The Instant Musician

There is no such thing as an instant musician. No matter how desperately we want it or how much irritation we express we will never be able to instantly play all music.

Living The Fast-Paced Life

Now, if we are completely honest we would have to admit that we like all things that are instant and fast. Microwaves, takeaway food, kettles and smartphones are just some of the ways we have managed to speed up our lives. But, our need for instant gratification becomes most apparent when we are stuck in traffic, put on hold, or required to wait for our meal order or medical appointment. We also have instant entertainment and instant access to information on our phones. Our whole lives are basically geared to fast.

Our impatience demonstrates that this is not just a preferred way of life but something we believe we are unquestionably entitled to. Unfortunately, this mindset has come to infiltrate nearly every aspect of our lives.  Yet in many ways, it actually goes against what it is to be human.

To Be Human Is To Take Time

Human beings are relational. Relationships of any depth and substance take time. If you are a people pleaser you may be able to instantly get along with anyone. But, getting along with someone is totally different from having a relationship with them.

Secondly, humans are creatures who are forever learning. And learning and skill mastery takes times. Sometimes we get lucky and can pick up a new skill quite fast but many times it takes time, patience and intelligent practice.

The Instant Musician’s Dream

Sadly today’s “instant” culture is starting to have a negative impact on our education system. Many times students come to me expecting me to be able to make them instantly do something. All I can do is show them and provide ample tips and tricks to help them reach their goal. But at the end of the day, it’s up to them to learn the material.

 Attitudes That Either Forst or Prevent Success

Possibly the biggest deterrent to a musicians success is their attitude to the learning process. Students who are patient and comfortable with the ambiguity of learning enjoy the learning process considerably more than those who are impatient. When you enjoy something, you spend longer pursuing it. The longer you spend doing it the better you get. The better you get the more you enjoy it. This is the general learning cycle of the successful music student.

Music students with a need for instant gratification find it challenging to become involved in this optimal learning cycle. Their teacher gives them a new piece of music. They play through it until they make a mistake. They sigh and grumble than give it two more goes. With each attempt, they become progressively more impatient and frustrated. Instead of taking the opportunity to learn from their teacher their minds become engulfed in frustration. Once frustration sets in their capacity to learn diminishes and the lesson turns into an exercise of emotional regulation. In the next lesson, the teacher must approach the same task from a different angle.

Only A Machines Performance Is Perfect

Musicians are not machines who can be programmed to play perfect music.  From the moment they are given an instrument, it is a process. And the processes necessitates mistakes. Mistakes are the most effective way to learn. Musicians need to discover the joy of simply being with their instrument. This state of ‘being’needs to replace the tyranny of doing. Being a beginner, being a student, being a human.

A Human Doing

Human beings were initially called human beings, not human doings. Yet today our being has been completely consumed by our doing. We don’t have time to simply be with ourselves. There is no time to be with our families and friends. No time not to have a to-do list or preordained agenda. We don’t have time to struggle with and wrestle with a challenging idea. There is not the time to help our neighbours, shop ethically, volunteer, serve and contribute to our community.

Music Demands Patience

Music almost forces students to learn patience. True musicians are truly human. Being emotional, relational and needing a balance of rest and work.  Patience is a prerequisite for being a musician.