Performing – The “Zone”

A recent thread on an internet forum got me thinking. The original poster criticised guitar players who concentrated too much on technique and not enough about putting their heart into it. Good point. Perhaps it’s a lack of confidence in playing accurately that causes some players to become a bit mechanical in their execution of their music. Perhaps some simply don’t have an “artist’s soul” (I don’t buy it either). I get nervous sometimes on stage and that sure inhibits getting in the groove! On the other hand, it’s seems to me that to play challenging pieces requires a certain amount of due care and attention to what your fingers are doing. Gifted players, or players who have the time or dedication to practice six hours every day, may have their stuff so well under their fingers that they don’t have to think about it and can put all their concentration into expression during performance. But for us mortals it’s a different story.

To let go while remaining in control. That reads like a paradox, all right. But I take it to mean being “in the zone”. It’ll be good for me to keep it in mind and by doing so perhaps I’ll achieve it more often.