Have you ever heard that pianists should keep their fingers curved?

While it might be true that good piano technique sometimes involves curved fingers, keeping anything in an absolutely fixed position while music is trying to move through you is a recipe for tension and eventual breakdown.

Supported relaxation, on the other hand, involves a dynamic interplay between tension and release. When you simultaneously chill out AND focus your attention, intention, and action, there is a natural support system that holds the music together all by itself without any control on your part.

The idea of “letting things be” is common enough, but the practice can be challenging when you find yourself in high pressure situations. The instinct to stress out is both natural and, in a true crisis, helpful. But what about the rest of the time?

How does fight or flight show up in your music? What techniques and practices can you cultivate to bring greater relaxation and flow to your musical expression?

Join JP as he explores three creative approaches to chilling out: emptiness, information clustering, and pulse/trance.

 

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Timing Is Everything.

As a musician, you have the advantage of applying what you already know about rhythm in music to the rest of your life. Establishing a good tempo, getting into a groove, working with meter, and aligning with your natural sense of rhythm are pieces of musical knowledge that can be translated into how you manage your career, what your daily habits and routines look like, and how much time you have to put into your creative work.

Although many great musicians have suffered in their personal or professional lives, a Whole Musician approach maintains that being a prolific artist, cultivating effective time and energy-management habits, and designing a creative and meaningful career are three interdependent aspects of living a fulfilling musical life.

Join JP as he discusses seven distinct time orientations and explores some innovative ways to make more time so that you can create more music. 

This is the third of four in the Musical Lifestyle Series of SOS podcasts.

 

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