Trust
Opening up vulnerability
I am inspired today by, you guessed it, Parkour! In yesterday’s session, we partnered up to move across the roots of a big old tree with our eyes closed. Our partner guided us to move in quadruped movement one hand, one foot at a time to find the next piece of root peeking out from the earth.
What struck me was the trust I felt in my partner. Yes, the stakes were low, but I relied on my partner and my sense of touch to navigate the irregular pattern of roots at the base of the tree. It was a great feeling to rely on someone else without hesitation or reservation. (Thanks Cindy!)
Today, let’s reach out to a partner/colleague/friend and get some feedback on a short video of our playing (1-2 minutes will do!). Throw caution and insecurity to the wind to learn something new, to gain a new perspective. Send that video to someone you trust for feedback, they don’t have to be a musician. Ask them the following…
What do you like about the playing?
What would you love to hear more of in the music?
Turn the sound off and give me adjectives that describe the movement you see?
What you get back, is information, not criticism, objective observations. You can take them or leave them and put them in the context of the listener’s perspective.
If you decide to take them, how can you add “the more” of? Dynamics, reliable technique, articulation, groundedness, how do you do this in your playing? This is what I LOVE about Body Mapping, I know how to create these elements, its a matter of mindful practice.
Take a chance, be curious…
PS - I thought about this post since yesterday’s class. At first, I was like, YES! gonna write this, but then the doubts started clouding my clarity because I am going to do it and that scares me. I am off to embrace my vulnerability…
