Not just once but twice today. At 9:45 to a packed Cafe´and then at 12:30 . Both times people went out of their way to thank me for my playing - not of my clarinet but of the studio Grand Piano.
It's worth stopping and asking what is the difference to my reception as a clarinetist in the Market Place, Ulverston.
One or two things are registering as possible reasons and these will be applied to future play - of the clarinet . One is that with the piano I am listening carefully to what music I am creating and adjusting my playing instantly to what I hear. Therefore what is produced is monitored meticulously. This is not true with the clarinet where I am too preoccupied in the basic problem of playing the notes themselves. I am therefore switching to doing what I do on the piano and making up tunes and listening carefully to what I play and adjusting what I play next to what has just gone before. I am also far more playful and less stressed out this way of playing.
Thanks for all the encouragement to my piano playing - I'll be doing it more often where appropriate!
Tuesday 11 February 2014
Sunday 9 February 2014
First time ever
I really enjoyed myself on the Market yesterday. Much to people's surprise I was even singing as I waited for my hands to warm up in my pockets. Why? Where did that come from? God knows. But I did! It was wet and windy and I'd had a poor playing day on the previous market day on Thursday.
The result was that my playing improved and I have come home with increased condfidence to practice hard so the future looks good. Lots of appreciative smiles and waves were on offer, particularly from children ( who are perhaps less critical than adults). With the clarinet and other wind instruments one is particularly vulnerable to nerves - at times I blow and no sound comes out- or I squeak which is even worse. This is devestating to someone on their own who sets themselves high standards.
Playing in public like this certainly is good training. If you can manage it then you will be really good with a group of other musicians. Trouble is a group isn't easy to come by when you're older and encouragement is generally in short supply as most people are so critical. Breaking this viscious circle takes some doing. You need to be very determined. . . .
The result was that my playing improved and I have come home with increased condfidence to practice hard so the future looks good. Lots of appreciative smiles and waves were on offer, particularly from children ( who are perhaps less critical than adults). With the clarinet and other wind instruments one is particularly vulnerable to nerves - at times I blow and no sound comes out- or I squeak which is even worse. This is devestating to someone on their own who sets themselves high standards.
Playing in public like this certainly is good training. If you can manage it then you will be really good with a group of other musicians. Trouble is a group isn't easy to come by when you're older and encouragement is generally in short supply as most people are so critical. Breaking this viscious circle takes some doing. You need to be very determined. . . .
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