[Harp-L] Re: Getting Good and Getting Even Better

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Chris M wrote:
> Random thoughts on why people are better than others.
> Discipline isn't necessary.

Agree.  When you are passionate about something, then engaging in it for 
hours, days months, is not work, and no discipline is needed.

It becomes needed when you feel low and spent, like you've reached the end 
of your musical rope.  Forcing yourself to slog on gets you over to the 
next great place, and that takes discipline, because it starts as no-fun work.

> Having a clear mind and focus is necessary. Lack of focus on negative things.

Absolutely.  I find, however, that from all the years of playing, when I 
touch the harp to my pretty round lips, my mind clears and focuses 
completely on the music.  I'll bet you find the same.

> Ferocity comes from fear. Drive comes from fear. Ferocity and Drive are 
> components of what I call the rage channel.

My ferocity comes from desire, especially a desire to hear new things in my 
music.  It may be a different kind of ferocity.

> Balanced and postively centered rage is the fuel for determination. Rage 
> that stems from the negative is vengence.

That was absolutely true for me in my 20's.

If I may drop a name, back in my 20's Jerry Leiber used to tell me my 
poetry was the poetry of anger.  At first I didn't agree, because there was 
nothing of fury about my work, it was actually really funny.  But finally I 
saw anger lurking behind everything I did, fueling it.  I blew out harps 
all the time back then.

Now, in my 50's, experiencing an enormous, discipline-induced renaissance 
over the last few years -- no more anger.  I'm all out of 
anger.  Hopefully, not out of magic.

> The difference between players are Limits

100% agree.  Very sharp observation.

> Limits are expanded through the extremity of emotion.

And set in moments of arrogance.  I am constantly identifying musical stuff 
"I would never do" in my music, limits I set out of pure 
arrogance.  Whenever I discover something "I would never do" I do it now 
with a vengeance.

I know a screenwriter who tells the best stories, all from his life - he's 
totally riveting because his life has been so unique and because he 
narrates it beautifully.  But his screenplays are terrible because he 
invents these completely false genre tales, and he has no talent for such 
invention.  I've told him he should write the amazing stories he tells over 
drinks and his eyes get big and he says "I would never do that!  Those are 
MY stories."  So he makes his living directing cheezy TV documentaries and 
wondering why he can't sell movie scripts.

> Increased limits creates a wider range of emotion.
> Wider range of emotions allow for a broader pallet to paint from.

Class A+ advice.