Musicale: a music program forming the main part of a social occasion. Short for soiree musicale (American, 1840-1850) Soiree: an evening party or social gathering, esp. one held for a particular purpose: a musical soiree (French, 1810-1820) Salon: A drawing room or reception room in a large house; an assembly of guests in such a room; esp. an assembly consisting of the leaders in art, society, politics etc.
This is to be a NOT-juried event. NO judgment! Rather, it is about encouragement to share. A womb, rather than a court room. A time and place to cultivate a Community that loves piano. A place of Encouragement: Couer = Heart. A time to interact, and not just with / about Piano. Goal: to integrate Piano into Life. Playing is Magic, it’s Healing
Our first Salon took place yesterday. It was a Wonderful event! Hours filled with lovely music and musical discourse. So surprising to see the degree to which others struggle with stage fright, such a powerful Demon in my own pianistic life. What is it that has made the realm of piano playing and piano pedagogy such a breeding ground for Terrorism? Why has it become an activity that batters and scars people, flattens and pummels them into Terror?
Part of it is the constant focus on What’s Wrong. Teacher as Criticizer. Truly, I think that for many teachers, criticizing and fault finding are the only activities they know to perform in the role of instructor. That certainly is how it felt to be for me with the Ditch.
The idea of Juries as part of piano playing! Oi! As Madeline said, being a piano student, you inevitably are found Guilty, of not playing perfectly. Lessons and performances as a Trial where the student sits accused of Imperfection and must, hopelessly, defend themselves. God, what a terrible paradigm! How did such an adversarial model find its way into the realm of Piano Playing? Why was it accepted and adopted? Why is it perpetuated still? It is totally inimical to Creativity, Heart, and Soul.
Yesterday’s salon felt very uncritical to me, very friendly and supportive. A time and space wherein to explore, wherein to enjoy beautiful music.
My own goal was to not be taken over by Fear when I played. To give faith and credence to the notion that performing can be a friendly event, one where I am not going to be judged harshly and attacked. I focused on staying present and “simply” making music. I feel that I was quite successful.
An interesting realization yesterday was that, as far as Piano goes, I can, indeed, take on an Adult role. I don’t have to stay in a passive and powerless Child’s role. I realized that in thinking about the Salon, I’d felt like a kid, wanting to rebel against tyrannical and oppressive Adults, but fearing their disapproval. It struck me that with the Salon, I get to structure things as I want. There is no Ditch, except in my own head. Certainly, others have their own inner Ditches and I may need to dance around them, but there is no outside Authority that I need to kowtow in front of.
So too in playing, there is no Grāvele, no Zaiga, no Armīns any more. There is no one who can wield that kind of power over me, except in my own mind. I can play now for people who want to hear me, who want communication, whose goal is not to Judge me. Even if I am judged, it has no external power over me. It has only the negative power that I give it. No one need ever wound me the way those folks from my past did. Wounding now occurs only if I get confused in my thinking and allow it to happen. If I play for Oren, for Dieviņš, for the Universe, I am open. The goal of playing is to be centered and open, and to share myself.