I love improvising! Can you tell? lol
I have been a songwriter and musician for 20 years but Music Improv is a whole new level of awesome!!!
Since the gig I did in the above pic (press for a link to the gig) I have had many people call me amazing and ask me how I did it! I will admit many, many years of songwriting and performance hours went into this performance but the skill of improvising needs 2 things a whole lot more basic than years of mastering my craft as a singer/songwriter.
The ability to improvise needs......are you ready.....total and utter presence and commitment.
What is presence?
It is completely being in the moment. Not looking ahead. Not looking behind. Asking yourself 'What time is it? NOW!' 'Where am I? HERE!'
What is commitment?
As Anette Noontil once said it's: 'Being married to the process, divorced from the outcome and whatever others think is none of your business!'
When improvising you must have total commitment to what you are doing and whether you win or lose, succeed or fail, your commitment to your expression is unshakable.
Admittedly in the above performance I was also lucky!
The audience chose a Blues which is ripe for imporvisation but even if they hadn't my commitment to writing the song would still have been complete.
Have a think about it.....
In your own life, right now, where could you use more presence and commitment and let me know! Comment below!
I have been a songwriter and musician for 20 years but Music Improv is a whole new level of awesome!!!
Since the gig I did in the above pic (press for a link to the gig) I have had many people call me amazing and ask me how I did it! I will admit many, many years of songwriting and performance hours went into this performance but the skill of improvising needs 2 things a whole lot more basic than years of mastering my craft as a singer/songwriter.
The ability to improvise needs......are you ready.....total and utter presence and commitment.
What is presence?
It is completely being in the moment. Not looking ahead. Not looking behind. Asking yourself 'What time is it? NOW!' 'Where am I? HERE!'
What is commitment?
As Anette Noontil once said it's: 'Being married to the process, divorced from the outcome and whatever others think is none of your business!'
When improvising you must have total commitment to what you are doing and whether you win or lose, succeed or fail, your commitment to your expression is unshakable.
Admittedly in the above performance I was also lucky!
The audience chose a Blues which is ripe for imporvisation but even if they hadn't my commitment to writing the song would still have been complete.
Have a think about it.....
In your own life, right now, where could you use more presence and commitment and let me know! Comment below!
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