For decades now, I've usually picked up an instrument every day to bang out some tunes, or phrases, play a gig, or whatnot. But every once in a while, the muse goes walkabout, and there will be a couple of days, where the inclination (or inspiration) just isn't there. These dry spells are thankfully few, but during them, I wander about slightly disoriented by the real world, where all is not about the tunes (what a weird and seemingly more impoverished place). Any others out there in the desert on occasion?
You come home, look at the instruments and shake your head. Sometimes you tough through. Others...well get a cold one, turn on PBS nightly news and snooz.
I have it worse after the holidays and Holy Days (I do church music on the side) where I have been playing endless Catholic making believe it's Anglican and that new Amy Grant-esque claptrap that the catholic music mills are masquerading as contempory.
I call them flat spots. But something will get my attention and I will get back on a roll....
Oh, sure. I think we all do. If you want a cure, I suggest pulling out some old records you haven't listened to since the dawn of the CD. You may just find you HAVE to pull out the ol' ax and have a go on some of those tunes you haven't touched in ages.
I think dry spells are normal, but they can be very "scary" as in "how could I have wanted to fill up almost every free minute playing my fiddle for ____ years, and suddenly not feel like it. Something definitely must be 'wrong' with me.
This is happened to me at least three times now. Other things "press" in life, necessiating a change of focus for a while -- such as -- you have to get a new job. You've always said music is on the front burner. Now suddenly LIFE says it isn't.
This sounds hyperbolic, but I have felt like "a traitor to myself." How can I be so passionate about something and then seem to go cool on it.
At this point, I'm accepting that it's normal and necessary. Thinking I can have music on the front burner all the time may be very romantic, but I don't find that it comports with life on this Planet very well.
I love Irish music, playing the fiddle, and writing songs; but sometimes I have to let go and put other things first......in order to maintain my life.
There was a post here somewhere recently which said that the poster would hear a tune, and just have to learn it, it was a must-have, and the comments reminded me of what the early stages of learning ITM is like - if you like it that is. You can't get enough of it. I've notice this in my own experience. A tune you haven't heard before is just magic, but hearing it say five, ten years later, doesn't hit you the same. It occurs to me that in the end, we will hear most of the tunes, then maybe we look for something else...increasingly in recent times, I've been more attracted to the songs for some reason.
And drone, you talk about decades...maybe we change over that time, and get something different from the music as we get older. I saw Kevin Burke (and had the pleasure of meeting him personally and having chats about the music) at a festival last year, and could see perhaps the change in his own approach to the music from when I hear him play some of the tunes from his earlier days, and how he plays now, and what he seems to look for in the tune.
I think we change...the music doesn't, but it does provide something for everyone it seems to me as we change.
I think Martin Hayes tries to demonstrate that as well in his way of playing. Rave...rave...
I try listening to a few real nice songs, airs, then come back and listen to a few real well-played tunes. That seems to do it. But I don't feel the need to necessarily be part of the full on playing scene as much as before, very content to listen, and play along just sometimes. Don't know if this casts any light, but just my two cents. Cheers, folks.
Just ignore it, focus on some dry technical issues for the dry zone, it will pass. Inspiration is all very well but it is not the be all and end all. All things must pass, this too will pass, just note it welcome the feeling as a part of you you dont encounter much....use the opportunity to concentrate on uninspiring ' boring ' practice, perhaps that might inspire you ready for the next heart lifting enthusiastic bout of joyfull playing. Life is not all play.
Well thats what I do. I play every day whether I 'feel' like it or not. and it has done me no harm.... he says
jig! focus on "dry technical issues"? Jaysus why d'ye like to live so cold!? If you don't encounter this much...well maybe 'you' are trying to tell you something...not an opportunity to concentrate on the uninspiring, boring practice as you say, but something more inpirational. Jaysus, man. Just my 2cents
LOL. Perhaps I come across as a dry technical type... but I am not, I am a riotous inspirational person who over the years recognised that there is a time and space for the dry technical stuff. Its all there to help you as an individual to express your self freely without physical/technical limitations. to help make better music.
Jus listen b4 play...what do you see? ...then play. D'ye "see" "imagine" imagery while yer playing, or just thinkin' of where to put the fingers on the board. Fiddlers..jayz I pray forye.
I am getting over one of those church musician periods where I want to do something more creative....like digging ditches, or reading recent tax legislation.
So I just pull out my CD's from old lessons and give antoher go at all the technical stuff I never mastered the first time around (to the consternation of my teacher!)
Gettin over the church stuff, zip, couldn't agree more. Jayz yev bin thu'it by the sound.
Get into the sound of the place and time where the tune came from, imo. Good luck to you.
I can relate to your point there DD, but for me thats kind of where I grew up so I dont really think about it.
So for me that connection is taken for granted, the dry technical stuff just helps me express myself and my music.
dry spells
dry spells
For decades now, I've usually picked up an instrument every day to bang out some tunes, or phrases, play a gig, or whatnot. But every once in a while, the muse goes walkabout, and there will be a couple of days, where the inclination (or inspiration) just isn't there. These dry spells are thankfully few, but during them, I wander about slightly disoriented by the real world, where all is not about the tunes (what a weird and seemingly more impoverished place). Any others out there in the desert on occasion?
# Posted on February 14th 2008 by drone
Re: dry spells
You come home, look at the instruments and shake your head. Sometimes you tough through. Others...well get a cold one, turn on PBS nightly news and snooz.
I have it worse after the holidays and Holy Days (I do church music on the side) where I have been playing endless Catholic making believe it's Anglican and that new Amy Grant-esque claptrap that the catholic music mills are masquerading as contempory.
I call them flat spots. But something will get my attention and I will get back on a roll....
# Posted on February 14th 2008 by zippydw
Re: dry spells
I usually find myself in the dessert. Chocolate is the great antidote for dry spells....
# Posted on February 14th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: dry spells
Ahhhh, the velvety allure of the theobromine buzz... not quite the crack, but borne on chocolate-covered wings, satisfying nonetheless.
# Posted on February 14th 2008 by drone
Re: dry spells
Oh, sure. I think we all do. If you want a cure, I suggest pulling out some old records you haven't listened to since the dawn of the CD. You may just find you HAVE to pull out the ol' ax and have a go on some of those tunes you haven't touched in ages.
# Posted on February 14th 2008 by Ailin
Re: dry spells
I think dry spells are normal, but they can be very "scary" as in "how could I have wanted to fill up almost every free minute playing my fiddle for ____ years, and suddenly not feel like it. Something definitely must be 'wrong' with me.
This is happened to me at least three times now. Other things "press" in life, necessiating a change of focus for a while -- such as -- you have to get a new job. You've always said music is on the front burner. Now suddenly LIFE says it isn't.
This sounds hyperbolic, but I have felt like "a traitor to myself." How can I be so passionate about something and then seem to go cool on it.
At this point, I'm accepting that it's normal and necessary. Thinking I can have music on the front burner all the time may be very romantic, but I don't find that it comports with life on this Planet very well.
I love Irish music, playing the fiddle, and writing songs; but sometimes I have to let go and put other things first......in order to maintain my life.
It's normal.
Linda
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by Fid42
Re: dry spells
There was a post here somewhere recently which said that the poster would hear a tune, and just have to learn it, it was a must-have, and the comments reminded me of what the early stages of learning ITM is like - if you like it that is. You can't get enough of it. I've notice this in my own experience. A tune you haven't heard before is just magic, but hearing it say five, ten years later, doesn't hit you the same. It occurs to me that in the end, we will hear most of the tunes, then maybe we look for something else...increasingly in recent times, I've been more attracted to the songs for some reason.
And drone, you talk about decades...maybe we change over that time, and get something different from the music as we get older. I saw Kevin Burke (and had the pleasure of meeting him personally and having chats about the music) at a festival last year, and could see perhaps the change in his own approach to the music from when I hear him play some of the tunes from his earlier days, and how he plays now, and what he seems to look for in the tune.
I think we change...the music doesn't, but it does provide something for everyone it seems to me as we change.
I think Martin Hayes tries to demonstrate that as well in his way of playing. Rave...rave...
I try listening to a few real nice songs, airs, then come back and listen to a few real well-played tunes. That seems to do it. But I don't feel the need to necessarily be part of the full on playing scene as much as before, very content to listen, and play along just sometimes. Don't know if this casts any light, but just my two cents. Cheers, folks.
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: dry spells
I am on one at the moment - its Lent (the Catholic Ramadan - no drinking between dawn and dusk - do it at night).
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by geoffwright
Re: dry spells
Think outside the square, walk the line geoff - take a drink two minutes before dusk! When you go to confession that will really stuff them up, eh!
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: dry spells
Just ignore it, focus on some dry technical issues for the dry zone, it will pass. Inspiration is all very well but it is not the be all and end all. All things must pass, this too will pass, just note it welcome the feeling as a part of you you dont encounter much....use the opportunity to concentrate on uninspiring ' boring ' practice, perhaps that might inspire you ready for the next heart lifting enthusiastic bout of joyfull playing. Life is not all play.
Well thats what I do. I play every day whether I 'feel' like it or not. and it has done me no harm.... he says
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by jig
Re: dry spells
jig! focus on "dry technical issues"? Jaysus why d'ye like to live so cold!? If you don't encounter this much...well maybe 'you' are trying to tell you something...not an opportunity to concentrate on the uninspiring, boring practice as you say, but something more inpirational. Jaysus, man. Just my 2cents
It's ok, though, whatever you're ok with, is ok.
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: dry spells
LOL. Perhaps I come across as a dry technical type... but I am not, I am a riotous inspirational person who over the years recognised that there is a time and space for the dry technical stuff. Its all there to help you as an individual to express your self freely without physical/technical limitations. to help make better music.
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by jig
Re: dry spells
Jus listen b4 play...what do you see? ...then play. D'ye "see" "imagine" imagery while yer playing, or just thinkin' of where to put the fingers on the board. Fiddlers..jayz I pray forye.
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: dry spells
I'm with you jig
I am getting over one of those church musician periods where I want to do something more creative....like digging ditches, or reading recent tax legislation.
So I just pull out my CD's from old lessons and give antoher go at all the technical stuff I never mastered the first time around (to the consternation of my teacher!)
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by zippydw
Re: dry spells
Gettin over the church stuff, zip, couldn't agree more. Jayz yev bin thu'it by the sound.
Get into the sound of the place and time where the tune came from, imo. Good luck to you.
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: dry spells
I can relate to your point there DD, but for me thats kind of where I grew up so I dont really think about it.
So for me that connection is taken for granted, the dry technical stuff just helps me express myself and my music.
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by jig
Re: dry spells
I know where you're comin from, jig. Somewhat same myself.
Link to the land...maybe not the building...think of a tune to go with it....
http://www.megalithomania.com/show/image/3075/Slieve+Gullion.htm
A sacred place.
# Posted on February 15th 2008 by Duijera Dubh