Being in the moment

BassDriver

BassDriver

Silver Member
How many of you live in the moment?
...or maybe you just reserve that for when you'are drumming?

How do you think that affects your drumming?

...what is it like?

I thought about this after I took notice of how musicians look when they are performing a piece of music that is really grooving well, they seem like they lose themselves in the music.
 
Good question. Sometimes I'm not even in the moment when playing :)

I find the best warmup routine for drumming (or tennis or any time-based activity) is simply to focus on putting myself as much as possible in the moment for the day ... as soon as I remember to do it. John Lennon had it worked out - "life is what happens while you're making other plans".
 
This could get deep but heres my take on it...I know I spent many years looking forward to something in the future or regretting something in the past, meanwhile the "now" was something I had to just get through so I could get to (when I get a better job, that next vacation ect...) when everything would be OK....not a good way to live.... the abilility to be "in the present" is something that requires mental training for myself at least when I'm not drumming however I find it a much better way of life...there are lots of books on this subject..."The Joy of Now" is one I highly recommend...yeah I heard about it on Oprah : )
 
Moments pass by so quickly and are so small....

We all live in the moment. It is always now, even when now becomes then.
 
BassDriver said:
How many of you live in the moment?
...or maybe you just reserve that for when you'are drumming?

How do you think that affects your drumming?

...what is it like?

I thought about this after I took notice of how musicians look when they are performing a piece of music that is really grooving well, they seem like they lose themselves in the music.
Click to expand...

...

This is deep and like all deep things perhaps there is only so much one can say or discuss.

I think at a base level, that this is really what all of us play for. To lose ourselves in the musical moment.

The pros, the ams, the weekend warriors, et al. Besides the few of us who wore tight leather pants and played for that one girl's attention in high school, it is really this feeling that draws all of us to be musicians.

I assume you are specifically taking of music that is being performed live, in which case makes it a 3 way non verbal dialogue between yourself, other musicians, and the audience. When all 3 are aligned, there is musical nirvana.

The fact seems to be that these moments dont happen that often and are fleeting so the thirst to experience them again and again is what keeps the spirit of a musician alive.

my two roubles..

...
 
Have a look at Lester Bowie (trumpeter) early on in this clip while Cecil plays piano - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah5OVkgUtF8

If he was walking down the street and heard Cecil playing this he wouldn't suddenly stop, close his eyes, throw his head back and vibe out. But here he's captured in the performance space, heightened focus, engaged with every fibre of his being, ready to be part of the music - or really, he already is, just not making sounds yet.

Some players would be taking a sip of drink or surreptitiously wiping their nose instead ...
 
This is deep and like all deep things perhaps there is only so much one can say or discuss.

I think at a base level, that this is really what all of us play for. To lose ourselves in the musical moment.

The pros, the ams, the weekend warriors, et al. Besides the few of us who wore tight leather pants and played for that one girl's attention in high school, it is really this feeling that draws all of us to be musicians.

I assume you are specifically taking of music that is being performed live, in which case makes it a 3 way non verbal dialogue between yourself, other musicians, and the audience. When all 3 are aligned, there is musical nirvana.

The fact seems to be that these moments dont happen that often and are fleeting so the thirst to experience them again and again is what keeps the spirit of a musician alive.

my two roubles..
Click to expand...

Thanks, great description.

Could this be compared somewhat to Zen?
 
BassDriver said:
Could this be compared somewhat to Zen?
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I cant say, dont know much about Zen, but it is safe to assume that we are all seekers of some kind. All of us are looking for answers to some of life's bigger questions from the universe, and most musicians tend find those answers in music or at the very least spend a lifetime looking there.

I suppose without getting too philosophical, yes, music could be compared to belief systems & religions and being in the musical moment could be similar to nirvana, enlightenment, salvation etc.

...
 
I guess there could be an argument about whether being 'in the zone' is really mindfulness or if you're actually further from the moment as it really is, due to your being immersed in the music. An interesting one.
 
Pollyanna said:
John Lennon had it worked out - "life is what happens while you're making other plans".
Click to expand...

Actually, he stole that from Allen Saunders. His version of the phrase, "Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans", appeared in Reader's Digest in 1957 :)

A great and inspiring line regardless of who said it first though.
 
Amongst the best ideas there is little need for any new ones.
 
Naigewron said:
Actually, he stole that from Allen Saunders. His version of the phrase, "Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans", appeared in Reader's Digest in 1957 :)
Click to expand...

Good pickup - live and learn. John was pretty shameless spruiking that quote uncredited :)

Some Zen quotes:

Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
- Andre Gide

Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine
- Shunryu Suzuki
 
Pollyanna said:
Good pickup - live and learn. John was pretty shameless spruiking that quote uncredited :)
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Hah, never took note of your location before, but when I saw the term "spruiking" I instantly knew you were an Aussie :)
Ahh, now you made me miss my years in Melbourne. I love Norway, but I still find myself missing my second country from time to time (and it's usually brought on by the smallest or strangest of triggers, such as reading the word "spruiking").

But then again, I guess missing Australia isn't much in keeping with the topic of this thread (quite the opposite), haha. I apparently suck at living in the moment ;-)

edit: How's that for coincidence! The definition of "spruik" in Wiktionary uses Lennon as an example of using the word in a sentence, haha!
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spruik
 
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You have an Aussie connection! You kept that one under your hat well. If Lucky Lew ever becomes huge our media would start calling you "Aussie Eskil" - guaranteed :)

I expect the Scandinavian winter would be a time when you'd miss Oz ... as opposed to a Zenlike savouring of the darkness and iciness lol. John was pretty big on spruiking so he's probably a good fit for the Wiktionary definition - nice coincidence tho.

.
BTW, Boomka dropped another of his perception bombs in the Most Common Mistakes thread. Check out post #9 - it describes the un-Zen state really nicely.

Turn off you mind, relax and float downstream ...

PS. It just struck me that John Lennon was great at being in the moment. Totally confident and relaxed. In his memoir, Geoff Emerick talked about the time when The Beatles had to do a live rendition of All You Need Is Love to a massive TV audience, refusing the chance to mime to the recording.He just walked in and nailed it.
 
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My biggest issue is when I get behind the drums and I'm not in the mood or I am distracted by something else going on. Between practice and gigs, I play about three times a week, and there are occassions where I really don't want to be there. If there are personality issues or turmoil within the band, that makes it worse. Fortunately, even when I am not "in the moment" when I start, I usually can turn that around after playing for a few minutes. Playing the drums is very therapuetic for me. Nerves can also limit one's ability to be in the moment. I try to manage that by practicing my material extensively. I'm usually more nervous about my singing leads on songs than on my drumming. I'll be singing lead on 5 songs in my classic rock band at our next gig on March 19. Most challenging is singing and playing Sweet Home Alabama and Sunshine of Your Love.
 
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