Finding Challenge Solutions

from many perspectives

How can approaching a skill from different perspectives yield growth?  Think about it, instead of trying to attain a skill through one approach you look at your challenge in as many different ways as you can imagine, even perspectives that may seem unrelated.

I recently experienced this very process in, you guessed it, Parkour.  We have been breaking down different skills, mapping movement trajectories, how we enter a move, how we transition out of a move.  All of a sudden it struck me how these different perspectives came together revealing a new flow. 

This is a part of the learning process that is often overlooked when as we hyper-focus on developing a certain skill, practicing mindlessly in one way. The skills I refer to can include anything from tone color to technique to articulation.  When you consider the particular element you are after and all of the perspectives you can approach it from you build foundational relationships in your playing, which contribute to empowering flexibility that allows you to navigate performance authentically and fluidly. 

For instance the relationship between the volume of air you blow and shape and amount of tension in your embouchure.  Or the movement of fingers on the fingerboard and the quality of your breathing.  Without considering these relationships, compensations set in that ultimately limit skill.  Conversely, as you attempt to solidify the skill you are approaching it from one perspective that doesn’t address the need for blowing more air, or the tension in your shoulders that inhibit effortless coordination, etc.

What I am getting at is that everything influences everything else in music performance.  Does that idea overwhelm your mind?  It is a lot to consider, but step back for a moment and remind yourself that everything you do as a musician, as a human for that matter, is movement.  The interconnectedness of the body means that tension in one region translates to tension in virtually every other region of the body.  Overworking in 1 place means you can’t be as efficient anywhere. A myopic approach to building your playing does not reliably solve playing challenges.

This week, approach the development of your playing skills from a whole-body perspective which supports the truth of our design and reveals reliable, accessible playing expression. 

Different approaches yield growth.

Be curious…