This year I faced down a dilemma, about the direction of this group. Do we continue our original goal of bringing and introducing music to people who don't think they are musical, and perhaps have not done anything musical ever since they were told early on "you are not musical"? Editorial: I am certain that there is some music in every person, regardless of background, and it is the act of making music that takes a giant step to making the world a happier place, so it will always be a goal of this group.
Or, should we polish and get to a point where we can perform with confidence, "get really good at some songs" and elevate the playing level? This on the surface implies the possibility that beginners with no prior playing experience might be left out, and that departure from the original goal of the group, doesn't feel quite right.
These objectives might appear to be mutually exclusive: doing one seems to suggest NOT doing the other. Which way forward should we pick?
I'm going to propose this as the way to reconcile these apparently conflicting objectives, all the time keeping in mind the original Shukulosophy .
I want to talk about the third bullet point in the Shukulosophy: Improvement, in this expanded list below. I challenge you to aim for a specific objective every practice.
- I want you to challenge yourself every day to do something better, to play a piece you know more perfectly (not just playing something the same way over and over just passing the time).
- To fully involve your whole attention, your whole mind, and your whole heart, in what you play.
- Whatever you play, play it loud, play it proud, play it like you mean it and so we can hear you.
- Everyone will have their own path and speed of progress, but they can also follow the Shukulosophy and play to their personal best, whatever that level is.
- "Practice Makes Perfect" - but please, don't just practice for a set time. And more importantly, do not just play the songs you already know to fill time.
- Play the parts you have trouble with, not just the parts you already play well.
- Memorize. Pick a song (one you like). Memorize the first line or two - once you have that down and can play it on demand without sheet music, any time day or night, work on the next two lines. Start with familiar songs (Happy Birthday). Write notes to yourself in a notebook as part of the memory process.
- Use the idea of Directed Practice: practice with an objective - and when you achieve it, stop for that session, whether it was 7 minutes or 37. If you finish in 7 minutes, don't waste it playing something you already know (unless the objective of your directed practice is to smooth out the transitions and set the entire performance so you have no mistakes at all).
- Improve at your own speed, that is the right speed for you.
- Any questions you have, ask me, ask your fellow players, but ask, don't just sit there wondering.
- Read and use: http://www.calnewport.com/blog/2011/12/23/flow-is-the-opiate-of-the-medicore-advice-on-getting-better-from-an-accomplished-piano-player/
- Read Noa Kagayama's blog https://bulletproofmusician.com/
Because the core goal of this group is to bring some music to people who don't think they are musical, it is a rather big stretch to turn everyone into a professional stage musician with the confidence to walk onto a brightly lit stage and play and sing like Billy Joel, or Bruce Springsteen, or Madonna. We (each of us) play at our own level: don't ever feel bad, certainly don't feel ashamed or think you're not as good as that other person: look at your own progress and be proud of it.
When we play together that is the best of all possible worlds.
When we play together that is the best of all possible worlds.
image source: internet