Learn to Take the Bad With the Good
I'm sure we've all had those moments, the moments when we've played 8 beats, or even a whole song/composition, that sounds amazing, wonderful, beautiful. And that moment is transformative, because it feels so good. And we sit back later, going, “Oh, that was great!” But then we look at the rest of our playing and start feeling terrible, because we see those moments as some sort of black hole that we seem to exist in: “If only I could play great all of the time…”
Playing great is, well, great. But it's not everything. Yes, we should all strive to play the best we can, to make the best sounds, keep the best time, and just be the best we are capable of—but that can cause us to lose sight of the music. After all, we are here for the music. We are here to create something that comes together and becomes music. And sometimes music, and our performance of it, is less than great. But that doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile.
Just the fact that we are there, in our practice studio or on stage, means something. Just the fact that we get up everyday and keep working at it means something. We all need to celebrate that! We also need to accept that there will be times when what we do, and the resulting music, will transcend time, space, and the Universe. We must also accept that there will be times when it seems ordinary.
It's all good. It's all we can ever hope for. While we strive for the extraordinary, we often live in the ordinary, which is usually more extraordinary that we even realize. Our minds are funny things. We self criticize what we feel are our worst moments, when in reality, or through someone else's eyes and ears, they are perfectly fine moments. And they are just that: moments. They are here and then gone, never to come back again. Music is a continuum. It keeps moving ahead, never stopping to revel in a moment, or to chastise a different moment. It just keeps moving. And so too should we.
If you are making music, you are doing something wonderful. Go with it. Be in the moment and celebrate each moment as if it were the only moment you will ever have.
~ MB
Playing great is, well, great.
Playing great is, well, great. But it's not everything. Yes, we should all strive to play the best we can, to make the best sounds, keep the best time, and just be the best we are capable of—but that can cause us to lose sight of the music. After all, we are here for the music. We are here to create something that comes together and becomes music. And sometimes music, and our performance of it, is less than great. But that doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile.
Just the fact that we are there, in our practice studio or on stage, means something. Just the fact that we get up everyday and keep working at it means something. We all need to celebrate that! We also need to accept that there will be times when what we do, and the resulting music, will transcend time, space, and the Universe. We must also accept that there will be times when it seems ordinary.
It's all good. It's all we can ever hope for. While we strive for the extraordinary, we often live in the ordinary, which is usually more extraordinary that we even realize. Our minds are funny things. We self criticize what we feel are our worst moments, when in reality, or through someone else's eyes and ears, they are perfectly fine moments. And they are just that: moments. They are here and then gone, never to come back again. Music is a continuum. It keeps moving ahead, never stopping to revel in a moment, or to chastise a different moment. It just keeps moving. And so too should we.
If you are making music, you are doing something wonderful. Go with it. Be in the moment and celebrate each moment as if it were the only moment you will ever have.
~ MB
Deconstruct Yourself™ Each Moment
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