Re: [Harp-L] Harp practice

[Bob Cohen <bcohen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Donnie MorTone wrote:
> I think Chris hit it on the head in this post and previous ones...
> about NOT always listening to harp players to improve...
> PLUS...(Big Plus I might add) Give yourself some "Time OFF" from
> the harmonica...and you might be amazed of the slump you climb out of.

Listening to other instruments and taking time off are definitely good 
ideas but how about giving yourself time off from worrying whether you 
are in a rut and whether you'll ever become the musician you hope to be?

How about just play the music, in the moment, and when it's over, move 
on to the next moment?  Drive your car, kiss your kids, argue with your 
spouse, go to work, and when you come back to music, just play.

Last year I spent a lot of energy (I mean a lot) worrying over whether I 
was good, whether I'd ever become as accomplished as my harp heroes, 
whether audiences would like me, whether a certain (amazing) guitar 
player with whom I sometimes play would think I was good.  It sucked.  I 
was depressed, hated every note that came out of my mouth, whether 
singing or blowing harp, I had really bad stage fright.

Then one day I realized that I was pretty far along in a lonely and 
futile endeavor.  Music had become, not a joy, but a dreaded chore.  The 
guy in the mirror looked an awful lot like Sisyphus heaving that rock to 
the top of the hill only to see it come crashing down at the last moment.

The light went on.  Just as Sisyphus' problem was that he was attached 
to completing his task, to rolling the rock over the top of the hill, as 
it were(thereby dooming himself to a tortuous existence), I was attached 
to my ideas about what it meant to be a musician.

Thankfully my love for the music took over.  I knew either I solved this 
problem or I'd quit playing.  The answer arrived in the form of "WTF, 
who cares."  The night I that idea took hold of my my brain, I put on, 
probably, the best show I'd ever played.  I disappeared and there was 
only the music and the audience.  Perhaps this has happened to others? 
Stuff came out that I had no idea I could do.

So sometimes I disappoint myself sometimes I amaze myself but through it 
all I just keep on playing!

Anyway, guess I've got too much time on my hands this morning.  %-)  But 
I hope this helps.

(Just Plain) Bob