I'm rereading this book that I have owned for a while and read in high school or early college called "The Art of Practicing" by Madeline Bruser. Now that I'm, um, older and wiser, it holds a whole new level of meaning for me, and which is really exciting. I'm looking forward to reading it, since I started last year's Stephenie Meyer book "The Host" and it totally sucks, and there's now way I'm reading 600 pages of that crap. Here are some of the most pertinent lines from the chapters I've reread:
"Countless times students ask,'Do you think I have talent? Do you think I'll be able to play well?' Each person's talent is unique, and some are more gifted than others, but an intense desire to play well indicates that music is already inside the person, pressing toward the surface and needing to come out. Know this and take heart from it as you make your particular journey with music."
Erin, that's for you and ME!
"The performer's job is...to open fully to music, to let it come in, physically and mentally, and to become an unobstructed channel for its transmission for its transmission to other people. We cannot possibly give music to others without first receiving it ourselves. Practicing is the process of receiving what was written."
Well put! What an interesting and more personal interpretation of practicing.
"When musicians develop injuries that interrupt their practicing for months, they get depressed. Cut off from the communion with great music, they feel deprived of an essential food. We forget so easily our NEED to practice. So stop for a minute and think about the chance you have. You never know when you might lose it. Even if nothing ever interrupts your musical life, sooner or later your life will end. Remembering this fact can inspire you to make the most of the time you have."
I certainly understand the injuries thing, and I empathize with Carol immensely. To have so much music in your heart, and to not be able to express it is truly awful. To have the ability to express it, and not realize it is worse.
Currently listening to: recordings of Bach 6 by different people, recordings of myself...
2 comments:
i <3 that second one!! i'm gonna go receive right now :D
kayleigh ~ i'm finally reading this just now because of life-- the last quote made me so happy... because it articulates what we're all afraid to say about performance injuries.
Post a Comment