Splurging on Music Stuff
Forgive this self-indulgent post, but I am finally in a place where I can afford to do things like purchase guitar, banjo, and ukulele strings without trading that purchase with food to eat during the month. I just bought all the accoutrements necessary to maintain the various instruments that I have available but haven't been able to get because of medical bills and student loan payments. I am currently unencumbered by such debts, so I have a bit to spend.
It's amazing that it doesn't take much to keep up my instruments, but it is difficult to get nothing from nothing. As a result, I have one clarinet reed left, a banjo with only two strings, a flute without an end cap and missing some springs, and a trombone slide that sticks halfway down. Most of those things only required a couple of dollars to fix, and so I am going to fix it right now (while I have the money!).
I am needing to immerse myself in making music. I want to better my functional skills on my accompanying instruments, and I have so many instruments to play around me, that I am going to start playing more often - neighbors, beware! I've started to work on my ukulele skill and will take up the banjo as well.
I don't expect that I will ever be proficient enough to use these instruments in performances, but I want to learn enough to be able to demonstrate how to play all of them with my clients. I want to carve out time in each of my days to reconnect with music - what I have always loved.
When I've gone through these situations before, I've found that learning skills on the instruments helps me explore music more deeply. I can work on my transposition skills, my understanding of music theory, and all types of musical experimentation and exploration. I am looking forward to the process this time around.
Today, I am going to play the piano and the guitar on my own, without an audience or clinical responsibilities. I am going to take some of my fakebooks and technique books and just play for a bit. After that, who knows?
I will splurge, not just monetarily, but with my time and effort this week. Music will be the reward.
It's amazing that it doesn't take much to keep up my instruments, but it is difficult to get nothing from nothing. As a result, I have one clarinet reed left, a banjo with only two strings, a flute without an end cap and missing some springs, and a trombone slide that sticks halfway down. Most of those things only required a couple of dollars to fix, and so I am going to fix it right now (while I have the money!).
I am needing to immerse myself in making music. I want to better my functional skills on my accompanying instruments, and I have so many instruments to play around me, that I am going to start playing more often - neighbors, beware! I've started to work on my ukulele skill and will take up the banjo as well.
I don't expect that I will ever be proficient enough to use these instruments in performances, but I want to learn enough to be able to demonstrate how to play all of them with my clients. I want to carve out time in each of my days to reconnect with music - what I have always loved.
When I've gone through these situations before, I've found that learning skills on the instruments helps me explore music more deeply. I can work on my transposition skills, my understanding of music theory, and all types of musical experimentation and exploration. I am looking forward to the process this time around.
Today, I am going to play the piano and the guitar on my own, without an audience or clinical responsibilities. I am going to take some of my fakebooks and technique books and just play for a bit. After that, who knows?
I will splurge, not just monetarily, but with my time and effort this week. Music will be the reward.
Comments
Post a Comment