  When we perform we probably focus carefully as well (at least we hope we will!).

One of the challenges of concentrating really hard is that when we do, many of us actually stop breathing (I can’t make this up). While you’re focused, you may hold your breath. When your brain is working hard, it gets busy and has a harder time of keeping all its plates spinning. Things like breathing can be one of those plates that gets dropped. (Don’t worry, the rest of your body will demand a breath when you really have to have one!). Of course, not breathing doesn’t make you think very well and all in all, it’s best if you can keep breathing.

The good news is that you can overcome this not breathing. You just need to practice doing it. Yes, even though you mostly don’t even think about breathing – you DO need to think about it if you’re not breathing consistently when you’re practicing (or performing).

When should you be breathing? Well, it’s best to breathe normally but if you notice you’re not (or your teacher points it out to you), you can add it to each tune or exercise! Here are a few ways to incorporate it so you can keep breathing:

Phrasing. If you’re learning by ear, you’re getting the tune in phrases. Phrasing might be easiest to understand in the context of singing because you must breathe (other blowing instruments are the same – no breathing, no playing). Phrasing is how the tune breathes, Watch (good) singers and you’ll notice that they never leave off in the middle of a word to take a breath – they breathe in “obvious” places…between the words. Just like they do, when your music calls for a breath (the end of a phrase) – take a breath. If you’re reading, you can still breathe at the end of a phrase – just remember to mark it!*  When you’re practicing be certain that you breathe there and make it part of how you play the tune.

Mechanical. I’m not keen on this one, but it could work. In this approach you specifically incorporate breathing as a “movement” just like placing, closing, changing levers, and all the other movements of playing. I don’t like this because it’s not natural (which might interrupt your breathing rather than improving it) and because breathing is a very different type of movement. More importantly, this approach doesn’t support the music either. It doesn’t tie your breath to the phrasing (above) which could knock your musicality out of whack (and who doesn’t need more musicality).

Relax. You might hold your breath when you are stressed – so relax. You’ll get the tune, you’ll learn the melody, you’ll get the fingering! And your brain will be glad of the oxygen!

Pay attention. This is related to Mechanical, and it might seem silly – because we are paying attention….to something else! Like Mechanical, set yourself the additional task of paying attention to your breathing while you are concentrating on learning the music. Post a sign on your music stand or make some other reminder to keep it front of mind!

Breathing is fairly important when you’re learning and when you’re playing. Do you notice specific places you aren’t breathing? How do you remember to breathe? Let me know in the comments how you are going to keep breathing!

*If you’re not familiar with the marking, use an apostrophe above the treble staff to indicate where to take a breath (ok, it’s your music, use anything you’d like but the apostrophe is the standard marking).

Gift Guide – Part B

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Gift Guide – Part B

Last week we listed some gift ideas you could share with the people in your life who might ask what you would like to receive this holiday season. Now let’s flip the script. What gifts could you give from there on your bench?

Like any gift guide, this means matching the giving intention to the recipient and there are so many possibilities!

  • You can play for your family. You might think that your family listens to you play every day so this wouldn’t be a good gift. But the reality is that they probably don’t listen to you practice. They might hear you, but they’re probably not listening. They will enjoy having a specific time to sit and actually listen to the fruits of your labors. They are, after all, your biggest supporters.
  • Jane Austen is calling! There was a time when it was expected that each person would take their turn being entertaining for guests. Invite your supportive friends over and, as part of the time together, play for them. You’d be amazed how many of your friends don’t even know you play the harp, and how many of those who do know have never heard you play.
  • Play for someone special. This can be as complicated or as simple as you want to make it. You have all the tools – just get out of your own way. Play the music you hear in your head.  Don’t have a lot of noise going on up there? Stumped on where to start? Set your harp to C major and play only the white strings (thank you Marianna!) and diddle around. Run your recorder. Go back and listen, find what you like and put that stuff together. Practice that, toss in a left hand (hint – start with G) and boom! a handmade present!
  • Give a concert. Why not! You need a venue (your living room?), an audience (friends, family, neighbors), and you need 3 to 20 tunes (depending on how long you want to perform). Add some “patter” (it is a show, you are the MC) and wine or tea and cookies and you’re in business. It doesn’t have to be Carnegie Hall, just play.
  • Volunteer. Go to a nursing home or a rehab facility and play for them (or for the staff). You can do this anytime of year but the holidays seem like a good time to start (this does require a bit coordination, but so worth it).

It’s also amazing how good you’ll feel after sharing your gift of music.  What else could you do with your harp to give someone a lovely gift? I’ve given you several ideas here, but I bet you have better ones – let me know in the comments.

Better get moving – 10 steps to get ready for the holidays!

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It’s nearly October (yikes!), the summer is over, the kids are back to school, the days are palpably shorter.  And you know what that means – the holidays are nearly here!

There are only 12 weeks to go – but you know that festivities will start in about six to eight week so there will be plenty of time to fit in all the parties, pageants, festivals, parades, celebrations, get-togethers, gift exchanges, as well as gatherings.  And each of those will be an opportunity to share one of your greatest gifts – your music!

Better get ready – but how?  Here are ten (relatively easy) steps:

First, manage your expectations.  Be realistic.  You might want to capture all the things you will be doing during the run up to the season as well as the season itself.  You know you will have work and practice, and family traditions, and social events that you anticipate you will be part of.  You can make a list or pencil them into your calendar or make a spreadsheet.  What you really need to know is how much time you actually have.  How much time do you really have to practice?  How much time do you have to prepare?  How much time do you have to share?

Second, manage other people’s expectations.  If you want to be playing for others, let it be known so you might be asked.  Not interested in playing for an event?  Just say no.  It is, however, the season for music and people will try to be persuasive (or maybe they will gently bully you into trying to get you agree).  Worried about saying no?   Ask someone you know who does want to be playing.  Be prepared with their name and contact information.  It will be a win-win-win: you don’t have to give a flat no because you have a referral ready (you win).  The referred harper gets a gig they might not have been positioned for otherwise (harper wins).  And the audience gets a willing performer (so they win too).

Third, make a list of the tunes you have played in the past.  These will likely come back quickly and can be the backbone of your playing.

Fourth, make a “learn these” list of the tunes you want to play but haven’t learned yet. These will be work, but they will be worth it!  Be reasonable given the amount of time you have to practice.

Fifth, if you will be playing for others, estimate how much music you will need.  I usually guestimate about 6 – 8 tunes to 15 minutes.  This might be conservative, but it assures that I don’t run out of music before I run out of time.  I also suggest you build two set lists – because I like to be overprepared and having too much music means I can pick and choose once I get there depending on how the audience is responding.  It also means that I won’t have to play something that feels shaky or just hasn’t come together enough yet.  Remember that you can insert other music into the list – include the winter themed tunes or favorites to make an enjoyable performance.  Especially later in the season, people will begin to fatigue of holiday music so some other tunes will wake them up and keep them engaged.

Sixth, now that you have a list and know about how many tunes you’re looking for, play through your old tunes and critically (but not harshly) determine what work is needed to get them up to scratch.  Revise your list as needed (move anything that feels like it might be a train wreck to the “learn these” list).

Seventh, make a schedule to get the new music learned and ready to go and to make the old stuff polished and shone.  This will be a plan to structure your practice between now and the holidays.  Be realistic!

Eighth, schedule your practice time.  Write it in your calendar.  Make a date with your harp every day.  Keep practicing your “regular” music too – although they come quick, the holidays are here and gone – so you might as well stay up to date for January!

Ninth, keep an eye on your plan and revise as necessary!  Update your lists, adjust as needed, keep the end in mind.  Remember the goal is to play well and feel comfortable when it’s time to play.

Finally, have fun!  You’re going to make so many people happy when you share your gift – make sure one of those is you!  The holidays are a time for joy – share yours!

Follow these ten steps and you will be well on your way to sharing your gift!  How do you prepare for the holidays?  Share your tips in the comments.

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!