Re: [Harp-L] martial arts, music theory, pop music, and harmonica.

[Chesper Nevins <chespernevins@xxxxxxxxx>]

Very nice posts.
 Karate Kid was on TV last night, and I often like to watch it. (I don't
know what you real martial arts guys think of that movie, but it does convey
that general idea of muscle memory, repetition, etc, right?)
 However,
 I still think the analogy between other physical ventures and musical
mastery is not complete.
 Perhaps the analogy is close for performing a written, known piece on the
instrument as a pure physical feat.
 But where do musical ideas come from? Spontaneous composition? The artistry
part instead of just the physical part?
 I think there is also a deep subconscious ingraining of things *heard* -
sounds that can come to mind, mixed with emotional and "literary"
associations. Musical memory, as opposed to muscle memory.
 Musical and muscle memory *do* need to be integrated as much as possible.
 But a style built on purely physically generated responses may not be the
most satisfying or meaningful to listen to.
 This is why I say that thinking vs. feeling does not express the whole
equation.
 Hearing and physical performance unimpaired by the imediate need to
consciously plot out where the next note is on the instrument, or the need
to think of the 3rd of the next chord is definitely needed in spontaneous
playing.
 But *also* we need to have hearing and subconscious expression that is free
from unconnected, meaningless physical patterns, no matter how fluent or
masterful.
 Hee hee, that's a mouthful!
 :)