Dr. Michael Kearns
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Concentration and playing at the highest level

7/14/2015

2 Comments

 
I am not sure what the secret is to keeping your sole focus on the music but it is an essential skill to have as an artist. My big band can sound professional, I mean, one of the best at times. At other times, it can sound like symphonic musicians warming up . . . on jazz. Being able to focus for prolonged periods of time is a skill that is nurtured over time, I think. Part of that skill is letting go of, or forgetting about, your mistakes immediately, and keeping your mind in the present. I heard a golf coach say that you have to "bury" the last shot; it's dead, gone and in the past. Whatever the analogy or Jedi mind trick, you must be able to focus on the music at hand and block out other stimuli to play at the highest level. 
2 Comments
Todd
7/15/2015 02:00:22 pm

Concentration is so critical... A band can start off really well, tire over the course of a show and then sound pretty awful by the end. No easy answer. Perhaps some form of focus exercises, like with meditation... but you might have to do it before every tune.

Beginnings of the piece will also set the tone (literally and figuratively) for the whole piece. Good starts should be practiced until they are second nature.

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Michael Kearns
7/18/2015 03:09:25 am

Nailing the start of a tune is a great idea Todd. Maybe we should do more of that. I often focus on getting the band to "work" through any performance issues so that it is ready for the unexpected. My worst fear is that imperfection will get in the way of the groove and worst, will stop the band in its tracks. But, we should also work on the mental aspect right from the beginning.

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    Dr. Michael Kearns

    Musician, educator, husband, father, web designer ... my life is like a mosaic with each piece vying for my attention.

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