Next Steps

Latent - present but not visible, apparent, or actualized; existing as potential.

I am still vibrating positively from an Alexander Technique/Music Lesson I had with Pedro de Alcantara yesterday.  Much was given to me; yet he made me reach for what he had to offer.  Grateful that more steps towards love were made in the hands of a master.  Much information and experience to process, develop, and embrace.  Over time these latent abilities will inform and allow the next steps to be found, the next steps to growth.  Not enough words to adequately explain the experience, but if you ever have the opportunity to have a lesson with Pedro seize the moment, without thought.

Low Energy Raised

A low energy afternoon.  This seems to be becoming my norm on Sundays, in keeping with a day of rest I suppose.  Began my day with a sitting while it was still dark, followed by Qi Gong.  After breakfast I had to meet with some friends, and then ran errands.  Cleaned up items on my to do list at home, and then the energy plunge began before lunch.  I fell asleep reading Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaataje, a great based on the story of the cornet player Buddy Bolden.

Phone calls and chain saws interrupted any chance of a long nap, so back to reading.  I've been keeping up with the pauses to direct my thinking with the Alexander Technique.  Time to move onto improvising, perhaps a low energy improv is the place to begin.

As soon as I began to improvise in a gentle way, I noticed I was waking up to the moment.  I had paused and directed before opening my case, intoned my guitar gatha, and moved right into playing.  As I continued to improvise, I continued to notice my energy rise.  I moved onto a deconstruction of Kinnara, and followed this with an inquiry into dyads.  After this I quickly found a short melody and followed where I was led.  Pausing to find myself, I closed this portion of my session with a spirited rendition of Gathered Hearts.  Grateful that the act of music unleashed energy into my day.

Integration

With this commitment to Creative Pact 2011 along with my investigating improvisation, I am also allowing the Alexander Technique to facilitate my use in the act of playing.  This is subtle and frequently below the surface of my ability to capture in words.  In general, I have been thinking and thus using AT more and more in the course of my day.  Many efforts of the application of AT to my guitar practice have been captured in this blog over the past two years.  Yet those smaller moments of returning to direct my thinking while brushing my teeth, walking at work, sitting in traffic, and all the mini pauses throughout my day has intensified this month.

As I completed my sitting today, I thought of my upcoming AT lesson with Pedro de Alcantara on Monday.  How might I best prepare for this I thought?  Practice of course, I smiled, yet this is a question that is larger than one lesson.  How might I best prepare for life might be the real question.  So for this weekend I decided to pause every half hour and direct my thinking with the Alexander Technique.  To cultivate this freedom and ease of use and perhaps be in a place where I am present to absorb what I can from this lesson with Pedro.

As I approached my case after writing the above, I inhibited my action to open it.  Directing and finding myself in the space before the case, I allowed my right hand to unclasp one clasp and then while thinking to keep my neck free, I opened the rest.  Reciting my guitar gatha as I took hold of and removed the guitar, I kept the directions alive.  When I placed the guitar on my body I was free.

 I played through Gathered Hearts to set the mood and then played three short improvisations.  I was a bit amazed how easily three ideas came to me, the last one with a Bach feel to it.  I noticed towards the end of the third one that I was holding my jaw.  How often do I do this when playing, when living?

This afternoon, I began by improvising on my piece Gathered Hearts.  I was amazed at the music that could easily be generated by playing with and expanding the framework of this piece.  I then moved onto an exploring an idea generated by Pedro de Alcantara's exercise called the Cat's Leap.  Then I improvised on Gathered Hearts again and then played with Pedro's idea some more.  I noticed a bit of tension in my neck as I was playing this last improv.  Old habits die hard.


My wife arrived home and I improvised on Gathered Hearts and another free idea while she listened.  Then as she took a call, I continued improvising with various ideas for another 15-20 minutes.  Feeling free and comfortable, happy that there has been a shift in my approach and confidence. The directing on the half hour fell  apart while I was at a film with my wife and for some time before and after this.  C'est la vie, we begin again constantly.

Strength Through Clarity

Thinking about beginnings in relationship to improvisation. A clear strong musical statement is as vital to moving an improvisation along as the beginning of a composed piece of music. Tonight I focused on generating clarity in my beginnings. The first improv began with staccato notes in A major ending with a staccato fourth chord. Variations on this ensued. After turning off the tape for this first effort, I found a compelling opening in D minorish. Pushing record I was off, having fun, varying the tempo and dynamics and dropping in the occasional surprise. Noticing that I was arriving at en ending, I found a satisfying end around 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

Loud short bass notes alternating with loud staccato high notes found me delighting in the next twist and turn. Before long this felt as if I might be getting too many ideas that was sacrificing a sense of unity. At some point I stopped. Returning to my question from last week - What does mystery sound like? I began exploring dyads, allowing space and tension. I was engaged and following where I was pointed. Again I found myself where perhaps too much was being put out there, but I'm not sure. One day I may listen to all of these efforts, but the important aspect of this evening was to focus on the beginning. With these clear strong beginnings, I found the process of improvisation to be stronger and better focused.

Returning to the guitar for 6 or 7 more improvisations, I realize now that there was very little judgement of my work tonight while in the act of playing.  Accepting what was coming out as the notes played.  This is a definite quality that is vital for me to cultivate.  I recognized the end of one 'piece' because of the sense of silence that was enveloping the music.  One very sweet moment for me.   All in all a good nights work.  

Beliefs

Throughout history how many wars have been fought because of beliefs?  Throughout my life how much has been accomplished because of my beliefs?  How much left undone because of my beliefs?
Always good to examine our beliefs; good to question and maybe even let them go.

I believed I had performance anxiety so I did. Until one day I was told to trust that music would be there if I was.  I believed that the Alexander Technique was something that was valuable when done to me.  Now I know that I can direct my thinking and achieve freedom and better use of myself.  I believed I was not an improvisor, even though most of my compositions began with improvisation.  Now I know I can also take this a step further and I am.  Why?  Because I believe.  What do you believe?  Are your beliefs holding you back?  Or moving your forward?

Something Happening

              There's something happening here ....

Day 21  of spending most of my practice sessions improvising, thinking about improvising, and writing about my thinking and improvising.  Tonight I dove in, no warm up, no playing a couple familiar pieces, just into the deep end. And I swam for 40 minutes. Ideas emerging from the ether, playing them, playing with them, and moving on.  Stopped dead twice because I was "trying" too hard with my left hand.

Both of these pauses I allowed the Alexander Technique to connect me with myself, the space, and with my aim.  How did this happen?  I've been preparing the ground for years with the guitar.  Lots of working on my thinking about this aspect of music making and my ability to play and enjoy the creative act.  And tonight I let go.  No thinking, no preparing,  just playing notes and following.  Mostly the tape was running. Without listening I know there were clams, I know I got lost, and I know there was magic.  That's enough.

Long Tones Lead Listening in Improvisation

Last night I aborted a short, late, and tired session.  My entire day I was "cruising in overdrive."  Neither my body, mind, nor spirit had anything left to give, so rather than discourage myself I let go.  Tonight I was able to begin earlier in the evening, after resting from work. After my AT lie down. For some reason I took my trusty old Ovation 1867 out of the case.  Though I'm not sure when I last played her, she was really close to being in tune.

Smiling as I noticed the stickers my granddaughter had placed on her, I played through Gathered Hearts.  This piece began while we were playing around with the Ovation.  The stickers always remind me not to take myself too seriously.  Then I played Kinnara.  The thought to begin an improvisation with long tones arose and I did.  Almost instantly I realized part of why I like to begin with long tones is that I can just listen as they unfold and follow where this leads me.  I played through four more improvisations all around the 2 minute mark, all satisfying in the moment.  I don't know if it was the long tones getting my listening in gear or the reminder of the stickers to drop the seriousness that made this relaxed and fun.


After a break and a lie down I returned to the guitar.  The Breedlove this time.  The tone so lovely and so much more responsive.  Setting the mood with Here We Are, I turned my attention to improvisation.  The first one was  with fourth chords and I played with a confidence that shows me the work done here is paying off.  Onto exploring dyads and then long tones.  The thought to play what FEAr might sound like had me beginning with an Fm7 chord and moving to Em and Am before it took on it's own life. I noticed I was using myself poorly in this improv and directed my thinking while playing looking to allow release.  For the final improvisation I began with wide intervals.  Again I found myself collapsing on the guitar and again directed my thinking to lengthen and widen while continuing to play.   A good nights work completed.


Photo by Rosemary