August 10

Effortless Mastery Message #004: What Musical Depth is Really About Inspirational message from Kenny Werner

Many people are trapped in the delusion,
"Music is important. I am only valid if I play it correctly."

Because of this misconception many musicians live and die
and never know the true joy of music in their lives.

Many jazz players feel that there is an experience in
improvisation that they are not having, or not having enough of.

Classical musicians also report "dryness" in their renderings
of the great composers.

It's like the priest who secretly has no love for God.

The customs are observed, but there is no true feeling.

If the lamp is not lit, music can be as dreary as anything else.

Along with the desire for a deeper experience
comes an intense drive to be a better player.

These aspects often work against each other.

There is only one true purpose to music.

It exists for our enjoyment and enrichment only.

I think a hint that reveals this is the fact that
the verb to commit the act of music is "play."

How serious is it supposed to be if we're supposed to "play?"

It's very hard to let go in the combat of performance,
but the Effortless Mastery exercises will help you
to claim music for your own pleasure.

This realization liberates performers
from the tyranny of the wrong note.

Instead of sweating their performance,
they look forward to it with delicious joy.

After all, it is the performer's "guilty pleasure.

We will talk more about this in subsequent emails.

For now, just understand that:
The greatest performers in any game are the ones
who experience the pure joy of playing more
than the responsibility to play it correctly . . .

"Music can flash through the musician
like lightening through the sky . . ."
if it is unobstructed by thoughts.

Therefore, the elimination of thoughts is a very relevant issue.

That's why the first step in the book
is practicing the elimination of thoughts.

So...
Can you witness your hands moving on your instrument,
your club or your tennis racket without being attached?

Can you throw a dart, pitch a ball or shoot a basket
without caring about hitting the mark?

Can you focus on your breath
without being attached to how well you play?

Thank you for being here
as part of our Effortless Mastery Community.

Kenny Werner
and
Dr. Andrew Colyer

P.S. How are we doing?
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Ie.0J&m=1q3hs9dV2_7vP1&b=6Zr_aAIbKd6A9nP3ooUK6A

Dr. Andrew Colyer
ConsciousWorldMedia.com
86 Quarfelt Road, Clinton Corners, NY 12514, USA

August 6

http://kennywernerlive.com/effortless-mastery-reminders/madame-chaloff-and-the-secret-of-music-your-effortless-mastery-reminders-015

Kenny Werner says so much in 7 minutes! Love what he says about the "creativity of the last note."

I've been thinking so much lately about some of things I heard in the video this morning. Maybe I'm not crazy..hahaha. This idea of free jazz..free improvisation...what is it? Werner says that when we are playing tunes with chord changes, we're not free until we "master" the chords/scales. I believe that. It's not about the chords or the scales, it's playing the tune a million times and mastering those aspects of the tune until we become free. We are not free to really improvise until we pass through that stage. I've had so much trouble the past few years to get my groups to even memorize the music before gigs. It's such a common problem, I've recently started to think maybe I'm foolish. Learning to play the tune seems like a logical first step (with music or learning by ear). Next I want to memorize the tune/chords/scales. Listen to different versions. Play the tune in different keys. Memorize and sing solos of others that have recorded the tune just to understand how they perceived the structure and learn vocabulary. Maybe even learn the tune on the piano, slowly playing the chords, singing the chords, singing bass notes, singing the melody. These are all small steps towards gaining freedom "inside" of a tune.

June 30

Over the years, I've been witness to some I consider craftsmen/masters. They seem to be always "doing the work." This doesn't mean being a workaholic. Balance is also key. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Characteristics such as consistency, steadiness, balance, persistence, unchanging, undeviating yet, selfless/egoless were obvious. They never seem to be seeking fame or reward and are undaunted and fearless about failure.

"Work alone is your privilege, never the fruits thereof. Never let the fruits of action be your motive; and never cease to work. Be not affected by success of failure."

Bhagavad Gita

Interview
Bill Evans discussing improvisation and the creative process


Creativity Exercise
DeBono's Creativity Workout #7 (pg 34)
Random Words - Combining Random Words to Deliver a New Value

Composition

Today I finally took action on a project I've thought about for a long time. I'm starting to write an etude book for trumpet. Just what the world needs right? Hahaha..well, I'm writing (hopefully) in my voice, the way I speak on the horn. So, there might be something there for someone to take a look at. But then again, it doesn't really matter. I just want to get this down on paper. Kind of "clearing process" for me.

Listening
Edward Elgar - Enigma Variations
Keith Jarrett - Live in Tokyo 1996

Movie
Syriana
Watched this movie probably 5-6 times already. One of the best geopolitical films I've seen. A little too realistic.

Reading
Effortless Mastery - Kenny Werner

Keith Jarrett - NY Times - Jazz Martyr
Keith Jarrett: Zen in the Art of Jazz
Michael Michalko, 100 Monkeys (Collective Unconcious)
Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
by Deon Du Plessis
An Enlightened Approach To Success
Kenny Wheeler Interview

Food/Drink
Having a new wine tonight from a company called Concha Y Toro (Sunshine - Merlot) and listening to Keith Jarrett. A great wine from Chile and the piano playing is pretty good too!

June 23

Book
Kenny Werner - "Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within"

Just ordered another copy of this book. Loaned it out a few years back and the student is still "AWOL." Not much I can say about this book except...GREAT!!!!! This book isn't only for "players." It's for anyone on the path to "mastery" in their life. Can really unlock some creative doors....



Music/Video
One of the great creators and individual voices on saxophone and in music, Stan Getz, playing with a couple my favorite musicians, pianist Kenny Barron and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington:



Creativity/Video

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."

Ken Robinson

Tai Chi
Until now, I've been studying chi kung (qigong), yoga and bagua. My chi kung practice has been a long "intro" to tai chi. I'm interested in these arts for the "energy work", health benefits, and being able to use the relaxation techniques used in fighting while playing the horn. One of my favorite musicians, Woody Shaw, was known to actually stop playing in the middle of a solo if he felt too much tension in his body and break into a tai chi pose for immediate relaxation. I think the tension he felt was a distraction from his creative process.

Tai chi is a martial art, a fighting art. I think a lot of people completely overlook that fact and look at tai chi as some kind of a dance. For me, the deeper meaning of tai chi is generating chi (ki) in and around the body. But as I watch the tai chi form being done on this video, I'm once again reminded of the importance of SLOW practice. This is what I'm trying daily to incorporate into my trumpet practice. I've found 3 great schools in Tokyo to study tai chi and am excited to get started.



Tai chi on wiki