Re: [Harp-L] what else do you do?



I do a lot of musical work in the home studio - definitely a help for the harp playing to be able to tinker without paying attention to time or studio bills.

This past year I've taken up acting as another source of gigs and income.  Benefit to harp playing:  I've learned how to "let go" of my conscious thought process and just go with creative flow wherever it leads.  It's an essential skill for "becoming" the role you play.  I try to get in the same frame of mind when playing harp, letting go of thoughts about the next song, a faulty instrument cable, thinking my way through the solo, etc. and just trusting that the notes will come if I take that leap of faith.  

Once you get to a certain level with your playing skills, the challenge becomes deconstructing all that technique you've learned to get to the bare bones essence of what you do.  I think learning to act has certainly helped me get a lot closer to getting out of my own way and just letting the music flow through me.  I'm a better musician and harp player for it.

Lest we get too metaphysical, I can also highly recommend some quality downtime spent with any combination of barbeque, blues, beer and a favorite smoke as being conducive to wanting to play.

Best regards to all,

Tio Ed
Austin, Texas





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