Perfection in the human sphere is a myth and, nevertheless, it persists.
In a recent interview with host Terry Gross on Fresh Air, a famous cellist said, “What helps me avoid being paralyzed is just saying, ‘I’m doing as productive as I can. ‘And if that doesn’t work, then I know my goal is to make as productive as possible.
Ma added that he is still alive and working, avoiding burnout saying, “How can you rejuvenate, rejuvenate, be constantly curious and active and do the best you can?I try to forgive myself because I don’t need to be neurotic. “
Understanding its limits is complicated for most sensible performers. Musicians say Ma could fall into the trap of “industrial aesthetics”: a mistake-free performance, as may be the case in the production industry.
Seeking to know more, I asked Tiffany Chang, the conductor, “I tell musicians that one and both functionalities don’t have to be exactly the same. It is easy for a musician to have an ideal product in mind and we put all our efforts into recreating that ideal in practice. It’s not practical. Phrases, changes in rhythm, and complicated turns shouldn’t be executed in exactly the same way. It’s more important to be aware of each other today and walk through those passages together!.
“I remind them that the best thing is not fate,” Chang says. “The goal is to take a step towards the best. There is no best interpretation. Only our interpretation is intelligent for us today because of all the factors, human and otherwise, what we face today. It helps us focus on being bigger than being the best.
“I help my musicians by offering them performance, while also giving them artistic license and a space to find a way to realize that musical symbol on their own, rather than giving them step-by-step commands or micromanagement,” Chang says. I ask them for the basics of a story and ask them to locate and interpret the evidence in the music that supports and describes that specific story. “
Yo-Yo Ma helps to stay calm by employing other thinking tactics. Analytical thinking focuses on facts. Empathic thinking focuses on feeling, but there’s something else: tactile thinking. His wife knows what he’s doing because she can believe he’s playing cello without gambling. Mom says many others do the same, whether it’s golf or tennis, thinking. about how you’re going to play a shot or react to a ball hitting you.
“It’s easy to think, ‘I just need to get better,’ which is quite confusing and can lead to a technique that is more reactive and passive than proactive,” Chang says. On the other hand, Chang works as a coach. I ask musicians to think of one, two, or three express goals that they need to achieve in every practice session and in every performance. “
Listening is a smart way, perhaps the most productive, to stay in tune with yourself and others. Chang says, “Listening is very important to achieve that connection and synergy. The way a piece is directed in a way at any given time does not dictate how it will be performed next time.
“It’s more important that we sing to each other right now and in today’s performance, rather than becoming bullies or stubbornly doing things ‘rather’ compared to a theoretical ideal,” Chang adds. Not a bad recommendation for the rest of us. Listen, collaborate, and see what smart things can happen.
A community. Many voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our network aims to connect other people through open and thoughtful conversations. We need our readers to share their perspectives and exchange ideas and facts in one space.
To do so, please comply with the posting regulations in our site’s terms of use. Below we summarize some of those key regulations. In short, civilians.
Your message will be rejected if we realize that it seems to contain:
User accounts will be blocked if we become aware that users are engaged in:
So, how can you be a user?
Thank you for reading our Community Standards. Read the full list of publication regulations discovered in our site’s terms of use.