Hey Improvisers,
I arrived in Fairbanks. Alaska last evening to begin my annual 2-week stint performing and teaching at The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. I’ve been coming up here each July since 1999 and have even taught here three times in January.
Even through I don’t start teaching classes until tomorrow, I feel refreshed by just being here. I’ve been looking at my class rosters to see who has returned from past years and which names belong to newcomers. I’ve been in touch with the other performers to discuss collaborations. Even just driving around town has been fun. It’s very stimulating!
The whole experience is reminding me that we need to rejuvenate our musical selves from time to time. Mix it up. Keep it fresh.
If we have the time and opportunity, this may mean that we attend a festival. If that’s not possible, we can start studying with a piano teacher who can bring fresh perspectives to our playing. Or, it may mean reaching out to a few musicians to begin jamming together. We might even take a weekly class at a local music school.
Sometimes I’ll go to Spotify and download a few albums by a musician I don’t know well, just to get some fresh listening experiences.
We need to rejuvenate our musical selves from time to time. What can you do today to keep it fresh?
Enjoy the journey and let the music flow!
Ron
PS – Today I posted a video on YouTube from a performance I did last New Year’s Eve at The Deer Head Inn. It’s Duke Ellington’s “Black and Tan Fantasy” and you can can hear me play some introductory chords at the beginning to keep it fresh before the bass and drums start playing: