The inspiration for this blog is my favorite book, Shunyru Suzuki’s Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Every time I pick up the baton or the trombone there is the feeling of starting over again from scratch. Not completely, and not literally – but to some extent we are always beginning.
There is, of course, a good sense and a bad sense of beginning –
Good: openness, freshness, adaptibility to change, attitude of exploration and discovery
Bad: deterioration (or lack) of skills or Craft
My other favorite book in the background of my approach to life is Lao Tzu’s timeless Tao Te Ching (when translated into English, The Way of Life), and Taoist ideas in general. In playing an instrument, in conducting, in the physical world we are constantly interacting with basic elements and forces of nature: Wind. Gravity, weight, momentum. Lightness and density. Fluidity. Elasticity. Various forms of energy. The more aware of and in tune we are with these elements, the easier and more enjoyable it is to to tap into these forces to help us move around in the world and to do music. Attending to and being in harmony with these elements is being in the world in a way that’s musical.
Finally, the notion that everything is connected is basic to how many of us experience the world. Because being a musician is central to me, practicing trombone, piano, or stick technique is all practice – as is swimming, biking, or running, or strength training. A walk in a garden or forest or by water is also musical practice or study, depending on how you direct your attention and how the activity relates to how you spend the rest of your time.
My intention is to develop these and related ideas around musical craft and life, through my experience as an instrumentalist, conductor, educator, would-be athlete, and student of Eastern philosophies that have influenced me. How all of these ideas are intertwined, and all of the ways in which life as a musician becomes Practice.
Tags: Conducting, Craft, Environment, Mindfulness, Running, Shunryu Suzuki, Trombone, Zen