Taking Care of Myself

What would you guess would be the most important aspect of life that I learned during my musical journey? Practicing? Playing Well? Overcoming Shyness? Sight Reading? Nope, while all of those are certainly things I have learned, none were the most important. The most important I gathered so far is to take care of myself. The importance of working hard and then taking breaks before starting again. This aspect has spilled over into my other activities. I was working on the business plan for the steel pan organization today - didn't quite finish it, but made progress. It was among a long list of things I wanted to accomplish today. When I was done, I ate lunch and took a couple of minutes to gather my thoughts. Now, I'm writing this blog. The thing is I feel great - emotionally, physically, and mentally. I owe it all to how I learned how to practice and execute my music. Many thanks to the book Musician's Way.

I had a person in my class who worked so hard on practicing that he ended up with carpal tunnel. Now, he hasn't played steel drums for about three weeks. He hasn't even come to class. Unfortunately, I think he may be behind when he returns. He was so determined to conquer one of our longer pieces that he injured himself. I vowed never to have that happen to me. I love steel drums, but not enough to injure myself. Take those breaks when you can and more importantly - take care of yourself.

(Photo courtesy of Bullet Proof Musician Blog)