LIFE
& HEALTH
Performing musicians have a unique viewpoint on life and living. Our skills
include the discipline of regular practice, the assessment of mistakes and
problems in our performance, and the desire to improve and better our playing.
Also because music has such emotional impact we are people who consider personal
feelings and subjective thoughts as things that are important and worth
discussing. These are valuable insights not only for music making but also for
living.
EXTERNAL
The Body |
Healthy
Relationships
INTERNAL
The Emotions |
The Mind
|
The Soul and Spirit
Also see Dr. William Dawson's book
Fit as a Fiddle – The Musician’s Guide to Playing Healthy.
The
Body, the Instrument
Musicians rely on instruments that are in
good condition to
perform well. It doesn't matter how skilled or talented that musician,
give them an instrument that is unplayable and the musical results will
be poor. Similarly our body is an instrument for our lives. Keeping
your body tuned and well maintained will aid your musicianship as well
as your life. Here are some wonderful websites you should consider
visiting:
- Injuries
Due to
Performing and
Practicing.
- The Performing
Arts Medical Association. A variety of
health professionals, as well as arts educators and
administrators, are the guiding forces in developing and disseminating
health related information to those performers who are in need of
it—instrumental and vocal musicians, dancers, and actors.
- MusiciansHealth.com.
This is a commercial site advertising Dr. Jameson and colleagues.
However, there is some useful information available for free.
There are some stretching exercises on the site that many
musicians will find useful.
Here are a few things the Bible has to say about the body:
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous
are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. (Psalm
139:14, New King James Version here and below)
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should
obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of
unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to
God. (Romans 6:12-13)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, accptable to God, which
is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)
Healthy Relationships, Our Beams
or Connections
We depend upon others for so many things. Don't
underestimate the value of people who encourage and support
you!
Many notes in music are connected by beams and it is useful to think of
our connections to others in a similar way. In individual note doesn't
make much of a composition. Likewise a life lived alone and apart from
others also misses the opportunity of community. Consider that just as
a note needs to be combined with other notes in phrases, your life
needs to be connected to others.
Unlike musical notes, you have many opportunities to pick who
you will
be "beamed" to. You can choose those to whom you are most connected.
Choose wisely!
Here are a few things the Bible has to say about relationships:
Honor you father and your mother, that your days may be
long
upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31)
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
(Galatians 6:2)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:14)
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good
works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the
manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you
see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
The
Emotions, the Barometer
No doubt you have
noticed that your
emotions vary
from day to day. Your emotions are often dependent upon your
how
your body is
feeling, what you are thinking about, and even your relationships with
others. Sometimes, however, your emotions seem to
be unrelated to external or internal events. The fact that
emotions fluctuate or appear to be unpredictable does not mean that the
musician should ignore emotional health or not consider ways to improve
their emotional outlook. There are ways in which to improve your
emotions which can have a positive impact on your performance as a
musician.
Emotions are in fact a sort of barometer of life. Barometers measure
the air pressure and with shifts in air pressure that provide
indications of current and future weather patterns. At times the
barometer seems disconnected from observable weather. For instance, the
barometer may be rapidly falling, but the weather looks calm and
beautiful. However, this falling barometer could mean a change in
weather patterns. Likewise the emotions can at time give indications of
things that are not readily apparent.
Music and emotions. Music
draws upon and influences our emotions as well. It
is amazing, however, that despite the widely acknowledged link between
emotions and music
there is little is written about it. Furthermore musicians are often
not aware of the linkage between their emotions and other aspects of
their life.
Improvements to one's emotional outlook is often best made by improving
the body, relationaships, the mind, or the soul rather than focusing on
the emotions
themselves. Continuing our analogy: if the weather changes for the
worse it doesn't mean we should replace our barometer. Similarly if
there are problems with your emotions it should cause you to pause to
consider what might be the underlying issues.
Many issues can be impacting your emotions and it is not possible in
this page to even address them. We recommend you take a look at Dr.
Dobbin's website that contains many articles that may help to address
your needs. Dr. Dobbins holds a B.A. in Psychology, an
M.A. in
Psychology, Ph.D. in Guidance and
Counseling. He has a clinical license with the Ohio Board of
Psychology and he is a licensed minister with over 50 years of
experience.
Here are a
few things the Bible has to say about emotions:
Come to
Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28)
Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God,
believe also in Me. (John 14:1)
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were
called in one body, and be thankful. (Colosians 3:14).
The
Mind, the Gateway to the World
If emotions are best
represented as a barometer,
the mind might be best
represented as a gateway. There is an axiom often employed in computer
programming: "garbage in, garbage out." Most often you have a choice of
what you will be looking at, reading, and listening to. The things that
you eat will determine your body's strength, ability to heal, and
performance. Likewise the things that you allow into your mind will
determine your how you think, react, and speak. You can take practical
steps to improve your mind and the things you think about.
Here are a
few things the Bible has to say about the mind:
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart,
and they defile a man. For our of the heart proceed evil thoughts,
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
These are the things which defile a man... (Matthew 15:18-20, New King
James Version)
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the
peace of God, which surpassess all understanding , will guard your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, New King
James Version)
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2, New King James
Version)
Dr. Ewell's
experience of a renewed mind.
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart,
and they defile a man. For our of the heart proceed evil thoughts,
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
These are the things which defile a man... (Matthew 15:18-20)
The
Soul and Spirit, the Conduit to God
Musicians well understand the value--in fact necessity--of
practicing. Consider these statements and whether a success
musician would agree this them:
- Musicians only need to practice
when they feel like it.
- Talent alone is all that is
needed to succeed as musicians.
- Practicing once a week will
allow musicians to succeed.
- Musicians can
succeed by themselves.
- Musicians don't need good
instruction, anything will do.
- Ways to improve as musicians
shouldn't be discussed openly, these are personal matters.
A musician who advocated any of these
statements stands
little chance of
musical growth. In the same way people who haphazardly practice
development of their inner self will have little chance of personal
growth. It is not only the amount of practice that determines growth
but also the method of practice. Practicing a passage in the
wrong
way makes things worse. So to can a person develop their inner
self in
wrong ways. The statements are equally valid
for your spiritual life as they are for your musical life. Consider the
statements rephrased:
- People only need to practice
spiritual things when they feel like it.
- Talent alone is all that is
needed to succeed in one's spiritual life.
- Practicing a spiritual
discipline once a week will allow a person to succeed.
- People can succeed in their
spirituality by themselves.
- People don't need good
spiritual instruction, anything will do.
- Ways to improve one's spiritual
life shouldn't be discussed openly, these are personal matters.
Are you interested in developing as a whole person and not just as a
musician? If so read on by selecting any of the links below:
Here
are a few things the Bible has to say about the soul and
spirit:
Thus says the LORD. "Stand
in the ways
and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in
it; then you will find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will
take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of
flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)
Read about Dr. DeLoach's life changing experience.
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first
commandment. (Mark 12:30)
For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. In God we
boast all day long, and prasie Your name. (Psalm 44:6, 8)
Copyright © 2006-2008 by Terry B. Ewell. All rights
reserved.
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