Mental Fitness
One of the intriguing paradoxes of our work as performers is the significant amount of time we invest in a process that doesn't directly lead to our desired outcome. We often repeat the same thing, expecting a different result each time. This paradox becomes more pronounced when we struggle to achieve our desired result despite our process not effectively preparing us for it.
Let me be specific:
We spend thousands of hours working on specific passages and technical elements of a performance. We start-and-stop and repeat endlessly to learn the music and fix mistakes.
Once this is accomplished, we immediately expect the “music” to emerge, and we hope this music to be unique. But nothing in preparing said music fosters musicality or a distinctive creative vision. It fosters “fitting in the box.”
Additionally, we expect ourselves and our students to no longer react when things don’t go as planned. Our entire process thus far has been developed by “play until you make a mistake, stop, and work on it.”
So much is riding on making music, but we’ve spent all our time practicing at a micro, granular level and have no habit built around any other process.
When we fail at this, it confirms what many hold as their secret fear: that we aren’t good enough.
What we expect to happen in this process—practice, until you play it right, and then make music without reacting to mistakes—is cognitively impossible—at least not as we attempt it.
We have way too much invested in our identities to be able to allow mistakes to happen. What we are doing is important; it matters to us.
What we truly need is a practice that operates independently from the music itself. This practice should focus on honing the skill of noticing, discerning, and choosing how to respond to a situation, whether to address it immediately or let it go.
This is a step forward in mindfulness practices of noticing and redirecting. Musicians must discern the nature of the concern and decide whether to respond appropriately in the moment or let go of it and respond later in practice. I refer to this particular kind of mindfulness as mental fitness. It's not just about improving our music; it's about discovering our inner strength and resilience.
Our work requires instant decision-making—“I’m flat, in the wrong place” vs. " That was a mistake. Make a note of it and come back to fix it later.”
Doing this requires that we separate our identity and worth from our ability on the instrument. When we do this, we can avoid the downward spiral that can accompany us on stage when mistakes happen.
Here is the practice:
1. Set a timer for 30 seconds.
2. Close your eyes and let your breath symbolize the continuous flow of thoughts, like the gentle current of a creek or river passing by.
3. Notice the thought that draws you away from the flow of water. Picture that distraction as a leaf or branch drifting downstream.
4. Allow the branch to move on while acknowledging your urge to "understand the branch.”
This is learning that you have a choice.
Practice this daily for several weeks until you can do between 90 and 120 seconds without strain or anxiety. With consistent practice, this will become a natural part of your routine, and you will feel more confident in your ability to manage distractions.
Part 2:
1. Reset the timer to 30 seconds.
2. Initiate the same scenario; the flow of thought is the flow of a river….
3. As each branch or leaf flows by (distraction), look at it and decide if it is essential to you now. Consciously choose to follow it, know it, or let it go.
Practice this until you can do this for 2 mins in one sitting, with anxiety, tension, or strain.
Your goal is 12 minutes a day, in several 2-minute sittings.
Once you have developed this skill, please take it to the practice room. Like all new things, practice with space and compassion for yourself, without judgment, until it doesn’t feel straining or cause you anxiety. Welcome to your mental fitness!