Today’s quote:
If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing. ~ Marc Chagall
I am a singing teacher. I know a lot about technique, the physiology of singing and teaching methods. And sometimes, it annoys me greatly that I analyse every tiniest detail that is “off”; that I analyse technique instead of just letting music be music.
If I do this in my function as a teacher, it’s fine and often needed; if I do it as a singer, being too “brainy” about everything usually leads to nothing good: Self-doubt, trying too hard, being too technical, getting frustrated. This approach just doesn’t work, unless I only want to work on technique.
Then I need to remind myself, again, that my muscle memory knows all this stuff, that I can trust my body to take over when it matters. Most of the time, that little reminder does the trick. Sometimes, the little nagging voice refuses to be silent though. I meanwhile have a strategy: If the inner critic is too loud on a particular day and tries to sabotage me, I take that day off.
Do you sometimes catch yourself using “craft” and “art” synonymously? Do you create art from your heart or your head?
© Petra Raspel 2013
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