Making a Mess... with Confidence
- Mar 18
- 2 min read
The Role of Emotion in Music Making.
Moon spores erupt into uncontrollable vines when they touch water.
Well, at least they do in Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy adventure Tress of the Emerald Sea. And though I’m filled with gratitude for the conspicuous absence of exploding moon spores in our own world, I can’t help but notice that there are things in our lives that behave similarly.
Take music, for example (wow, did you see that coming?). When we touch our instruments, they take on a new life that’s directly dictated by our emotions. Like moon spores reacting with water, my piano erupts into shapeless nonsense when it mixes with my anxiety. If an unwanted emotion touches my music, I lose all power over the outcome. In this way, the music we play is made before we even touch our instruments.
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While today’s metaphor is admittedly a bit of a stretch, the influence of emotions on our playing should never be overlooked. With the same amount of preparation, the confident musician outplays the anxious one every time. According to my jazz teacher, Lenny Marcus (yes, I take lessons too! Never stop learning!), “Ease is beauty.” And we can only play with ease when we are confident in our ability to execute our task.
So just be confident! Thanks for reading this week’s newslett—wait a minute… It’s not just a switch we can flip. Building confidence takes as much work as learning our instrument. In later newsletters, we’ll investigate functional techniques for working with performance anxiety and establishing a confidence-based mindset in our music.
For now, remember this: our music starts before we even begin playing. This week, reflect on how your emotions at your instrument affect the results you get. Begin to practice a pre-playing routine that involves several deep breaths, relaxation of any tense muscles in your body, and a conscious statement of your purpose in sitting down to play. These are vital steps in the direction of confident, mindful music-making!
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