When I brought my clarinet to one of Arnie Lawrence's sessions, he said, "Play like Barney Bigard," the clarinet player in Duke Ellington's band. Obviously, and Arnie knew it, there was no way I could play remotely like Barney Bigard. If I could, I would be giving Arnie's music workshops. So what did he mean?
This morning, after practicing flute for nearly an hour, I noodled around on the instrument, following the advice of a wise and inspiring musician, Raul Juarena, under whose direction I got to play a few years ago. Suddenly, I found myself blowing freely into the flute the way I ordinarily don't do, and the sound was thrilling. I couldn't believe I was producing that sound. I was, in Arnie's words, for a minute or two, playing great.
So why don't I play that way all the time?
Partly it's because I'm trying to learn difficult music, and I have to concentrate on getting everything right, the notes, the dynamics, the phrasing, the articulation....
But mostly, it's because I inhibit myself. I know I can't play great, so I don't try, because, if I try, I'll fail and be disappointed. Better to play cautiously.
Playing great means playing riskily. It means accepting the risk of reaching the end of your abilities and smashing up against that brick wall.
This morning, after practicing flute for nearly an hour, I noodled around on the instrument, following the advice of a wise and inspiring musician, Raul Juarena, under whose direction I got to play a few years ago. Suddenly, I found myself blowing freely into the flute the way I ordinarily don't do, and the sound was thrilling. I couldn't believe I was producing that sound. I was, in Arnie's words, for a minute or two, playing great.
So why don't I play that way all the time?
Partly it's because I'm trying to learn difficult music, and I have to concentrate on getting everything right, the notes, the dynamics, the phrasing, the articulation....
But mostly, it's because I inhibit myself. I know I can't play great, so I don't try, because, if I try, I'll fail and be disappointed. Better to play cautiously.
Playing great means playing riskily. It means accepting the risk of reaching the end of your abilities and smashing up against that brick wall.
1 comment:
All true,but there are many moments of trying to modestly increase our total efficiency that then pay off by occasional risk taking and the occasionally surprising results.We try to counteract the accumulated effects of self imposed inhibition and the Judaeo-Christian moral backbone which instills guilt feelings through "education."
Movement and more movement to lubricate the joints whether corporeal or imagined,and loosen up.When sufficiently loosened,risk taking can elicit surprising results.
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