Wry Practice

Practicing in a virtual world

I couldn't play for almost a week because of some unexpected neck problems (spasm of the sternocleidomastoid muscle). One of the host of doctors and physios I saw, who has dealt with musicians before, said that practice can be just as effectively continued without actually playing.

She said I was to stand or sit, use the metronome (or whatever props), and spend time hearing and visualizing myself playing beautiful music.

I did this. When I picked up my trombone this morning and played again I have to say that everything felt fine (except the neck!). I wasn't bothered by the usual "oh this is going to sound and feel shithouse" thoughts. Of course the muscles, the ears, the instincts still know what to do.

Who was it who told me that I have to do this certain amount of practice everyday? Is it self imposed control? The talking muscles still know how to talk after a vow of silence, surely? Not that I would know anything about this.

Some of the best musical lessons and insights come from non-musicians, or at least non-brass players. One of my uni trombone students was asked recently, while being coached on some Mahler Lieder by a repetiteur:
- Can you change between those two notes without moving the slide?
- It's not physically possible
- Do it anyway
He did it, and she said:
- That's the legato I'm talking about

I also remember doing a cruise ship gig with a chamber orchestra once, where Christian Lindberg came on as guest soloist. I was up at the pool caring for my Verve Clicquot aftershocks. He was next to me in the deck chair, "virtually" playing through the pieces he was learning for the following week's concert. Whistling, singing, playing the positions with all the attention and focus of a performance.

I'm not saying all this to advocate a downing of tools. But, I am beginning to realize that all the practice in the world is wasted if the underlying musical and expressive intention isn't there. And precisely this is best practiced away from the horn. It's musical meditation.