Gratitude and Musicianship
- Serena Gorham
- Apr 11, 2018
- 2 min read
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting family, and during dinner, we discussed gratitude. I thought about my musicianship, and how to express gratitude in the practice room, on stage, and when studying.
1. Be grateful you live in a time where studying music is equal in opportunity.
Studying music hasn't always been the most accepting place to study music. It is not difficult to recognize that in the past (VERY past) women like Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelsshon did not receive the attention they deserved because a woman's work was not always valued. The same goes for anyone of color. White men, don't feel guilty, it is not your fault that the people of the past behaved this way. What we can do now is lift each other up and be grateful for music no matter who we are.
2. Be grateful you have an instrument to play
If you are an instrumentalist, be grateful for your instrument, student model or not. Not everyone has the fortunate opportunity to handle a beautiful instrument, or even afford a "junky" student model.
3. Be grateful for the struggles
When you are banging your head against a wall because enharmonic respelling makes no sense, or you are trying so hard to cram for that Music History exam, just remember, you are studying what you love. You don't have to study a subject you hate because of lack of funding, you get to be in your program!
4. Eds: Don't take your organizations for granted
Those conferences that you hate waking up for, the meetings that can drag on, remember that it's organizations like these that can springboard your career!
5. Be grateful for where you came from, where you are at, and how you will shape your future.
Being sick of your own musicianship will bog you down, and only harm your instrumental development in the long-run. Instead of being angry about your musicianship, and why you can't just get that damn run, be grateful that you are working hard for yourself. Look at where you have come from. For times like these I look at my practice log, and visualize my progress! It really helps for when you feel stuck in a rut.
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