Uncomplicating Your Problems

I'm sure many of you have heard this before, and it certainly isn't my original idea, but it is something that I know that works from experience. As an alternative to analyzing what our bodies are doing to solve our problems, we can instead focus on our sound and the problems may fix themselves.

When you play your part in band or orchestra, take pride in it. Be absorbed in your sound and strive to make every note with a great tone and attack (but not too absorbed that you don't listen to others). The strategy is that if we do end up creating a great sound, it means we are doing things right. It is a way to bypass the risk of paralysis by analysis.

In order to best do this, you have to be a little prideful in your head when you play. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you don't let the pride affect others. Even the best athletes and musicians say that when they are in a high-pressure situation, the best mindset is one where you know you are the best out of all the others. This mindset allows them to perform at their very best as a result of a mental confidence. We can carry this to our own playing, and it can certainly be applied when we are focusing on our sound.

Being prideful in general is not what I am advocating. Arrogance and ego-centrism are bad qualities to have. But I do advocate a more secret, inner pride that makes for the best mental state of a performer. This is what you should feel while you play your part and focus on your sound.