I was talking to a cellist the other day who complained of a history of feeling apathetic in the days before an audition. Specifically, he noticed becoming crankier, less motivated, and struggling to play well.
I know sometimes musicians try to convince themselves they don’t want to win the audition in an attempt to reduce their nervousness, but this was different.
It reminded me of a phenomenon in sports called overtraining or staleness syndrome. This occurs most commonly in sports like swimming or running which involve a lot of high intensity/high volume training, and presents as a combination of both physical and psychological symptoms including fatigue and negative mood, as well as a decrease in performance.
Musicians and athletes are different of course, but the rigors of daily practice and the physical demands we place on our bodies (some instruments more than others) are not insignificant. Daily practice, rehearsals, performances, not to mention the non-music-related demands life places on us – it all adds up.
I began to wonder; might musicians be susceptible to staleness as well?
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I happened to hear a talk this week by a gentleman who is presently in charge of one of the premier performing arts institutions in the world.
His words and vision for the future of both this organization and the classical music industry were inspiring on many levels, but what resonated with me most were the stories of his own unexpected journey to such an esteemed position. A place which, if I understood correctly, he had never even thought to consider as a possible destination.
How did he get there?
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Lazy can be good
Strive for max efficiency
Not so easy, eh?
(Why the haiku? TMQ)
There seems to be this widespread notion that hard work is commendable and worthy of praise, while laziness is at the root of society’s problems.
Kids underachieving in school? Well, kids nowadays don’t have any work ethic. Childhood obesity? Get those lazy farts on a treadmill. Bad customer service? Fire those good for nothing slackers. Not fulfilling our potential? Tired of being a big fat failure and seeing others succeed? Well, stop being so lazy!
Sheesh. Why does laziness get such a bad rap?
As someone who has long considered himself to be fundamentally “lazy”, I think hard work and pure willpower are overrated. Frankly, I don’t think the benefits of laziness get enough credit.
So let’s take a look at some of the benefits of being a slacker.
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Mistakes aren’t all bad.
Don’t be afraid to make them -
just don’t ignore them!
(Why the haiku? TMQ)
We know that practice doesn’t make perfect.
(And while we’re on the subject, we might as well admit to ourselves that 100% flawlessness is impossible, and that most of us don’t have what it takes to be a true perfectionist anyhow.)
So that leaves us with a phrase often used in place of the classic aphorism “Practice makes perfect” – namely, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” (often credited to the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi).
Thing is, that phrase “perfect practice” too often seems to give people the wrong impression.
How so?
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Minimal effort
brings maximal performance.
What a paradox!
(Why the haiku? TMQ)
Musicians are often regarded as being a pretty hard-working lot – a reputation that I’d say is probably well-deserved. We often start at a very young age, spend lots of alone time practicing while others are out doing more enjoyable things, and are pretty good about putting in our hours on a consistent basis. Hmm…now that I think of it, how is it that we can practice every single day, without fail, for years on end, but we can’t stick with a simple diet or exercise program beyond a few months?
Anyhow, to get back to my original train of thought, we spend tens of thousands of hours working really hard to reach ever higher levels of excellence. To play with greater accuracy and consistency, to develop a more compelling sound, greater control and dynamic range, expressivity and clarity of intent. All that good stuff.
But how much time do we spend trying to make playing easier? Working to see just how little effort we can expend?
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