busy-ness

for those who know me, even in passing, you know that, well, I do a lot. I'm just a busy person--always have been. My wife likes to say that I always have to be the one that "turns the lights out", too. She's right. Ultimately, what this all means is that I am perpetually looking around the next corner, so as not to be caught by surprise too often.
right now, I'm in Charleston, SC for the Southern Conference Basketball Tournament, with the UNCG Basketball Band, which I conduct. It's a fun group, they sound great, and we always tend to have a good time. (which is largely why I am involved with it) An old friend met me last night, who I haven't seen in probably 6-7 years. As we talked over dinner, and were telling each other about our current lives, etc., I began listing all the things I have on my plate--the response was "don't you ever learn?" I guess, in some ways, no, I don't. There is nothing I do that I don't enjoy, really, and I feel I can contribute positively to each one of them.
so where is all this going?--to talk about the fact that everyone has a level of busy-ness to which they attain. For some, it's a cosmopolitan life, full of high profile kinds of things, others will have more mundane things to keep up with--whatever your style, profile, etc. one still has to be able to cope and deal with their level of busy-ness. for many, having a plan, or system, is the way it all comes together. I've read many a self improvement book over the years, but the one I keep coming back to is Stephen Covey's, "7 Habits". I won't say that I live his writings to the letter, not by a long shot, but I have embraced the ideas of keeping everything in perspective and assigning parts of my life into the quadrants he suggests. It really does help me get to everything in a decently good manner.
People talk about talent. X player is "naturally talented", and so forth. I've heard that said about me, much to my surprise. That said, my talents are not in tuba playing, although that's my career. I honestly believe my talents are in organizing, scheduling, etc. My mind can see solutions like that--which allows me to be able to find the time to practice, etc. Still, obviously, I've need help over the years, and books like Covey's do offer practical solutions.
so, with all this rambling, the bottom line is: we all need to examine what we do and why we do it, in order to make sure the "how" of doing it is accomplished in as good a way as possible.
happy scheduling!

Time

One of the things we all must work on is management of time. For many in the world, this means dealing with schedules--how to get everything done in what seems like never-enough time.
Indeed, balancing all that we are expected to do (and more likely, expect ourselves to do) causes much consternation about time.

Time for the musician is a different matter altogether, and one that really, most just don't spend enough -time- worrying about. We work on many more, well, banal aspects of our art/craft--fingerings, smoothness, good articulation, is our instrument shiny enough, etc. While these things are important, even vital to what we do, time is paramount. As one of my teachers told me years ago, " being in time is like being pregnant--you are, or you ain't". He was right--there is no middle ground. Dealing with time correctly is the one thing that can make us sound bad or perfect. The great performer/conductor "gets" this.

So, how do we go about becoming perfect with time? Certainly, at early stages, metronomes can be a help. However, it can become a crutch--and one must make sure that it's a tool, and not more than that. Time deals with more than amazing precision of subdivision, although that's an important part of it. Time is about knowing how/when/where to "put" the music. Sometimes it's in tandem with others. Sometimes it's understanding the relationships of everything we're playing in a true solo line.

Regardless, it's an internal knowledge--it can't be faked or "hoped" through. Time must be understood in an incessant manner, and delivered with perfection, if we hope to be able to produce art.

Why do we do what we do? Is it inner drive? Is it compulsion due to financial need? Is it just because we like it? Certainly, all of these things can be a part of it. Maybe it's "all we know".....
I don't pretend to have answers about such lofty things, but it's something I do think about. I have been fortunate enough to have wonderful teachers my entire life. (and still do) It was due to that realization--that people have taught me really good things--that I decided to become a teacher. I wanted to try and give to another generation what was given to me. Maybe I've been ok at that--maybe for some, not as much. It's often difficult to tell. Do students do what you require of them due to them wanting to improve, and trusting you to guide them correctly, or do they merely do it "for the grade"? I like to think it's for the former, but at times, I know, it's due to the latter.
Motivation. It's an interesting thing.