4th Hour: Playing in a Concert That You Don't Want To

First things first, do not misinterpret this, I love playing my sax. But there are sometimes when I wish playing would be a bit more fun.

For example: I recently played in a concert for the Case Jazz Ensemble II. Now I basically live off jazz music. In fact I believe that I am very well versed in the field (at least for listening). So in short I love jazz.

But I did not want to play at this concert. The entire jazz ensemble was smushed onto a stage that could barely fit a small band. And ,oh yeah, we are grossly over-staffed, which did not help the situation. In a nutshell I was not happy.

So how does this relate to life of the mind? I was thinking and I believe that the environment that you play in greatly affects how a group sounds. That night our group sounded smushed and cramped. We did not have our usual "big" sound. We also, however, played a lot tighter due to the closeness of everyone.

I know this from experience. When a group plays close together, they can hear each other very well. This makes it easier for everyone to fix their own mistakes. This comes at a cost. The cost is comfortability. When you are shoulder to shoulder with someone you don't really know an awkward situation arises. It is not fun. And it affects your playing.

I do not think that Jazz I is necessarily better than Jazz II, I think that they rehearse in a better environment. Where they are all close, but comfortable. This is why they sound both loose and tight at the same time.

The mind is affected by its surrounding. When you see a steak served on classy china with oregano and parsley in a lovely Bernays sauce your brain says, "that looks delicious!". But when that same steak is served on a trash lid with ketchup your brain think exactly the opposite. So presentation is everything.

So when I walked into that room, I saw a small staged crammed with people I was not familiar with. I was neither comfortable or happy. This affected my playing. In fact during one of my solos, I started out very angry and fast. My brain told my fingers that I needed to get out some aggression.

After the angry part of my solo, I settled down and grooved a lot more. I was able to close my eyes and enjoy the music that I was making with the people around me. It was really cool to hear my solo morph from short angry bursts to long and drawn out phrasings.

So remember this always. When you have a wedding or a party or a shindig of any kind, make sure the musicians are completely comfortable and relaxed. That way they can maximize their talent and play well for all the guests.

That is all. =)

Ian