MAC Blog Post #4: Week 3 - Long Lines

Long Lines

" Like the person who forgets he is related to the waves in the sea or loses continuity with the movement of wind through grass, so does the performer lose his connection to the long line of the music when his attention rests solely on perfecting individual notes and harmonies. Like the person who, mindless that she has all of nature in her fingertips, blocks the expression of the life force, so does the musician interrupt the long line of passion when she limits her focus to the expression of personal emotion. local color, or harmonic events. Her narrow emphasis can produce a dull numbing performance."

-Benjamin Zander - The Art of Possibility

This statement is a very eloquent way of saying "you are trying too hard". I have found that the harder I focus on the elements of something, a lesson plan, a paper, a song, I lose the creative connection. I had a had time with my thesis for this reason. I was so focused on the details and structure of the paper that I felt that my words were stifled and did not flow well.  I often see this happen to my husband when he is trying to compose a song, write lyrics, or record his vocals. If he overfocuses he loses the energy in the song. We struggle when creating art to just be and enjoy the zone, safe in the knowledge that all will be well with the creation in the end.