The Christmas, Chanukah,
and New Year holiday seasons can be the busiest times 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, on the right day, at the right
time, 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 staying 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 suggestions have been tested by
experience. More significantly, they all derive from this important
theme: When you plan ahead, you make things easier for yourself later.
Be
Healthy and Rested
Taking good
care of yourself always comes first. Good health and being in shape—both
in your body and on your instrument—form the foundation for musical
success. This is especially true when the workload is heavy. If you
try to dive into a busy schedule after a break—a vacation, an illness,
a life emergency—you risk soreness and injury.
You lessen
that risk by coming to work with toned and practiced muscles. You further
lessen it by warming up and cooling down effectively. Follow the principle
"heat before playing, ice after playing." You can do this while you
commute—a real time-saver. Even in temperate weather, consider
wearing gloves while you drive. You can wear heat wraps on the way to
the gig and cold packs on the way home, too.
All our lives
we hear these bits of good advice: Practice, eat well, exercise, get
enough sleep. Fine counsel, all of it. If you follow the advice conscientiously,
you will find that each of these endeavors is a study in itself. I recommend
the study, though I also recognize that this is not the place to prescribe
a diet, or plan an exercise program. You will find your own. But there
is one line of learning that deserves special mention: conscious relaxation—the
intentional recognition and release of unnecessary tension in your body.
Having an alert, calm mind in a healthy, relaxed body is a state of
being. Entering this state sometimes requires special skill.
Relax
Good 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 the mind/body relationship that often get lumped
together under the word meditation—all of these 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 (see "For Further Reading").
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.
Care
for Your Tools
Active players
know the importance of a bow that still pulls sound, strings that hold
their pitch, and an instrument that is free of mysterious buzzes. Take
proper care of your instrument and it will take care of you. Is your
instrument free of wolf tones or rattles? Are your strings fresh, and
do you have a spare set in the case? Has your bow been rehaired recently?
You can save yourself future worries by having your instrument adjusted
well ahead of any period of intense work.
The same holds
true for your car: A dependable set of wheels is extremely important
for musicians on the move. Anyone who's going to do a lot of driving
in December should have the car safety-checked in November. Good brakes,
good tires, and a reliable battery and starter will eliminate many automotive
worries and emergencies.
Once your car
has been made safe, it can be outfitted to serve as Base Station during
the coming weeks. Spare yourself those rushed last-minute searches:
Plan ahead, make a list of what you'll need, and provide it in advance:
Do you wear glasses? Keep an extra pair in the car. Do you take medicines?
Keep a spare supply there, too.
Have you been
asked to bring your own stand to a job? Put two in the car trunk ahead
of time—one for you and one for the colleague who forgot. Include
stand lights and power cables, too, if you have them. I have not yet
found battery-operated stand lights that are bright enough for me, but
if they work for you, use them—and pack some back-up batteries
as well. You know you're going to be asked to complete W-4, W-9, and
I-9 forms; fill them out ahead of time and keep them in your car, or
in your case.
You also know
that you'll have to sit on often uncomfortable folding chairs, so keep
a seat cushion and a back support in your car. They'll help make those
long seated hours more livable. If it's not too much hassle for you
to bring your own chair, do so. Take good care of yourself.
Keep
an Eye on Time
Another valuable
tool is a good alarm clock. It can protect you from oversleeping and
help you take short naps on busy days. Use a clock that can be set precisely,
and that won't stop ringing until you turn it off. And if you've promised
to do something at a specific time, write the promise on a Post-it note,
stick it on the clock, and set the alarm.
Advance preparation
can also extend to your cooking. If you prepare double meals now and
freeze half for later, you'll thank yourself in the future. You also
may want to outfit your car with a cooler, or even a small refrigerator
that plugs into the cigarette lighter. You deserve a leisurely meal
between services, but that's not always possible. And you might not
want to depend on fast food. Sometime when you're trapped in traffic
(it happens!) a handy, thoughtfully prepared snack or sandwich can make
all the difference.
Dress
for Success
Think ahead
about your clothing, too. Adjust your performance dress for comfort
and ease of playing. In our society, women musicians seem to have more
leeway than men about the details of how they dress; they can find ways
to be comfortable. Men have to finagle more, but there are things you
can do. I wear lightweight, slightly oversized performance clothing,
and I have had a pleat put in the back center seam of my jackets. Now
there is no fabric tug when I raise my arms to play the viola. (Gussets
under the arms can also have this effect.)
Once your clothes
are comfortable, they should also be clean and neat. We are hired to
play well and to look good. Well-dressed, well-groomed musicians add
to the festivity of the occasion. Leave the grunge to the rockers—unless
it's specifically requested.
Practice thinking
ahead and you'll find that early preparation always eases later stress.
Anything helpful that you do ahead of time is a gift that you make to
your future self. The gift will be appreciated, so be generous. It's
in the holiday spirit.
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For
Further Reading
The books of Dr. Herbert
Benson are important resources for anyone interested in relaxation
techniques. Read in sequence, they give an interesting view of
the growth of his personal thinking along with his deepening research.
The Relaxation Response, Your Maximum Mind, and
The Wellness Book are all useful and relevant to our work.
Visit www.mbmi.org/pages/bio1.asp for more information. The
Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis,
Matthew McKay, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Robins Eshelman (New Harbinger
Publications, ISBN 1-879237-83-0) contains summaries of several
of the techniques mentioned in this article.
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