 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2003-09-08 12:38
OK guys, after so many negative thoughts about my own playing, under the recommendation of my ever wise teacher, I've started just taking 5 minutes here and there to think positive things about my playing - just generally praising myself, and it really helps.
So, write something great about yourself here, and let everyone who reads it know how good you really are! No judgements, just be positive, and once you've written it and let the world know, take these thoughts with you to your next lesson or performance.
Go for it, and remember; you're a fantastic musician, no matter who you are, what brand you play, whether you're a professional or a student, someone who's serious about music or not.
Give yourself the praise you desserve!
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2003-09-08 13:58
"you're a fantastic musician, no matter who you are"
Didn't know there were THAT many fantastic musicians out there?!
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Author: William
Date: 2003-09-08 14:29
AS I grow older, I am beginning to notice that I am no longer the fantastic clarinetist that I always have been..............does that mean that I am about to become a legend???
(even if only in my dreams???)
umm.............BTW, Thanks, Licquorice.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2003-09-08 15:27
I think that most of us feel like we're in pretty steep company to be bragging about our playing.
Your teacher is right to have you spend a little time thinking about your good points, but this might best be done in private like prayer, meditation or affirmation. (I'm good enough, I smart enough, and doggone it, people LIKE me!)
I generally encourage my own students to engage their ego when the horn goes in their mouth--after all, that's when they really make their statement. "Eye of the tiger" and all that. They are also encouraged to disengage that ego when the horn comes out of their mouth, lest their speaking mechanism generate an embarrassing quotable quote.
Allen Cole
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Author: Henry
Date: 2003-09-08 15:29
I'm not getting older;
I'm just getting better.
At what? I forgot,
But does it really matter?
Henry
Post Edited (2003-09-08 16:58)
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-09-08 16:32
My timing maybe elastic, or stringy...
My tone less than fantastic, like whistling in a dingy,
But when I'm alone,
At work or at home,
At least I can play with my thingy...
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-09-08 16:35
"You're only as good as your last performance" ...GBK (and you can quote me)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-09-08 16:51
I have had countless great performances.
Unfortunately, a lot of them have been in my mind ...GBK
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-09-08 17:53
I have never harmed an animal during the production of any motion picture.
I have never eaten any silica gel dessiccant package.
Regards,
John
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-09-08 18:11
I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was.
Hans
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2003-09-08 20:53
I don't because I would keep thinking, "But I'm perfect. Why would I have to practice?"
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2003-09-08 21:23
First Robert Schuller and his "Theology of Self-Esteem", now this. Brother!
Bob A
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2003-09-09 00:00
To quote an old friend of mine:
"If I could have in the altissimo what I'm lacking in the chalumeau I could forgive myself a lousy clarion".
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Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-09-09 00:34
Those silica gel packages... what happens when you eat them?
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2003-09-09 01:59
LeWhite,
I'm certainly not going to brag about myself on a bulletin board, but I think your approach is something to consider. I often find that being "overly" critical just makes you want to practice less, not more.
I think that most musicians (and I suppose anyone who has ever devoted themselves to an art that's nearly impossible to perfect) sometimes find themselves asking "what's the point?" or "why do I even bother?", no matter how good we actually are. Everyonce in a while, I like to just take my clarinet into a hall or bathroom (where it's very echoey and everything sounds great) and just play whatever I want and not care how "imperfect" it is and just have fun and remember why I started playing the clarinet in the first place. This isn't exactly what you are talking about, but it's kind of the same idea.
Technique and all that shouldn't be neglected, but everyonce in a while, you just gotta put the critical stuff aside and have a good time!
DHite - theclarinetist@yahoo.com
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2003-09-09 02:23
Geez, I was feeling positive, I was kinda inspired... I didn't realise everyone was so negative. I was just trying to help. Sorry to all you negative people, I'm just gonna go off somewhere else and be positive now.
Sorry for trying to help, I won't try it again.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-09-09 02:35
LeWhite wrote:
> I didn't
> realise everyone was so negative.
They're not - most of us are positive in private - we don't feel the need to shout out to the world.
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Author: Phat Cat
Date: 2003-09-09 10:34
My dogs still howl when I play but my cats no longer run from the room(they walk).
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-09-09 12:02
Postive? Clarinet players?
You'll never make first-chair all-State, NYSSMA champ-een with that kinda
attitude! Ya gots ta make life miz-a-bol for the entire section to git respek.
Ya know yer good when people come back to hear you, even when admission is charged.
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Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2003-09-09 15:44
LeWhite, thank you for the interesting thread.
May I add a few opinions of my own?
I liked your first paragraph very much and concur that your teacher was indeed wise to get you to "think" positively about your playing.
Positive thought is required before any action is undertaken. Positive reinforcement is required to maintain or sustain action during troubled times or difficult circumstances.
This needs to be done on an "internal" basis. When exposed to the outside world, you, unfortunately, leave yourself wide open to critical review (otherwise known as negative comments). Verbally praising oneself does fall into the boasting category and this normally leads to negative repercussions as noted in some of the responses to your posting.
There is a wonderful little book entitled: "What to say when you talk to yourself". I'm sorry I don't know the author's name, but, I highly recommend it.
I'm troubled by your last comment: "Sorry for trying to help, I won't try it again." I believe I know how you feel. I have posted things in the past and felt literally ripped apart by some of the replies that I received. It took me a while, but, I recovered and chalked it up as a learning experience. Please do reconsider as your comments, ideas, questions, and insights are valuable to this BB.
Getting back to the central idea again, what you say to yourself in your mind has an incredible impact on your emotions and drive to accomplish anything.
Because of our human nature, all of us make mistakes. The emotionally healthy thing to do is to know what to say to yourself at those precise moments. One of the hardest things for us to do is to fully accept our fallible nature. When this is done, mistakes are shrugged off, self-forgiveness sets in and we say something to the effect of: "I'll do better next time!"
One final thought: beware of outlandish internal self-reinforcement. Going around actually believing that you are the greatest at anything is bound to lead to a "crash landing" when the reality of hearing and observing others in the real world "unsettles" this firmly set-in belief. Moderation in all things might have real implications in this matter.
LeWhite, I hope you don't take the above to be harsh or negative. It certainly was not meant to be either.
Again, all of the above are simply my opinions. (I certainly am no authority on the subject!!)
(p.s., I like David White's idea of playing the clarinet in his "unique sound reflecting rooms"...talk about a neat way to achieve positive self-reinforcement!!!)
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Author: donald
Date: 2003-09-09 21:25
a week or so back i sat in a professional orchestra next to a second clarinet who made not one little slip in two rehearsals and a concert full of tricky music. At one point when i got lost after a "cut" he could even point on my music to where we were (i am ASHAMED TO ADMIT).
this guy was incredibly confident- and also incredibly positive about his playing. I don't know him well enough to comment if this confidence extends to all parts of his life, but it's an obvious asset to his clarinet playing.
... it's also a confidence that has foundation- he is confident because i knows his abilities and has done the "hard yards". Perhaps one reason that musicians in general sometimes seem not so positive is that they see in their students the ill effects of "over-confidence without foundation".
donald....
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Author: 68fordfalcon
Date: 2003-09-10 18:14
This is an interesting topic. So often those who are less than enthusiastic about the prospect of being successful in a performance career (I loosely define "successful" as routinely gaining recognition for performing music) claim they are just being "realistic". Often they are the same people who show contempt for colleagues who, regardless of ability, have a true desire to accomplish something with their playing and/or teaching in the professional music arena.
I believe confidence comes from knowing the music at hand. Know the score, the changes, trust your creative instincts, listen, listen, listen, be familiar with those with whom you are playing to the best of your ability. Concurrently, be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, focus on what needs improvement and take pride in your abilities. Confidence can come not only from what you can do well, but also from convincing the listener or student that you have actually given thought and care to your presence at the gig/rehearsal/practice session. Much of the same could be said for practicing alone. It's no coincidence that if you show strong consideration in the practice room, it will be communicated to those with whom you play and the audience alike.
Of course, much of this is easier said than done. Sometimes the train or bus is late, there's traffic, you don't get to play a few notes before playing Sibelius' 1st symphony, personal problems, health problems, things aren't in your control...These things happen, but if the time and thought has been put in, there is a much better chance that a great vaporous cloud of confidence will envelop your body, mind and spirit. Rock and roll!!
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2003-09-10 23:14
I really appreciate the serious comments, am dissappointed with people who could only say "Not this again" or others to that effect.
It's just interesting because I'm doing a mini-thesis on the effects of positive/negative thinking in artists, and one thing I'd like to address is the fact that some artists feel it is their role to be depressed or sad, thus inspiring 'greater' artworks, or, if the world of being artist actually leads to depression. And if this is so, does it inevitably lead to it, or is it a road that those who may be weaker or more easily influenced go down? Is it society's fault, is it no-one's fault?
Maybe the way I started this thread was not a good idea to get this sort of discussion going, but it was interesting to see that not one single person thought at least one tiny positive thing about themself that they'd be willing to tell the world.
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Author: Henry
Date: 2003-09-10 23:30
"It was interesting to see that not one single person thought at least one tiny positive thing about themself that they'd be willing to tell the world."
I, for one, just fooled you. In reality, I am the greatest, in more ways than one! It just does not (yet) include my ability at playing the clarinet. But I'm working hard at it. And even in that area, some people (including my wife and teacher) think I'm doing quite well.
Henry
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2003-09-11 05:54
I tend to measure how well I'm playing the clarinet by what I currently am bad at. First I was bad at fingering, then I was bad at air support, then I was bad at tonguing, then I had bad intonation, and so on.
My personality is just that way. I excel at being the second best, but do not do well in solo situations. As long as there is something to work towards, I remain interested and happy. Since I don't think there's anyone out there who has completely mastered every aspect of making music with a clarinet, I'm optimistic about the road ahead.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: CharmOne
Date: 2003-09-11 16:18
If I want to say one good thing about my playing I guess it would only be to keep practicing and get better at it.
Thanks,
CharmOne
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Author: Joel K.
Date: 2003-09-11 16:24
Other than in the following few minor areas, I am at least as good as any other clarinetist in the world:
1. Rhythm
2. Phrasing
3. Intonation
4. Overall musical sense
5. technique
6. tonguing facility
7. overall talent.
Joel K.
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Author: Henry
Date: 2003-09-11 16:58
Yes, Joel, but think positively! You may be better than most, even in these few areas! Plus, I gather you're a great sight reader!
Henry
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2003-09-11 17:18
When I practice, my husband leaves the room, and the dog lies on her back with her feet straight up in the air and plays dead.
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Author: Henry
Date: 2003-09-11 17:24
Carol....I would interpret that as sheer rapture, at least on your dog's part.
Henry
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-09-11 18:35
As I often tell my students: No matter what level you play at, (and how frustrating it often seems) you are still doing something that 99.99% of the world cannot do (and probably wishes they could)...GBK
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