The Most Challenging Musical Quest – Part 2

This is the 2nd part of a discussion on performing and how one might go about unlocking their ability to better connect with their emotions. In part 1, I spoke of some personal experiences that helped me to unlock barriers that were keeping me from fully connecting with my full potential. In this – Part 2 – I hope to shed some light on how we can bravely clear the path for our success.

So now that you are giving yourself permission to be artistic…

Have you ever listened to a performance or recording and felt overcome with emotion to the point of tears? Has a certain chord or tone ever reached right into your very soul and spoke to you in a way words can’t quite describe? Have you ever felt a “connection” to a singer or musician despite never having actually making their acquaintance? Perhaps something in their performance reminded you of a personal experience you once had, or had fantasized about having. You might have, after imbibing some wine or other intoxicant, allowed yourself to fully “feel” the music in a way you hadn’t before.

I feel those emotions often. It feels as if the performer is sinding out a radio signal expanding in all directions and I, tuned into that wavelength at just the right time, am receiving every bit of it. Of course, not everyone gets the same message, as some listeners are tuned into a different frequency, are not ready to receive anything at that moment, or not able to relate to the message. And that’s okay.

But it’s really important to remember that last thing I just said: “It’s okay.” Just because the listener isn’t tuned in or ready to receive your message doesn’t mean you shouldn’t send/perform it anyway.

So now it’s your time to perform…

You might wish to think of a piece of art (song, painting, etc.) as a giant mirror pointing at the listener/viewer. Depending on their mood at the moment and/or their view of life in general, they will experience your art in a way that reflects their emotional state. Some may yearn for a happy and peppy piece that helps them forget about the troubles in their world, while others seek comfort in the company of others who find value in digging in deep into their emotions and facing their demons.

I mention this because: You are not responsible for how others see your work.

Remembering this can take a load off an artist’s mind, as there is simply no way one can please everyone else. Trying to guess what type of art everyone is going to want to experience at any given time is an effort in futility. Instead, if you, the artist, can tell your story; sing the songs that move you, and emote in the way you wish to express, then you will slowly but surely attract that audience who is tuned into your wavelength and vice versa.

There is a wonderful, short article by CD Baby founder, Derek Sivers, that sums up this concept. I encourage you to read this and everything else he has written: Proudly Exclude… https://sive.rs/exclude

But what are you going to do?

As the title of this article suggests, I have found that the most challenging of my artistic quests has been to discover, and more importantly trust, what it is I have to offer.

Have you ever had an idea of something to invent, thought it wasn’t going to work, and then later seen that someone else had the same idea and made it work?

I have many times. Once, back in the 80s, I had an idea for a bass line and soon thereafter Michael Jackson came out with his hit “Bad” which featured an almost identical bass line. Another time I “invented” a trigger for a spray paint can and later saw that someone else had already produced one. Again in the 80s I thought I might cut my hair short on one side and longer on the other; my hairdresser didn’t like the idea of an asymmetrical haircut and I dropped the idea. A few years later, everyone was doing it. What these examples tell me, is that my instincts were good; I had good ideas. What I didn’t have at the time was the know-how to take them to the next level.

I needed to trust my original ideas. We need to trust our original ideas.

To sum things up so far…

Part 1 of this article was directed to the subject of giving yourself permission to be creative; after all, you can’t go about doing, or even considering doing, something if you don’t allow yourself to.

Part 2 of this article has been about realizing that other people’s advice and their reactions to your choices aren’t always helpful. (Sure, asking for feedback can be very helpful, but be careful about over-trusting another’s biases.)

The Challenge remains…

Stay tuned for Part 3 where I, hopefully, share with you my artistic challenges and perhaps together discover our unique path we can take.

Step back and listen.

Imagine you were a painter and given a nice set of paintbrushes, some paint, and were asked to contribute to a group painting. Eager to use all your new “toys” – you zoom in on an area and start using them – creating your masterpiece. You use lots of color and nearly every one of your brushes. After all – that’s why you got them, right?

But stepping back – if you chose to do so – you’d realize that your contribution didn’t take into consideration the work that all the others did. Seeing the whole picture, you’d find your use of color was excessive, and you only needed to use one of your new brushes, saving the others for another piece of work.

And so it can be with playing music. Being part of a group doesn’t mean that it’s your opportunity to play every lick, every time, all the time. It isn’t the place to practice all the cool runs and scales you’ve been learning. It also may not be the time to hog the microphone and sing louder than everyone else.

Take a step back and listen to what is needed at that moment. The music may need a lot of your help, but it also may be that you only need to play one solitary note at just the right time to make that masterpiece complete. And that is your job: to provide what is needed, not to exercise your excess musical energy. There will be more songs to play, more gigs to participate in. You will have more opportunities.

Step back. Don’t use all your paint on one small area of the painting.