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December 4, 2009 |
How to Beat Holiday Work StressThe Christmas, Chanukah, and New Year holiday season can be the busiest time of the year for working musicians. In addition to the joys and efforts of shopping, gift-giving, and celebrating, an active string player might also fill the days—and nights—with the Messiah, the Nutcracker, and a New Year’s Night in Old Vienna. Along with this harvest of work and income can go hours and hours of driving, short nights of sleep, and meals eaten in a rush. In one familiar word: stress. Heavy scheduling intensifies the demands that professional musicians always face, demands that go beyond good musicianship. Playing well is just the beginning—to be successful, a musician has to be dependable. That means showing up at the right place, at the right time, on the right day, wearing the right clothes, holding the right instrument, able to play the right notes at exactly the right moment—consistently, day after day. It means being organized and self-directed enough to meet all these requirements while still managing to stay rested, healthy, and positive. These are high standards, but they can be met with the help of forethought and preparation, which smooths the way toward periods of intense work. Through the years, my colleagues and I have found many useful devices for managing our busy musical lives. The following suggestion has been tested by experience. More significantly, they all derive from this important theme: When you plan ahead, you make things easier for yourself later. Tip No. 1: RelaxGood instrumental instruction should include training in techniques of self-scanning and tension release. The practice of these techniques should be part of daily life—relaxation and stress-reduction skills offer ever-increasing benefits when they are used through the years. Eliciting the relaxation response, using progressive relaxation or autogenic training, or experimenting with other exercises in mind/body relationship that often get lumped together under the word meditation—all those have a place in life and in music. If you already know a technique that works for you, by all means keep using it. If you want to expand your knowledge, there are many avenues for doing so. If you need a quick stress reliever, here’s a simple one. I call it “the secret smile and the whispered ‘ahh.’” First, sense the corners of your mouth and eyes. Then let go of any tension that you find there. Feel that you are smiling a secret smile. While you imagine this secret smile, whisper—or quietly sigh—“ahhh,” as if you were trying to fog a mirror. That’s all there is to it. With these simple actions you have relaxed the two most immediate body responses to stress: a tensed face and tightened breathing. The subtle physical sensations are easeful and positive. Most people feel beneficial effects the first time they try this. Learn more tips about taking the stress out of holiday gigs in Making Your Living as a String Player: Career Guidance from the Experts at Strings Magazine. HL00331094, 6"x 9", 88 pp., $12.95
This week from Strings Daily…A Tip from Violinist Viktoria Mullova for Playing Bach Special Holiday Savings on Strings Magazine Play a Wintry Arrangement of “Silent Night” Connect with the Community of String Players Sign up for the free Strings Daily e-newsletter. Each day you’ll receive a tip from your friends at Strings magazine. Expect guidance on buying and caring for your instrument, career advice, and steps for improving your skills, as well as news about events, your favorite artists, and new products and offerings from Strings. Be alerted to the best deals on subscriptions and gifts, as well as our books and sheet music, just in time for the holidays! News from the String WorldWhite House Taps Harlem Quartet for Holiday PerformancesThe White House has extended an invitation for the Harlem Quartet—violinists Ilmar Gavilan and Melissa White, violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez, and cellist Desmond Neysmith—to perform works by Wynton Marsalis, Billy Strayhorn, and others on December 3–4. The quartet, which has recently returned from a debut in London, will also play the Today Show on Christmas morning. All quartet members are laureates of the Sphinx Competition. Read More News Upcoming EventsCheck out our calendar for festivals, premieres, competitions, and conferences near you. |
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