Embracing Progress: “Sounds Great, Feels Easy!”
I've got a quick mindset reminder for you, fresh from my tomato plants. Yes, you read that right – while I was out tending to my garden, I found myself in a textversation with one of my audition-prep clients.
And guess what? Something he said just struck a chord and reminded me of the sage advice from one of my own teachers, the legendary Jim Pandolfi.
So, picture this: there I am, dirt in one hand and phone in the other, when my client drops the bomb – "Hey Chris, you know that beastly excerpt I've been stressing over? I don’t want to jinx it, but it's starting to feel easier and dare I say, even sound great!"
Now, hold up a second. Before I explain my reaction, let's dissect this.
Why on earth would we hesitate to celebrate when things start falling into place? Why let the mere thought of 'jinxing it' creep into our minds? I mean, is there some sort of audition gods' council convening in the cosmos, ready to slap us with bad juju the moment we start feeling confident?
It's like we've been conditioned to be in a perpetual “Struggle-Bus” mode, with those lame mental squirrels just waiting to crash the progress party. But here's the truth – the progress IS the party! And it's a shindig we should be embracing, not shooing away.
Jim Pandolfi used to say, "Sounds great, feels easy," like a mantra while I was playing for him. And you know what? It's not just a catchy phrase; it's a darn good goal.
Why shouldn't mastering a tricky passage both sound amazing and feel like a walk in the park?
And speaking of celebrating victories, I received an Instagram note from another talented individual, a reed virtuoso if you will. They wrote:
"OMG. THIS! I was having a really good reed day last week and everything was working. It felt so easy! My first thought was to celebrate, and then my immediate second thought was, don’t - you’ll jinx it!"
Ah, the familiar dance of doubt we all seem to know so well! How often have we hesitated to share our triumphs, fearing that the mere act of acknowledging them might lead to some mystical downfall? It's as if the universe is sitting there, waiting to pounce on our successes the moment we speak it aloud.
But you know what? Just like our fearless reed conqueror realized, celebrating progress –be it in conquering challenging excerpts or mastering the elusive art of reed making– shouldn't be restrained by superstitious whispers or mental squirrels running amok in our heads.
Here's the deal– when we work hard and focus smart, then we deserve the sweet taste of progress without the bitter aftertaste of doubt. We're not summoning the dark audition arts by reveling in our accomplishments; we're just celebrating the fruits of our labor (speaking of fruits, have you seen these tomatoes?).
The next time you find yourself in the groove, those notes effortlessly flowing, embrace it. Let’s raise our instruments, and yes, even those magical reeds, to the sky and declare, "Sounds great, feels easy!"
Because, my friends, the only jinx that exists is not reveling in the brilliance that you are creating.
So, whether it's a reed, an excerpt, or any musical feat, here's to embracing the wins, sharing the successes, and rewriting the script of doubt that tries to sneak in.
Now, where were we? Ah, yes – those tomatoes! 🍅🎶
