Mental health can be a touchy subject for some people because, unfortunately, there is so much stigma attached to it.

 

However, just as the health of your body needs constant attention, nutrition and occasional visits to a practitioner, the same holds true for your emotional and mental needs.

 

This article will outline why maintaining mental and emotional health is important for continuous learning of music and how you may go about maintaining these aspects for yourself.

 

For me, mental health is a subject close to my heart because I am so thankful for the experience that paying attention to these aspects of myself has given me.

 

I doubt very much that I would be as happy in my life or even still playing music if I had not addressed some of the issues inherent in my personality and got to know myself better.

 

Investing in this aspect of my wellbeing has definitely made me a better teacher and a much more empathic person.

 

So, this article is just a reminder for some, and an introduction for others to the fabulous, amazing inner world that we all possess.

 

It is a world that, if we are more in touch with, can enrich our lives and our music.

 

According to http://www.health.com

 

”Creative people may … have higher rates of mood disorders;”

 

However, writing this blog in this present day, I feel that there is not such a gap between the general public and the creative artist as far as drug dependency and mood disorders or mental illness goes.

 

In the past, musicians and other artists were much more on the edge of society which was difficult for them, and so resulted in more addiction and illness.

 

These days, I think most of us would agree that, due to many aspects of our social order (drug companies, food addictions, allergies, media, marketing, high tech lifestyles and the list goes on…) drugs and mental disorder is now as common throughout society as it ever was for the musician and struggling artist.

 

Perhaps this is also because, although carving out a career in music can be difficult, these days carving out a career in any professions is likely to prove just as difficult.

 

I do believe however, that the difference between artists and musicians and mainstream society is that someone who is truly learning to tread an artistic path has to confront many inner issues such as:

 

• resistance,
• self acceptance,
• conflict,
• fear,
• performance anxiety,
• the inner critic and
• many other internal barriers.

 

This is definitely a challenge that many people do not wish to take on, even though the rewards are worth it.

 

Helping my students to deal with these aspects of music is probably 90% of my job, the other 10% being the basic teaching of the musical language.

 

And it is only because I have had to consciously address these issues within myself that I am able to help others and continue with my musical career.

 

There are many roads that lead to improved mental health and it is up to you to choose which ones appeal specifically to you.

 

This means that you may need to try a few different therapies or practices before you come up with something that you find beneficial.

 

Here a few suggestions for you now, however, there is always more investigation you can do for yourself.

 

 

Psychotherapy

 

On a personal level, I found psychotherapy was great for me, but of course I also realise this was due to the fact that I found the right therapist and therapy.

 

If you wish to experience psychotherapy, pay close attention to your gut feelings about your therapist.

 

Just as choosing the best possible music teacher for you is important, you can apply this criteria to choosing the right therapist.

 

Here is a short vid explaining in more detail what psychoanalysis is and how it works.

Meditation

 

There are so many different forms of meditation and it may take years until you find what’s right for you.

 

However, I have no problem recommending this as a daily practice for everybody.

 

Taking time out to meditate creates a centre of calmness and self reflection, it can renew your energy and generally make you feel a lot better.

 

There has been much research into the benefits of meditation.

 

Here is one video that explains them.

 

 

(p.s. this is not a promotion for the Chopra Centre on my part, it’s just a good vid!

 

Life Coaching

 

This is something else that I’ve done.  Actually, it was the catalyst for this blog.

 

Again, there are many practitioners so choose one which is right for you.

I hope this article has given you some food for thought.

 

Just remember that there is so much more of you involved in learning music and learning to live than meets the eye and sometimes it may be worth considering other options to help you get through any barriers you may be experiencing.

 

It’s your life and it’s up to you to find your way but keep an open mind.

 

Often we can find treasure in the most unlikely of places!

 

 

 

Lie Number 3

 

“I’m too old to start learning music.”

 

One of my biggest joys in life is teaching adults.

 

I’ve had classes of adult learners where the youngest person was 45 and the oldest 75 years of age.

 

These were really fun-filled, wonderful teaching experiences and each of those adults enjoyed their progress learning piano, and the realisation of their lifetime dreams.

 

Unfortunately, I often hear this Lie from people who are only in their 20’s and all I have to say is that each of us has the rest of our lives to learn music.

 

So how many years have you got left?

 

(I know nobody can really answer this question, but we can make an estimate, given good circumstances).

 

If this Lie is something you believe, I’d like you to consider the following:

 

 

1.             Why are you too old to start learning music?

 

Some people believe that the only reason to learn music is to perform or become good at it.

 

From my experience having these pre-determined aims stops people from realising the true joy of learning an instrument or learning to sing.

 

The truth is that learning music is purely about the processes involved in doing just that.

 

These include:

 

• learning about our inner critic and inner musician
• discovering our playful nature
• developing co-ordination;
• developing  memory, and
• learning to live with focus and presence, not to mention
• inviting the challenge of being authentic.

 

All these things simply add up to living a better quality of life and are you ever too old to pursue that goal?

I’d like you to watch the following short video of a couple who, while waiting to attend their appointment at the Mayo clinic, decided to fill in time the fun way.

 

It’s so obvious how music would have added to their quality of life and their 60 year marriage.  (He’s 90 by the way!)

 

 
2.            Did you have a negative learning experience of music when you were younger?

 

Many adult learners I meet have had negative learning experiences of music in the past that have held them back from approaching it again, and ultimately made them feel inadequate and unconfident.

 

It takes a lot of effort to firstly, take the risk of trying to have lessons again (risking the same negative experiences and/or feelings) and secondly, to give dreams a second chance.

 

I have to say, I have so much respect for those adults who do take those risks and I love the process of bringing music to their lives in an enjoyable way.

 

This is the way it should have been all along.

 

If you recognise yourself in this, please read this article on how to choose a music teacher and perhaps consider giving it a second shot.

 

It’s good to remember to research options for learning music that are available to you such as community education colleges where there are some fantastic teachers, such in this film.

 

 

 

If you find the right person or course to learn with, you won’t have to live with the regret of feeling you were not able to satisfy one of your desires in this lifetime.

 

 

3.            What are the advantages of learning music at a mature age?

 

There are so many advantages of learning music when you are older.

 

Here they are:

 

• You can be more aware of your learning process and therefore gain a deeper understanding of music because you know yourself better and you have more life experience.
• If you are retired, you have time to dedicate to learning this art and it can be something that enriches your life.
• Learning music stimulates your brain and that’s great for staving off diseases associated with aging such as dementia.
• You are learning because choose to learn and are therefore much more in control of the learning process by
• Contributing to your learning path by choosing repertoire and reflecting on where you want to take your music.

 

As a teacher, I really don’t find that children pick up any learning quicker than adults do.

 

The only thing that adults tend to have is a well-developed inner critic (or negative thoughts about themselves) that often gets in the way of learning taking place.

 

If you a place of learning or a teacher that is aware of all these issues you are sure to do well and have a good time … and that’s all music is about… fun and challenge!

 

 

 

Continuing on from Part I, let’s have a look at….

 

LIE NUMBER 2

 

“You have to have a special talent to be able to play music.”

 

This, for me, is probably one of the most frustrating perceptions people have of musicians and the process of learning to play music.

 

I find this lie frustrating because:

 

1.     If you are a musician who has been playing for a while and have achieved some level of ability, people think you are “special” in some way and were just born talented.

 

I’m sorry, but those abilities just came from applying oneself, being consistent with practice and having a true desire to be able to play music or to sing.

 

I wouldn’t mind if people recognised those qualities of being a musician!

 

2.            If you believe this lie and want to learn music yourself, as soon as things become difficult (which they inevitably will), you will just think you haven’t got the “special gift” and therefore won’t ever be able to achieve your dream of playing music.

 

That is simply not true and if you push through the difficult periods, you would come out the other end being able to play.

 

So please, let’s just set the record straight here.

 

There is no special gift of being able to play music that is arbitrarily given to some people and not to others.

 

You may, however, ask about the talents of musical child prodigies who obviously are in possession of “the gift”.

 

Well, I have explored that area too in this Series of Articles and the conclusion was that even in these cases there had to be certain conditions available to these children for their talents to grow AND they dedicated an incredible amount of practice time to developing their various talents.  (You can read about this in more detail here).

 

For this case study there is really a number of musicians to pick from but I’d like to have a look at one of the most famous pop icons ever… Madonna.

 

Yes, I was around in the ‘80’s and I have to say it wasn’t Madonna’s amazing singing ability which was attention grabbing at the time.

 

In fact, her singing voice needed a lot of work.

 

Robert M. Grant, author of Contemporary Strategy Analysis (2005), commented that what has brought Madonna success is “certainly not outstanding natural talent. As a vocalist, musician, dancer, songwriter, or actress, Madonna’s talents seem modest.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_(entertainer)

 

Mark Bego, author of Madonna: Blonde Ambition, called her “the perfect vocalist for lighter-than-air songs”, despite not being a “heavyweight talent.”^[217] Madonna has always been self-conscious about her voice, especially in comparison to her vocal idols such as Ella Fitzgerald, Prince and Chaka Khan.^{[218] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_(entertainer)} 

 

I’m not here to debate the why’s and how’s of Madonna’s success.

 

What I would like to look at is the emergence of her vocal ability.

 

Here is one of Madonna’s very early recordings (1980).

 

It’s really interesting to note that among the more not-so-great tones, you can hear parts of the song which herald what her voice was to become.

 

 

Ten years later, there is definitely much improvement and the better vocal tones, which were present in the earlier example, are the majority of her vocal tone here.

 

 

Here, ten years later still, I would say Madonna is now singing well.

 

Even though there is quite a lot of production in this vocal recording (really only double tracking), you can still hear that Madonna’s voice is good.

 

And lastly, this is a release from 2010.

 

It’s a different style and there is no clever pop production but rather a sparce arrangement which allows Madonna to sing more like her heros – a real story-teller singer.

 

There is no way Madonna would have been able to pull this off 30 years ago.

 

So, how did she achieve this?

 

Madonna is simply a hard-worker and has a real desire to perform at the best of her ability.  Apart from her well-publicised physical work outs, she has also worked hard on her voice.

 

Here is a short video of her vocal training…

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this has illustrated that anyone can achieve a good musical outcome if they apply themselves to it.  There is no magic and no “special talent” bestowed upon the few.

 

If you desire to be a musician, you can be.

 

I am writing this Series because so many students come through my doors with their heads full of “rules” about what they have to be or what they first have to achieve before they even think of allowing themselves to make any contribution to music.

 

If these students follow the rules they have made for themselves (for example, they must achieve a great technique or possess the “gift” of playing music) they are going to have a difficult and not-so-fun time of learning music.

 

These assumptions, lies or “rules” we make for ourselves about playing music or even the process of learning music are self-fulfilling proficies and definitely hinder the enjoyment of music from day one.

 

I feel it is necessary to set the record straight so that any musicians suffering under these myths to begin “re-wiring” their beliefs.

 

 

Hopefully, this will be of benefit and they can begin to enjoy the musical journey as well as have a chance of making meaningful contributions to the art form.

 

 

LIE NUMBER 1

 

“I have to be a good musician before I can begin sharing my music.”

 

By sharing music I mean, playing with or in front of other people, recording or writing.

 

If this lie number 1 is something you believe, I would like to ask you:

 

When are you are good-enough musician?

What do you need to achieve for that?

How long do you have to be playing?

How do you know when you are good enough?

 

These questions are essentially unanswerable.

 

Believing this lie prevents you from confronting one of the most important aspects of what it is to play music.  In order to play music you have to be able to:

 

• let go of your inhibitions,
• be present; and
• have fun and be playful

 

 

What better way to illustrate this point than with a case study.

 

 

THE SEX PISTOLS

 

I have wanted to write about this Group for a long time because they really were unique and awe-inspiring act.

 

Also, I never really liked them until I listened carefully to their lyrics and became familiar with their history and what they represented for that time in music history.

 

Their impact was huge and I couldn’t help but think of John Lydon’s aka Johnny Rotten (lead singer) lyrics in light of the recent London Riots.

 

“Anarchy for the UK

It’s coming sometime and maybe

I give a wrong time stop a traffic line

Your future dream is a shopping scheme

‘Cause I wanna be Anarchy

In the city, the only way to be

How many ways to get what you want

I use the best

I use the rest

I use the enemy

I use Anarchy

‘Cause I wanna be Anarchy

In the city, follow me

Is this the M.P.L.A or

Is this the U.D.A or

Is this the I.R.A

I thought it was the UK

Or just another country

Another council tenancy

I wanna be Anarchy

And I wanna be Anarchy

And I wanna be anarchist

I get pissed, destroy!”

 

 

What I am going to do now is put in a link to a documentary about the Sex Pistols.

 

I would also like to warn you that there is swearing and a few irksome moments you maybe wouldn’t like to share with your youngsters and if it does put you off, just try to see through it and get to the whole point of this historically significant music.

 

I think this is a really wonderful documentary and it certainly opened my eyes to the era of Punk and of the power music has to express the emotional intensity of the human spirit, which has a wide spectrum.

 

I don’t think many musical forms have effectively taken care of this end of the “spectrum” as well as the Sex Pistols did and they certainly didn’t pay any attention to Lie number 1.  If they did, none of this would have happened!

If you choose not to watch this film, that’s of course fine, it really isn’t for everyone but what I really wanted to illustrate here is this.

 

1. These musicians started playing music by playing together as a band and visualising what they wanted to achieve.
2. They played music, not to be “good” at it, but to express their feelings and get their point of view across.
3. They were absolutely authentic in every way and that is why they achieved so much.

 

Here are some interesting facts about their achievements:

 

• Rolling Stone has argued that the band, …, “came to spark and personify one of the few truly critical moments in pop culture—the rise of punk.”[177]

 

 

• Leading music critic Dave Marsh called them “unquestionably the most radical new rock band of the Seventies.”[189]

 

 

• The releases of “Anarchy in the U.K.”, “God Save the Queen” and Never Mind the Bollocks are counted among the most important events in the history of popular music. Never Mind the Bollocks is regularly cited in accountings of all-time great albums: In 2006, it was voted #28 in Q magazine’s “100 Greatest Albums Ever”,[190] while Rolling Stone listed it at #2 in its 1987 “Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years”.[191] It has come to be recognized as among the most influential records in rock history.[182][192] An Allmusic critique describes it as “one of the greatest, most inspiring rock records of all time”.[193] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Pistols

 

If you were one of the people who believed you had to be proficient at music before you begin to enjoy it or share it with others, I hope this article has given you some food for thought.

 

Just remember the truth is that  you don’t have to be a great musician to do something great in music.

 

You can enjoy playing music even BEFORE you even begin to learn it by exploring instruments and expressing yourself in an authentic manner.

 

 

 

 

 

Have you become too serious about your music?

 

Are you questioning why you are doing it or where the element of fun has gone?

 

Well, please read on, make sure you get to then end of this Article and by that time, I promise you, you’ll remember what it was all about.

 

I’ve written quite a lot about the benefits of free improvisation.

 

A lot of the time, however, many musicians find this exercise one of the most confronting ways of playing their instrument.

 

The reason is that improvisation, especially free improvisation, highlights our inner critic, which can be an uncomfortable presence in our creative activities.

 

The more uncomfortable you are with improvisation, the more critical you may be of your music and the harder you find it to become satisfied with your creative experience.

 

Some people consider free improvisation utter nonsense.

 

To those people I would say that nothing would ever change in the Arts, or indeed any area of life, without taking risks and trying out “unconventional” ideas.

 

However, free improvisation is now far from an unconventional idea and in this Article I wish to illustrate what free improvisation would look like for different instruments.

 

One of the most famous improvisational concerts was the 1975 Köln Concert on solo piano by Keith Jarrett.

 

Listen to this beautiful music as you read on.

 

 

Before Keith sat down at the piano, he had no idea of what he was going to play.

 

“Jarrett arrived at the opera house late in the afternoon and tired after an exhausting long drive from Zurich, Switzerland, where he had performed a few days earlier.

 

He had not slept well in several nights and was in pain from back problems and had to wear a brace.

 

After trying out the substandard piano and learning a replacement instrument was not available, Jarrett nearly refused to play and Brandes (the promotor) had to convince him to perform as the concert was scheduled to begin in just a few hours.[4]

 

The concert took place at the unusually late hour of 11:30 PM following an earlier opera performance. This late-night time slot was the only one the administration would make available to Brandes for a jazz concert – the first one ever at the Köln Opera House.

 

The show was completely sold out and the venue was filled to capacity with over 1400 people at a ticket price of 4 Deutsche Marks (about $5.00).

 

Despite the obstacles, Jarrett’s performance was enthusiastically received by the audience and the subsequent recording was acclaimed by critics and became an enormous commercial success.

 

It remains his most popular recording and continues to sell well more than 35 years after its initial release.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Köln_Concert

 

Although this improvisation is based mainly on two chords, I would still say it is freely improvised because Jarrett is composing purely in the present moment without a formulaic agenda.  In other words, he is freely “channelling” music.

 

“Jarrett opened up his heart and played whatever notes felt right at the moment. Missing from the show was overly flashy displays of instrumental prowess; instead of being found playing the perfect lick, Jarrett chose instead to get lost in the melody. He used virtuosity to advance, get this, art instead of science.” http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=56417

 

For me, this is one of the most inspiring performances I have ever heard.

 

It illustrates a truly creative moment that can only come from an exercise of spontaneous creativity that only free improvisation can provide.   Every time I listen to this recording it is as though I am at the concert for the first time, hanging onto every note and every silence.

 

Piano is one instrument on which really lends itself to improvisation but other instruments can be harder.

 

I think the hardest of all is voice.

 

This is because of all the instruments, our voice is the most personal and completely individual.  Therefore any criticism can be (and often is) interpreted as a direct criticism of the person producing that vocal.

 

I also think people can be a lot harsher critic of vocals and vocalists.  (Perhaps this is because anyone who can talk is also a potential singer!)

 

Here is a video of free improvisation on vocals by UK jazz vocalists Filomena Campus and Cleveland Watkiss live at Riverside Studios, London, recorded June 2009.

 

This is a really interesting one because it involves two people, spontaneously composing together.

 

Not only are they confident of vocalizing what they hear and feel at the time, it seems that as the performance continues they are completely in the same space, hearing the same music.

 

This illustrates one of the most important musical skills to nurture – that of listening.

 

The result of these creative and listening skills is a wonderful true free improvisation performed without any fear.

 

One of the most wonderful aspects of free improvisation is that of exploration.

 

How often do we get to hear all the potential sounds of our instrument?

 

I think the above vocal improvisation explored many different ways to express the human voice but here is another very interesting improvisation on guitar.

 

Angelo is really in the right headspace of just accepting anything that comes out from the guitar but he is also very lovingly exploring his instrument, experimenting with different sounds and really enjoying all his discoveries.

 

I love this improvisation because it is so free and truly expressive and I just can’t help but smile when I listen to it.

 

Really, it’s like watching a child playing in a new environment, discovering a hose, for example, for the first time.

 

Of course, this is may not be the music you choose to listen to when you go out on a Saturday evening or as an accompaniment for cooking your evening meal.

 

But what free improvisation does is remind us of the playful aspect of music, and remember that’s what we do – we PLAY music, we don’t work it.

 

I think all too often we can take music far too seriously and forget about the fun aspect of it.

 

Free improvisation is a great way to get in touch with that feeling in yourself and in your music.

 

If you can do that, it will leak into other styles of music you play, other improvisations too so you can be a childlike again, having fun and attracting other children (listeners) to your game because they will want to have fun with you!

 

Here is one last free improvisation on trumpet.

 

I like this one because it uses technology too – an effects pedal.  The human and the machine are therefore spontaneously creating together.

 

Again it contains humour, fun, complete acceptance, exploration and play and illustrates that experimentation too is an important for the development of all music from the personal to the collective.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this Article, but more than that, I hope that now you too will be inspired to go to your instrument and rediscover it through play and total acceptance of whatever sound you produce.

 

Please leave a comment and tell me how it went!

 

 

 

Welcome to my first podcast.

 

For those of you who would prefer to read, there is a transcription of the podcast below.

 

 

 

Hi Everyone

 

It’s Lisa here, and welcome to this podcast.

 

This one’s for the singers.

 

I thought it would be a good idea to give you something that I have to teach my singers all the time and it’s about how to learn a song and how to interpret a song in order to make it your own.

 

The first thing you may not realise is that a lot of the time you may really think you know a song but what you are missing is the little notes in between and this can really put you off.

 

So, when you learn a song, and this is what I say to everybody, you need to first learn the melody exactly and you need to learn it slowly and then you need to learn to sing it without any inflections, without any emotion, almost in a robotic manner.

 

I thought the example I would give you would be one that I use for all my singers when they begin and that is “Let It Be” by The Beetles.

 

The first thing that we really need to look at is, what is the melody exactly.

 

And even if, from the recording, you find it difficult to work out exactly what the melody is, choose the notes that it’s going to be, choose the closest notes or what you like as a sound and it’s a really good idea to try to play that melody on piano (or other instrument).

 

The melody that you would learn for “Let it Be” is this:

 

(audio example – piano plays melody and I sing it)

 

That’s the first line of the song and that would be all you do until you perfect that.

 

Then you go to the next phrase.

 

So this is another really important part to remember.  It’s about breaking it down.

 

Once you’ve got that first phrase, and you’ll notice that I’m singing it extremely mechanically, then go to the next phrase:

 

(audio example)

 

Then you put those two phrases together.

 

(audio example)

 

Then go on to learning the next phrase.

 

(audio example)

 

…And then the chorus.

 

Once you’ve got that, try to sing it with the chords.  So, we’ll put the chords with it now.

 

(audio example)

 

Then you would go on to learn the chorus in the same manner.

 

The next part of learning a song is (and the more that you can do automatically, the better), learn the lyrics.

 

This is something that singers don’t do enough, it seems to me and so I’m really pushing it with my singers now.  No reading of lyrics, learn the lyrics that way you’ll really be able to internalise the song and make it your own.

 

After all, when you’re performing, you’re not going to read off a lyric sheet… hopefully, because you’ll just lose all the magic.

 

The next thing that I teach my singers is, once you’ve got that melody, it’s about phrasing.

 

One of the things I do teach is sing-speaking or speak-singing, whichever way you’d like to look at it and that just means you speak the words as you would in your normal language speech pattern.

 

Obviously, you wouldn’t say (in a monotone) when-I-find-myself-in-times-of-trouble.

 

You would say “When I find myself in times of trouble”.  And so that’s the way that you’re going to sing it.

 

For a little exercise what you can do is play the chords and do the speaking part of it.  For example:

 

(audio example)

 

When you do the sing-speaking, as soon as you do that it makes the song connect to the audience a lot more because, obviously, we follow speech patterns, we know what it is to listen to that rather than a mechanical way of saying it.

 

The next step is then putting the melody to the sing-speak phrasing.

 

It just means, and this is a really important thing, don’t hold on to notes.  This is a really common mistake that singers make.

 

You still need to be really exact with your pitch.

 

(audio example)

 

Ok, so that’s the sing-speaking part of it.

 

Now the chorus of this song I would say sing it out because it really lends itself to that and you do want contrast in a song as well.

 

So in the chorus you would do:

 

(audio example)

 

That’s the part that you really do get to sing it out and that’s the part that the audience would probably know too.

 

That way you get variation and contrast with a song and because it is such a repetitive song, songs like this and “Hallelujah” which have a lot of verses and a repetitive melody, it’s even more important to get your phrasing in a sing-speak style so that people will listen and it’s not so boring.

 

Let’s just talk about the next part of interpreting a song.

 

Once you’ve got the melody down and you know the words and you’ve got your phrasing and you know the way you’re going to sing it, it’s time then to interpret the song.

 

What I would suggest with that is that you’ve really got to look at the lyrics and I’m going to ask you …

 

“What is a singers’ main job?”

 

The answer is “to tell a story.”

 

So, who’s story are you going to tell?

 

The most effective way to get a story across or tell a story is to tell your own story.

 

That’s the story you’re most passionate about.

 

That’s the story you know.

 

That’s the story that you’re most connected with.

 

Just about every song that you sing, you take those lyrics and you take them apart and you assign an emotional memory, your memory to those words.

 

It doesn’t have to have anything to do with the words (the story in yourself) but those words will evoke something of you.

 

For example, when I think of “when I find myself in times of trouble”, I can think back to a time in my life where I felt that.

 

“Mother Mary comes to me.”  I can feel a time in my life where I still felt supported, perhaps spiritually or emotionally, in some way.

 

“Speaking words of wisdom, Let it Be.”  I did have a wiser person in my life that actually helped me and I do think of that person.

 

Now you may have one story for the whole song or every line may be a different part of your life.

 

But what you’re looking for is something that is still inside you, something that you can still feel and it’s not important whether it is the whole song, one story, or lots of different parts.

 

Once you’ve got that, your performance will be authentic.

 

Every time that you sing it you will be able to move, not only yourself, but move other people emotionally which is what your job is to do.  That’s what I feel anyway.

 

So, let me just take a minute and I’m just going to sing the first verse and this will be with my story in it.

 

(audio example).

 

Just remember that there are three stages to learning a song:

 

1. Learn the melody note for note, especially the little notes, absolutely exactly.
2. Learn the lyrics.
3. Decide upon the phrasing and the way you want to interpret the song and put your story into the song, into the words every single time you sing it.

 

One time you may be singing the song you may have a different story to sing but just to make sure those emotions are alive.

 

Anyway, thank you for joining me for this first podcast and I hope you enjoyed it.

 

 

 

One of the greatest mentors in my musical life has been Kenny Werner.

 

You may, or may not have heard of him but a lot of what I write in this blog supports his teaching style.

 

For those of you who haven’t heard of him, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce you because I believe you can truly benefit from his resources.

 

I was first introduced to Kenny Werner’s work when I read “Effortless Mastery”.

 

What I gained from reading that book was an understanding that I already had the ability to play music, and all I had to do was know that and allow myself the freedom discover that music.

 

Of course, technique still needs to be practice along with everything else that goes with the study of music, but it was the way I studied it which would give me results.

 

Here is an example of Kenny Werner’s teaching:

 

Inspirational message from Kenny Werner

“The joy of playing is liberation.

The joy of practicing is concentration.”

Separating these two functions in our minds

solves the age-old problem of freedom versus discipline.

Instead of them being opposed to each other,

they can support each other.

Freedom is a great thing.

But freedom alone can be boring.

I once heard a great Rabbi say that the problem

with the 1960′s is that

people sought “freedom from, not freedom to . . . “

Isn’t that an amazing realization?

Do you get it?

Freedom without mastering form and technique

leads to stagnation and ultimately, boredom.

The true joy of life, the game, if you will,

is learning to find freedom in form,

mastering the forms and techniques involved in one’s art

until they are performed effortlessly,

until the body and mind can perform automatically.

Once those moves are committed to mental and muscular memory,

one may play with absolute joy and freedom.

…

Mastery attracts us because we have

the possibility of mastery inside us.

Study is the act that supports us.

Study is the preparation so the performance can be free and joyful.

But study with the assumption that greatness

is already present within you.

Imagine you are allowing that greatness to emerge

more and more by practicing your art or sport.

 

Every time I read Kenny Werner’s work I am inspired to practice, but practice with great love and concentration.

 

This has allowed me to continue enjoying my music at what ever level I am at.

 

And I think this is the most important thing to remember… It is no use believing you will be happy with your music “when you reach a certain stage”, because you won’t.  You have to be happy in your music NOW, even if you are the most basic of beginners.

 

• letting go of the ego
• being present and enjoying the simplicity the moment, and
• and allowing yourself freedom in your practice of music.

 

Here is the link to a great teacher who is sure to inspire your music and turn your world around.

 

http://kennywernerlive.com/

Although his lessons are simple, they are in depth and some will take you a lifetime to accomplish… but there’s no harm in that!

 

 

 

 

Adele is one of the most popular “new arrivals” on the pop scene and I’m happy about that.

 

I’m happy because what you see is truly what you get.

 

There is no glitzy show about her.  In fact, quite the contrary.

 

This performance has had over 35 million hits on YouTube and it’s just Adele and a piano.

 

 

So why is she so popular?

 

• She is Authentic.

 

• She tells her story and sings it from her heart.

 

• She is in love with singing, not the sound of her own voice.

 

• Her ego doesn’t drive her art, only her need for self-expression with honest, human lyrics.

 

Authenticity has been somewhat of a theme of this blog in the last couple of months.

 

The reason for this is that I cannot stress enough, that authenticity is really the only quality that will set you apart from other musicians.

 

But what does it mean to be authentic and how do you know if your music is authentic?

 

Authenticity simply means being yourself, not hiding any of the scars or the ugliness or the beauty of you, but instead, being able to simply be and not be afraid for others to see that.

 

If your music is authentic, it will have the same affect upon an audience as this performance of Adele’s had.

 

It will be captivating.  And it will be captivating because of its honesty.

 

If you would like to know more about authenticity in music and how you can achieve it, please read “How To Be An Authentic Musician – Parts I – IV”, located in the Articles section.

 

One of the first songs I heard of Adele’s was “Hometown Glory”.

 

The first time I heard it, I was back in my London life.

 

The song contains so much of what I felt about London when I lived there and I loved it for all the reasons she names in this song.

 

So Adele has another wonderful talent.  She not only writes quality lyrics that mean something and that tell a story, she also has the ability to put into words the emotions of many other people.

 

We can relate to what she is saying.

 

She manages to tell our story too and when we hear those words we collectively say, “Yes, I understand, that’s me too!” and it just feels good to know that others know some of the things you feel.

 

Yes, Adele has a beautiful voice, but I think her real talent is her lyrics and her song writing ability.

 

When I was reading about Adele, I found this quote from her;

 

“As soon as I got a microphone in my hand, when I was about 14, I realised I wanted to do this,” she says. “Most people don’t like the way their voice sounds when it’s recorded. I was just so excited by the whole thing that I wasn’t bothered what it sounded like.” – http://artists.letssingit.com/adele-x4vk4/biography

 

This tells me that Adele never had a problem with authenticity because she wasn’t bothered about just accepting the way she sounded without judgment (See “The Inner Critic vs The Inner Musician”).  She was excited just to be participating in music.

 

I tell all my students it’s not about how “pretty” you sound or how “good” you are, it’s just about doing music.  It’s just about singing and loving the feeling of singing or playing your instrument and just loving to do it.

 

If you approach music from this mindset, you cannot help but succeed.

 

However, so many people (including myself at times) are preoccupied with being “good” at music or showing off in some way and that’s when music becomes a struggle, that’s when it becomes difficult and unfulfilling, i.e. when the Ego becomes involved too much.

 

From what I have read and heard about Adele, she was fortunate enough to be able to live her life from her heart.  She followed what she loved doing and she followed that love with passion.

 

She has learned from listening to the music of others around her, doing music for the shear pleasure of it and she has not been afraid to write from her own experience which is the only thing she truly knows.

 

In fact, it’s the only thing each and every one of us truly knows.

 

If you enjoyed this article, please leave a comment.  I’d love to hear from you.

I hope you had a go at implementing the two exercises mentioned in Part I and are now more aware of when you are truly being yourself, while getting to know all the colours of your musical voice by letting yourself be “ugly”!

 

If you have made some realisations or even just thought about how your restrict or allow yourself to be, then it’s time for the next step.

 

Often, in this blog, I have talked about practicing with presence and focus, and in this article I will give you some more exercises that you can practice away from the music room.

 

I will also delve a little deeper into why being present is so important when you play music and how it contributes to creativity, and talk about the different qualities of listening.

 

 

Flow and Presence

 

“Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by Mihaly Csikszentimihalyi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of fields.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

 

I like this term and use it because it describes exactly how creativity feels when you are in the right “zone”.

 

The best analogy I can give for this is, for example, when you are/were a child and you play a game that you are so immersed in, you feel no time has passed at all before you are called away from it.  Yet, you may have been playing for hours.

 

I watch my 15 month old, engaged in a state of flow many times throughout the day and it gives me great pleasure to see how much she is enjoying her games.

 

I know some people may relate to this term by remembering passive exercises such as watching television or playing a computer game but this is not what I am referring to here.

 

Flow is a mind-state you encounter when you actively use your imagination and become immersed in the creations of your own making.

 

“Presence” is similar, but does not necessarily happen from an active state of mind.  Presence is a feeling of complete contentment, peace and immersion in the moment.  It is the observation of everything that exists only at that moment and it is the ideal state from which to enter into “flow”.

 

When you are in either one of these states, your critical and analytical thought and/or “running commentary” does not interfere with what you are creating or the enjoyment of the moment.

 

Our own true creativity and authenticity can only be accessed from being present and entering flow.

 

It should be easy to be in the present and flow but if I asked you right now to just stop reading this, close your eyes and observe your mind for ten seconds… go on, do it….

 

Most likely, you will discover, that you have been thinking thoughts either of your past or your future and probably were unaware of the myriad of sounds and events around you.  Did you feel uncomfortable just to sit and breathe?

 

This is why it’s important to practice presence because there is a way to get that calm and content feeling of being in the moment and you just have to know what to do and break a few unconscious habits.

 

Please watch this short video for a more detailed explanation.

 

 

 

Exercise 1

 

Try to practice presence in your everyday life, by just being aware of the small things, whenever you remember to.  This will eventually become a habit and improve your overall quality of live, not to mention your music.

 

Here is another short video in which Mihaly Csikszentimihalyi explains flow theory.

 

 

 

Exercise 2

 

1. In your next practice session, set yourself a goal, but something which is ACE – (Achievable, Challenging and Enjoyable).   It could be to learn a couple of bars of music so it’s easy, or an exercise.
2. When you have finished the activity, reflect back on it and see if you feel you did experience flow.  Did you enjoy it?  Try also to ascertain whether the activity was at the right level for you to experience flow.  If not, adjust it for next time and you should gain an insight as to how to work at the right level.

 

You may ask, how do these two states of being make you a more authentic musician?

 

And the answer is.  When you are in either of these states, you are relaxed and in a state of mind which allows your true creativity and individuality to shine.  If you are truly present and in flow, there is no room for “editing” what you are creating and you can therefore, allow material, that you would normally feel is above your own capacity, to come through.

 

This is another reason why it’s very important to have technical ability, so that these unique ideas can be played physically.

 

Here are some examples of artists who are truly performing from presence and flow:

 

 

 

 

Listening

 

WE REMEMBER

10% of what we read

20% of what we hear

30% of what we see

50% of what we see and hear

70% of what we discuss with others

80% of what we personally experience

95% or what we teach others

- Edgar Dale

 

There are many different levels of listening.

 

Much of the time we listen with our minds chattering lively in the background, making assessments and thinking about the past or future, at the same time we receive input, which means we don’t listen to everything we hear.

 

In order to listen on a deep level, we need to get rid of the chatter preventing important information from being received.

 

You can observe this in your everyday communications with people.  How often are others really paying attention to what you are saying without their own agenda filling their minds?  And what about you?  Do you always give people your full attention?

 

Full attention and deep listening means you have to be quiet on the inside and in order to achieve this state, you need to be present.

 

When you are present and fully aware you are able to listen deeply to a person or to music.

 

When you listen deeply you will be often be able to predict what is going to be said or played or even what others are thinking, because these “hidden” messages can now be received.

 

When this is happening while playing with a group of musicians, and especially if you know each other and each others’ playing well, the quality of improvisation and musical interaction becomes sublime, and much more than the sum of it’s parts.

 

Music exists before we actually play it and to play it well, we need to be able to hear it first.

 

Here is the last video for this article. It is a famous jazz trio who illustrate what listening and being present can do for music.

 

 

 

.. And even if you do, there’s no guarantee.

 

So what does it mean to have a career in Music?

 

I know that for many of you reading this, the answer would be a record deal, touring, sell-out performances, video’s, paparazzi and fame.

 

I’m not here to discourage those dreams.

 

On the contrary, in order to be successful in a music career, you have to foster dreams and have a strong desire to follow them.

 

You need to visualise and imagine exactly the life you want and then you need to take steps toward that life, no matter what your age or background.

 

However, where those steps lead you is anyone’s guess.

 

It may take some soul searching to understand and be honest about your desires in music.

 

If you simply desire recognition and fame and are using music to fulfil that dream, I strongly suggest you stop now because either you will feel like you are banging your head against a wall or you will achieve fame and not feel happy with where you end up.

 

If you want music in your life because it makes you feel good and you just want to feel that way in your work and career then please read on.

 

In this series of articles I want to explore several musical stories and look at how people have managed to achieve a life in music.

 

I am going to start with an email my Dad sent me a few days ago.  It contained this video.

 

(Warning!  If you haven’t got any tissues nearby, please go and get some now….)

 

 

 

 

 

In Sung-bong Choi’s very difficult life he discovered one thing capable of taking him out of his daily hardship and worries and make him “feel like a different person”.  That thing is music and specifically singing.

 

All of us experience difficult times in our lives.  I, and just about every other musician I’ve ever spoken to, agree that music and its practice has provided a refuge,  a safe, nurturing place we can be in whenever we choose and a place that belongs to each of us exclusively. That is one of the things we love about it and one reason we choose to keep it a focal point in our lives.

 

Even if you don’t practice music, I think you can relate to that feeling.

 

It’s important to acknowledge this aspect of music, it’s life-enhancing qualities every time we practice or listen to it because it helps us to become better interpreters and practitioners of the Art.

 

In the beginning of this video, Sung-bong Choi says “I don’t sing very well.”

 

I just want to bring this to your attention as a case of the Inner Critic talking and how unhelpful this part of us is when it comes to playing music.  Here is a clear case of the Critic’s failure to hear the truth of our ability and why it is important to understand your own Critic and not let it stop you from pursuing your dreams.

 

The human spirit never ceases to amaze me.

 

In Sung-bong Choi’s case, despite his terrible and lonely beginnings, there was something inside him which managed to get him to school, to get him singing and eventually find his way.

 

Each one of us has that spirit within, and we need to trust and acknowledge that inner intelligence we are born with.  This intelligence knows what is best for us and is there to help us direct our lives.

 

I know it’s not always easy to hear or to follow that special part of us but it’s worth beginning to think about.

 

What is your essential Self and what does it want for you?

 

In order to find the answer to this question, you simply need to listen, without judgment or critique to your true, inner voice.

 

Sung-bong Choi says “I’m not a good singer, but I just like it.”

 

Here you can see the two sides of him, his Critic, who says he is no good at singing and his Inner Musician who says he just likes it.

 

If Sung-bong Choi let his Critic take over his life, as many of us do, he would not have performed on this show.  Instead, he has been able to listen to his true Inner voice, which simply says, “I just like it”.

 

That is the voice each of us needs to learn to listen to.  It’s the simple, truthful voice within us because it can help us immensely.

 

Why do you think the audience was moved to tears when Sung-bong Choi sang?  Was it because they felt sorry for him?

 

Absolutely not.

 

If you watch his performance, you can feel his total involvement with the music.  You can feel his honest passion and his presence in every note.

 

This is something which cannot be faked and we, as the audience, know this authenticity when we see it and hear it.

 

Such a performance provokes a strong emotion because it’s truthful, honest, heart-felt and a very precious commodity in this day and age.  We cry because many of us are starved of the connection this type of performance gives us and we also cry out of gratitude and relief for being brought to that place.

 

Sung-bong Choi’s performance is a musical gift.

 

When we perform music so sincerely and honestly its affects can be felt over generations.  In Sung-bong Choi’s case, he was inspired on this journey by another vocalist he saw.

 

If your intentions are honest and authentic, your music will be a gift to so many people and in so many ways will touch and guide others.

 

How amazing is that!

 

I’m sure Sung-bong Choi will continue singing, having lessons and practicing but whether he becomes famous or not is totally beside the point.

 

The fact that he followed his Inner Musician, the simple, honest voice within him and let that come out in his music, has meant he has already touched the lives of millions of people in a very positive way and I think that’s the point.

 

Don’t you?

 

 

If you enjoyed this article and would like to have the next one mailed to you directly, please rss to this site and join my email list.  I’d also love to hear what you thought about this performance.