Gardening and Music Part 2- “Give Me Some Space, Please!”
During these early summer months the intense growth in the vegetable beds is simply amazing. Just like watching young children sprout, the transformation of the garden landscape is often visible overnight, especially after sunny days and a good evening rainfall. In our musical journey there are also definite stages where growth is in the air and progress is undeniable. In July's guitar newsletter I would like to continue discussing the similarities between gardening and music by exploring what ideal growing conditions are and how adequate space is crucial. Young plants need plenty of room to develop into healthy and mature fruit bearing plants. This truth offers many parallels to the stages of growth in learning an instrument from beginners to more advanced students.
Without a doubt taking one-on-one guitar lessons is the ideal learning environment because all the attention of the teacher can be directed on the student, and there is no one to compete against. It's the same for plants; they don't like to be crowded out! Surprisingly, thinking ahead and planning for plenty of space for a developing plant is not as easy as it might seem. Perhaps we, as growing musicians, should also be aware of creating a healthy learning environment that offers abundant room.
At the start of the growing season, any sign of green is welcome and young seedlings and weeds will often sprout up together in clumps. However, as they increase in size, it becomes necessary to regularly weed and delicately thin out the space around each individual plant.
For a student, the concept of space could begin with having a good practice setup with no distractions. Thinning out and weeding in our musical growth is a good reminder of how important it is to focus on only a few things, narrow down our goals and not be tempted to overreach. Decluttering unnecessary equipment and going back to basics with a 'less is more" attitude is always fair advice especially for electric guitar players who are guilty of having too much equipment.
Fortunately, thinning out competing new plants doesn't have to be a waste of growth. This season I was happy to learn from a good friend who grew up with a green thumb that the young carrot tops my wife and I pull out during this stage can easily be processed into a delicious pesto. The same is true for thinning out a red beet bed. All those new beet greens can be sautéed and devoured that day and don't have to end up on the compost. Yum!
In regards to our musicianship, the concept of space in the world of music is most obviously paralleled in the use of silence. "Play the rests!" is a common saying amongst music educators when encouraging students to pay equal attention to the rests in a musical piece as to the actual notes. The space around each note or phrase can really intensify their value. In order for beautiful music to blossom, sensitive guitarists know how to really tune in by constantly listening and responding to the moment. This month's playlist features an album of one of my favorite jazz guitarists, John Abercrombie, who demonstrates this element of responding with sensitivity and allowing for sufficient space for other musicians to tell their story.
An interesting fact about plants is that they can be picky in regards to whom they have around them while they are maturing. Plants actually give off chemicals that can hinder other plants from maturing! The concept of "companion planting" can provide good guidelines for deciding what to plant where. Not all plants get along well with each other and have preferences about neighbors.
This concept is equally true in the life of aspiring musicians. It is crucial to have beneficial people around you as you learn and advance. On the flip side, are there people in close proximity to you that may be best kept away because they have a toxic effect on your inspiration? One of the cool things about being in a band with friends is the feeling of security and receiving encouragement from your fellow band mates. Ideally, and at it's purest, a healthy band configuration should offer a place of growth with plenty of praise for all members.
May this newsletter inspire you to create an optimum learning-environment. Stake your territory, tidy-up your playing field and surround yourself with beneficial souls. Then the time you invest in your ambitions will be rewarded with visible growth and a bountiful, musical harvest.
Hope you enjoy the carrot top pesto!
Chris
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