Okay, I don't really enjoy declaring myself as [insert profession], but yeah, people, I'm a musician. I simply want to share the fun of being a minimalist as a musician. Cause, it's fun! And tbh, perhaps what I'll write here would affect you in a good way, whatever you call yourself!
First, this is what I do on daily basis, as a classical music musician (besides playing with Salju Meong and hugging other humanbeings around...) :
1. I practice--this is the mandatory hobby of any musician ever. My major instrument is piano, I also play viola (the bigger violin, alto voice), and recently I'm learning kacapi for an upcoming concert. Sometimes I play recorder and other random instruments. And it's not about repeating and finishing one specific repertoire--you can do that more in the 2nd point. Practice refers to repeating and building a habit and conquering some technique, dexterity, and overall, all things behind the stage performance! Practice needs a lot of inner will. Therefore, no one will go practice anyway. Lol. Bitter, but true. At this point, I can say that practicing is an evidence of your success in having control of yourself. Deep? Aye, aye. It's not even a verb, it's a process.
2. I rehearse--this is something you usually do with more energy, time, and effort. It's the preparation. Like, you practice specifically for a performance with an orchestra, or a duet, as a violist, or pianist, even as a soloist, you name it. I do all of those. For an ensemble rehearsal, you have to make appointments and fill your schedule with these cooperative bonding with other musicians. Not every sprinkle of repertoires chosen is your favourite. Not everyone is quite friendly as a partner. This is the activity which will test your tolerance and responsibility. And from rehearsals, you create unique friendships. (and mental training!)
3. I educate--this is...what musicians don't always have to do but most musicians do this anyway, lol. Well, even if you're not literally a teacher, you will share some knowledge with your desk partner or something like that, tho'. I'm still thinking whether I really love teaching or not but for some degree, I enjoy sharing what I've learned with others and, sweetheart, you really broaden your mind and push the limits when you try to play an instrument (or sing...). The effect of art can be written in another post, but, after 6 years of being a piano & viola tutor, yes, I believe now that art isn't about the physical result or the product. It's bigger than that!
4. I study--even if you already have pupils/ juniors/ whtsvr, you're still a pupil. With or without real tutor, stay with your student state and have that mentality of a pupil. ABSORB THOSE CRAZY NEW LESSONS. Be critical, and careful, but never be defensive. I still take piano & viola lessons, once a week, 45-60 minutes. It's like a booster for me. To train me as a performer, I have to own the urge to prepare tiny presentations every single week. It avoids me from neglecting practice and to stay on track. My orchestra rehearsals, I can treat them as my group class or something. Sometimes there are studio class and concerts. If you're intense with your lesson and your teachers are intense, too, you can get a miniature sensation of becoming a student of music university.
Now this is the comparation of my old self and my recent self about being a musician.
1. I thought it's just about playing your repertoires virtuosly, play new song every month, upgrading yourself and never look back after a progress. Lol. Are you kidding? Even if you've conquered Minuet in G Major by Bach, you'll repeat it someday and learn something new from that simple piece. Even if you've played scales when you're 12 years old, you still have to train your fingers with scales in your 20s and sometimes you still mess it up. In a raw form, classical music isn't the easiest choice you could ever choose, but...really, it's just lovely.
2. As a musician, just pour out all your emotion to the music and make it cool--who cares about what people say. Well, uhm, you must reduce your selfishness to some...low degree. It's not about who's the best and everyone has different taste so your artwork may touch some but not the others. It's about respecting a composer's sense, historical influence, and mix it with your own savor--while staying in the rules and under control. Plus, tolerating with your instrument (the one you use at home and the one you may meet on stage [specifically for a pianist]) can be another exciting yet exhausting story. If I have to compare the life of a classical musician, it's 45% closer to the life of an athlete, not a virtuoso painter. I know visual artist needs practice, too, don't worry.
3. If you can play it slowly, you can play it fast. Lol, it's our favourite satire line from Two Set Violin. But, really, it's definitely...unbearable! Playing a fast piece doesn't define your ability. It's in the composer's hand (or you're the composer yourself!). It's not about showing off without artistic and historic guidelines. It's still awesome to watch a prodigy playing Chopin's Black-Keys Etudes, tho'.
4. The more you practice, the more you have repertoires memorized in your head, you're a better musician. Collect more books, more music sheets...all the sticky pride-seeking tools to show to the world that you're a musician. Ugh, depends on how you play and how you manage yourself, your body, and your temper. And...ah, seek quality, not quantity, baby!
5. I'm multitalented so it's normal if I have flaws and don't do all things perfectly. The most dangerous thought I've ever held. More articulation on the next section.
In a minimalistic state of life, I found some enlightenment...
1. Being multitalented is not an excuse to do anything half-heartedly. I gave up sustaining Guyu as a product brand, accepting illustration orders, and turn down the volume of my ambitious shout as an artist's daughter. I downsize my possessions along with my anger. I started to appreciate not-so-pretty design cause I don't even have the proper skill and time to make a design. I appreciate more when as I give up more! I know I can draw and I still draw only for fun cause it has become my language. But to not thinking about the commercial side is such a liberty!
2. I don't have to practice 40 hours a day. It's not the point. To practice efficiently and targeted is more liberating than blindly doing that without any progress.
3. I can choose what I want to do. If you like teaching and performing as well, you can do both. If you don't enjoy teaching but you can tolerate wedding music, it's fine. I keep a number of students I can teach with full energy and knowledge, and actually don't add another for a while. Oh such an elegant choice I made! It doesn't drain me, and I have time to actually prepare my teachings while practicing and attend rehearsals.
4. Sorting out my music sheets is pleasing. Knowing which is still used and not, arranging your bookshelf, and make sure everything in display sparks joy and purposeful, it's giving you a magical clarity.
5. I play better cause I know how to practice. Thanks to the right environment, too. With enough motivation and many supporters, I'm developing myself. And I know right away that once I choose something, I have to be responsible. I didn't expect to get 'Merit' for my ARSM Exam but it is Merit. :')
6. No fear in being peculiar. My life / schedule might seems strange for some people in my age. Talking with a cat, playing music and not proudly saying that I'm accessing my business mind to create a financially safe family. Or, oh why don't you chase another pupils so you'll gain much much Rupiahs? Ah, people, as long as our soul is fulfilled, we're abundant already...
7. I believe in myself more. Less anxiety, to be short. Playing music with more serious effort has opened my eyes about my possibility. I may be dictated or stated by people that I'm this and that, but everytime they ask me 'what you're doing', I can happily answer, "I'm living my best life!" behind the sentence, there, I see music, playing, drawing, and all. I'm free from labelling myself and getting anxious about making my labels adjust with my skill.
First, this is what I do on daily basis, as a classical music musician (besides playing with Salju Meong and hugging other humanbeings around...) :
1. I practice--this is the mandatory hobby of any musician ever. My major instrument is piano, I also play viola (the bigger violin, alto voice), and recently I'm learning kacapi for an upcoming concert. Sometimes I play recorder and other random instruments. And it's not about repeating and finishing one specific repertoire--you can do that more in the 2nd point. Practice refers to repeating and building a habit and conquering some technique, dexterity, and overall, all things behind the stage performance! Practice needs a lot of inner will. Therefore, no one will go practice anyway. Lol. Bitter, but true. At this point, I can say that practicing is an evidence of your success in having control of yourself. Deep? Aye, aye. It's not even a verb, it's a process.
2. I rehearse--this is something you usually do with more energy, time, and effort. It's the preparation. Like, you practice specifically for a performance with an orchestra, or a duet, as a violist, or pianist, even as a soloist, you name it. I do all of those. For an ensemble rehearsal, you have to make appointments and fill your schedule with these cooperative bonding with other musicians. Not every sprinkle of repertoires chosen is your favourite. Not everyone is quite friendly as a partner. This is the activity which will test your tolerance and responsibility. And from rehearsals, you create unique friendships. (and mental training!)
3. I educate--this is...what musicians don't always have to do but most musicians do this anyway, lol. Well, even if you're not literally a teacher, you will share some knowledge with your desk partner or something like that, tho'. I'm still thinking whether I really love teaching or not but for some degree, I enjoy sharing what I've learned with others and, sweetheart, you really broaden your mind and push the limits when you try to play an instrument (or sing...). The effect of art can be written in another post, but, after 6 years of being a piano & viola tutor, yes, I believe now that art isn't about the physical result or the product. It's bigger than that!
4. I study--even if you already have pupils/ juniors/ whtsvr, you're still a pupil. With or without real tutor, stay with your student state and have that mentality of a pupil. ABSORB THOSE CRAZY NEW LESSONS. Be critical, and careful, but never be defensive. I still take piano & viola lessons, once a week, 45-60 minutes. It's like a booster for me. To train me as a performer, I have to own the urge to prepare tiny presentations every single week. It avoids me from neglecting practice and to stay on track. My orchestra rehearsals, I can treat them as my group class or something. Sometimes there are studio class and concerts. If you're intense with your lesson and your teachers are intense, too, you can get a miniature sensation of becoming a student of music university.
Now this is the comparation of my old self and my recent self about being a musician.
1. I thought it's just about playing your repertoires virtuosly, play new song every month, upgrading yourself and never look back after a progress. Lol. Are you kidding? Even if you've conquered Minuet in G Major by Bach, you'll repeat it someday and learn something new from that simple piece. Even if you've played scales when you're 12 years old, you still have to train your fingers with scales in your 20s and sometimes you still mess it up. In a raw form, classical music isn't the easiest choice you could ever choose, but...really, it's just lovely.
2. As a musician, just pour out all your emotion to the music and make it cool--who cares about what people say. Well, uhm, you must reduce your selfishness to some...low degree. It's not about who's the best and everyone has different taste so your artwork may touch some but not the others. It's about respecting a composer's sense, historical influence, and mix it with your own savor--while staying in the rules and under control. Plus, tolerating with your instrument (the one you use at home and the one you may meet on stage [specifically for a pianist]) can be another exciting yet exhausting story. If I have to compare the life of a classical musician, it's 45% closer to the life of an athlete, not a virtuoso painter. I know visual artist needs practice, too, don't worry.
3. If you can play it slowly, you can play it fast. Lol, it's our favourite satire line from Two Set Violin. But, really, it's definitely...unbearable! Playing a fast piece doesn't define your ability. It's in the composer's hand (or you're the composer yourself!). It's not about showing off without artistic and historic guidelines. It's still awesome to watch a prodigy playing Chopin's Black-Keys Etudes, tho'.
4. The more you practice, the more you have repertoires memorized in your head, you're a better musician. Collect more books, more music sheets...all the sticky pride-seeking tools to show to the world that you're a musician. Ugh, depends on how you play and how you manage yourself, your body, and your temper. And...ah, seek quality, not quantity, baby!
5. I'm multitalented so it's normal if I have flaws and don't do all things perfectly. The most dangerous thought I've ever held. More articulation on the next section.
In a minimalistic state of life, I found some enlightenment...
1. Being multitalented is not an excuse to do anything half-heartedly. I gave up sustaining Guyu as a product brand, accepting illustration orders, and turn down the volume of my ambitious shout as an artist's daughter. I downsize my possessions along with my anger. I started to appreciate not-so-pretty design cause I don't even have the proper skill and time to make a design. I appreciate more when as I give up more! I know I can draw and I still draw only for fun cause it has become my language. But to not thinking about the commercial side is such a liberty!
2. I don't have to practice 40 hours a day. It's not the point. To practice efficiently and targeted is more liberating than blindly doing that without any progress.
3. I can choose what I want to do. If you like teaching and performing as well, you can do both. If you don't enjoy teaching but you can tolerate wedding music, it's fine. I keep a number of students I can teach with full energy and knowledge, and actually don't add another for a while. Oh such an elegant choice I made! It doesn't drain me, and I have time to actually prepare my teachings while practicing and attend rehearsals.
4. Sorting out my music sheets is pleasing. Knowing which is still used and not, arranging your bookshelf, and make sure everything in display sparks joy and purposeful, it's giving you a magical clarity.
5. I play better cause I know how to practice. Thanks to the right environment, too. With enough motivation and many supporters, I'm developing myself. And I know right away that once I choose something, I have to be responsible. I didn't expect to get 'Merit' for my ARSM Exam but it is Merit. :')
6. No fear in being peculiar. My life / schedule might seems strange for some people in my age. Talking with a cat, playing music and not proudly saying that I'm accessing my business mind to create a financially safe family. Or, oh why don't you chase another pupils so you'll gain much much Rupiahs? Ah, people, as long as our soul is fulfilled, we're abundant already...
7. I believe in myself more. Less anxiety, to be short. Playing music with more serious effort has opened my eyes about my possibility. I may be dictated or stated by people that I'm this and that, but everytime they ask me 'what you're doing', I can happily answer, "I'm living my best life!" behind the sentence, there, I see music, playing, drawing, and all. I'm free from labelling myself and getting anxious about making my labels adjust with my skill.
Whatever you're doing in your life, be it selling handphone case, campaigning zero waste life, cooking some dabu dabu sambal everyday, fostering stray animals, analyzing stock, banker, anything, remember, you're a human. Make your life your dream life, your own favourite life!
Should I say it once again, yes, you can. We all can.
Cause it's such a long post, here's a little photo!
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