Day 326: seeking balance

As musicians, balance is important in so many ways. To begin, we are constantly striving for the perfect physical balance. We want to be centered, well-aligned, and tall but not rigid. Sort of like a marionette, loose and flexible with strings gently pulling us upward. Then we hope to make our practice balanced, a well-organized combination of the technical and the expressive. Technique and expression are never mutually exclusive, and we have to make sure we are always working to improve both. We try to balance our concert programs and our repertoire lists and our resumes.

Most importantly, we work to find balance in our lives. It can’t be all work or we become insufferable people and/or balls of tension, and all play can be fun but certainly doesn’t lead to excellence. We need to spend time with people and be with nature and experience music outside of our comfort zones and experience things that have nothing to do with music at all… not to get away from our work, but to make it better.

Day 141: 5 things

Tomorrow begins a new year. Like a birthday or anniversary, the beginning of a new year reminds us of the larger increments of time we may forget to notice in our daily lives. We can get pretty bogged down in the chores and errands of a given day or week and forget that years and decades are… ahh, happening. Anyhow, I needed this reminder! Here are 5 things on my mind.

1.discipline
A friend of mine wrote today that he had surpassed his annual goals for biking (2500 miles) and running (500 miles) in the last year. Obviously these are remarkable goals, but the discipline he used to keep at them is truly inspiring (I almost detest this word, so often overused, but here & for me, it fits: I’m inspired.) Discipline is working during downtime, working when the next big goal isn’t immediately in sight. Discipline is difficult, but it’s also very rewarding.

2.balance
I’m always working on finding a balance between getting work done and taking care of myself. If I spend too much time relaxing, I may not get anything done. If I focus only on my work, I can become very tense and even suffer an injury, which would mean no work at all. You know what they say: all work and no play makes Jill a ball of tension. And so, I’m striving for balance.

3.goals
I write often about setting goals for ourselves. Setting goals helps keep me motivated and gives my work organization and purpose.

4. __________ is a lifestyle
Whatever we are working on, if we are completely dedicated to it, MUST become a lifestyle. No new year’s resolution will solve anything in our lives. No promise to ourselves or to anyone, in and of itself, will achieve our goals. We are doing this thing or we aren’t. My blank is filled with music. Yours?

5.forgiveness
We will (at least occasionally) fail at all 5 of these things, even this one, and more. We deserve to forgive ourselves and keep it moving.

These are 5 things I’m working on. Who is with me?