Hello all,
Today was a great day for getting stuff done. After talking with Professor Rivera last Thursday, I have realized my habit of approaching improvisation from a technical standpoint rather than from an improvisation standpoint. For a long while I had practiced technical things in the hopes that they would then show up in my improvisation when I went to do it on the bandstand. However over the past year I've learned that improvisation needs to be practiced perhaps MORE than technique. By practicing technique, I learn what it is I don't know (changes, shapes that I want to play that I can't figure out the specific notes) and then can take that and work on it technically. This makes all of my practice focused on improvisation.
You know what's crazy is that for some to a lot of people, this is a very analytical and intellectual way to look at practicing and improvising, but it makes sense. It makes sense to practice achieving the goal and then realize what it is you need to work on to achieve it than to just acquire many small skills to help you and hope that they come together when you're on the spot. An analogy: Football players practice running plays and do scrimmages. They do not spend all of there time working out and developing muscles and agility. A lot of what they do requires in-the-moment concentration and focus and that needs to be practiced: doing something in real time. It's the same thing with music: one must practice improvising in real time so that when one gets on the bandstand, one has already improvised over that tune thousands of times (instead of building up the technique to do all the parts, but never putting them together).
Needless to say I practiced improvising today over some tunes and I feel this new approach is going to work wonders for me this summer.
Also, I made business cards! I am going to NYC Wednesday/Thursday for the Essentially Ellington Festival and now's the time to be prepared with contact info in case I meet someone that I'd like to collaborate with, work with etc.
Finally, on my way home yesterday from MSU, I wrote up my five year plan for how I am going to build my connections and further my musical growth on a professional level. Aspects of my five year plan include playing at festivals, composing new music for a group that mixes some elements of world and jazz music, releasing a CD, perhaps getting a B.Mus Ed. in addition to jazz, collaborating with certain individuals, and hopefully applying for a grant in the upcoming year! It feels good to have a plan of what I want to do for the next 5 year. It also feels great to know that, as Prof. Whitaker said, I can change my plans at any time :)
...but next Friday?!?
I'm leaving for Ecuador next Friday. How incredibly soon... and before anyone else asks, yes, I am getting a little nervous. However, I am tired of worrying and have decided to turn to two books for guidance during my travels now and abroad: Tao Te Ching and The Prophet. I have already read both of these books and found them both to be very humbling and honest. I will post some excerpts and thoughts on them as my adventures in Ecuador unfolds. Hope all is well with my many friends out there.
Much love,
María
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