A series of four unrelated events came together this morning in a flash of inspiration. The end result being that I have a new practice which I’m calling Morning Notes.
Let me describe the four events and my process which led to the creation of Morning Notes. Perhaps you will take up the practice, too!
Event #1: Power Walk Football
Walking on Mt. Tabor this past weekend, I came across a group of boys and men playing football in a small open area under the trees. Well, it looked like football, but … oh, wait, they’re not running; they’re power walking! Hah!
I sat down to watch for a bit. One fellow told me that because the area was too small for long passes and full-tilt running, they got creative and changed the rules — no running or jumping. Power walk only. It looked like a lot of fun and since they were using two-handed tag instead of tackling one another, it was also fairly safe.
I appreciated their resourcefulness and took this memory with me on my walk home.
Event #2: Fifteen Minutes A Day
A fellow sax teacher emailed me about his new goal of practicing 15 minutes per day. He was doing so as a personal goal brought about by his not practicing much (we all struggle with this!) and he wanted to change that. I’ll let him explain.
Hi, my name is John E Brigante. I am a baritone saxophone player. This past January I graduated from Montclair State University (New Jersey) with a BA in Music Education and as you may have guessed my primary instrument was saxophone. Since my senior recital (4/27/08) I haven’t played my horn nearly as often as I’d like to. To put it bluntly, I’ve probably played it 25 times in the past year and actually sat down to practice only once or twice. It seems to me that my skills are fading away. As the old saying goes “Use it or Lose it!”
Well I plan to do something about it….
As of May 13th, 2009 I have pledged to myself that I will change all of this. I am going to practice my ax for 15 minutes a day everyday for the rest of my life. I’m currently on day 7. The purpose of this blog is to document my efforts, successes and struggles. Who knows what the future will bring for this idea but I’m in it to win it.
What a great idea! I am always on the lookout for ways to make being a musician fun, relaxing, and enjoyable. That’s the second idea that is part of today’s burst of inspiration.
Event #3: Band In A Box Rehearsal
My friend, Jon, and I got together to rehearse for an upcoming gig. Except we were only two of the four in the quartet. So how were we going to rehearse without the guitar and drums?
Jon suggested we use Band In A Box (BIAB). I have used the program very little since first acquiring it about four years ago. Jon brought over his super-duper computer speakers and a collection of song files on a portable drive.
We had a great time jamming with the BIAB rhythm section. BIAB lets you change tempo, key, and chords at a click of the mouse. And the BIAB rhythm section doesn’t get tired or slow down! Two hours went by in a flash.
In the days after this rehearsal, I found myself playing more and using BIAB to try out some new improvisation ideas. That’s the third experience contributing to today’s burst of inspiration.
Event #4: Morning Pages
The fourth event is my experience of writing Morning Pages. Morning Pages are a daily exercise promoted by Julia Cameron in her books, The Artist’s Way and The Vein of Gold. She suggests that upon rising each morning, you sit down and write out three pages of … words, writing, anything and everything. Julia writes, “Morning Pages will center you, steady you, empower you, enlighten you. They will comfort you, console you, stimulate you, intrigue you, challenge, irritate, and activate [emphasis mine] you. … Through them you will encounter the workings of your spirituality, the great Creator within, with all its grace, wisdom, and power.”
Julia’s suggested or strongly recommended guidelines are:
- Write three longhand pages of whatever comes into your head, without stopping. When my friend Kate suggested I write freestyle – that is, leaving out punctuation – my morning pages really began to flow. (Thanks, Kate!)
- Do them daily. Every day. Consistency is a big part of the practice.
- Do them first thing in the morning. They’re not Evening Pages, eh?
- Write by hand. pen and paper. Writing by hand provides a direct line to the source of inspiration, whereas typing on a computer or talking into a recorder, is at least one step removed from that source. The source does not flow through a computer or recorder in the same way it flows through you – a living human being.
The Sparkle
All of these events and experiences came together this morning while writing my Morning Pages. It takes me about 15 minutes, sometimes 20, to write. After completing my pages, I went downstairs into my studio, got out my alto sax and played for 15 minutes. Non-stop. Continuous. Whatever notes, sounds, rhythms came, I did not think or plan. I just played. Much like writing my Morning Pages, only on my sax.
Wow!
Wow! It was beautiful. In fifteen minutes I played many different styles, rhythms, and tonalities. I paused twice to catch my breath. This was totally fun!
Morning Notes. Every morning, after my Morning Pages, I will play Morning Notes. And in the same way that Morning Pages are not intended as literary material, Morning Notes are not intended as compositional material. In describing Morning Pages, Julia says, “Our lines are a musical composition of our and the Universe’s devising. Morning Pages teach us to hear our cues, follow our promptings, enter and exit with grace, play our songs with heart.” The same can be said about Morning Notes. At least, I hope. I’ll let you know.
A daily practice of Morning Notes will impact future compositions and improvisations in that:
- I am open to inspiration.
- I am practicing the act of improvisation.
- Doing it daily is like fueling up at the Inspiration Station. The more you do it, the more ideas are generated.
In the next issue of Musician’s Motivator, due out on July 9, 2009, I will report on what happens over these these next two weeks as I continue a daily practice of Morning Notes.
Have you experimented with a new musical practice recently? Share your record with me and my readers: email me or comment on my blog.
Live Free Music All Summer
Now that Summer is officially here, I want to remind those of you living in the Portland Metro area (Oregon) that there are live free performances in many of Portland’s neighborhood parks. Check this resource for a schedule of performers and parks for the Summer of 2009.
Get out to the parks and be inspired!
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