109: Relax, Wait, Listen.

In this video I’m working on developing or practicing what I consider to be good performance habits.  These are the 3 habits I’m focusing on: relaxing, using space and listening.  Staying relaxed helps you stay aware and helps you communicate better with your fellow musicians while playing.  Staying relaxed also helps to mitigate adrenaline or the “fight or flight” response that we often associate with stage fright.  If I become tense while I perform, I tend to overplay, not listen as well and think too much while hearing less.  Using space allows for better and more intelligent communication with rest of the band.  It also allows for much better overall listening as we listen better when we are not playing.  Lastly, I believe that active listening should be part of your practice process.  If you focus on listening every time you use space you will have an easier time reacting and deriving inspiration and creative ideas from the players around you.

~Enjoy!

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109: Relax, Wait, Listen.
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