Milt’s Mindful Moment #5

Ouroboros.

Most commonly, it’s represented as a snake biting its own tail and is the symbol for the eternal cycle of renewal, of death/rebirth among other things, and found in many cultures. And such is May, when we really get serious about planning for the next academic year – including, for some, those summer rehearsals. It is the month of May (or June) that we begin as we end. In musician-speak, it is a phrasal elision – an elited phrase, when the ending of one phrase or cadence is also the beginning or end of another. Sure, we start some planning earlier, but the conclusion of one academic year signals the beginning of the new one and our focus jumps past the last days of school and towards next fall. Ah, thinking about next fall and the hope, creativity and adventure it can bring! So, this summer, we’ll take a little vacation, maybe attend a workshop or two, and say that we’re relaxing while preparing for next school year. Ouroboros. A musical life as an elited phrase.

How about we break the snake?

What if we really focused on ourselves this summer as much as we’ll focus on our students? I’ve no doubt that many of us do, but others of us, well, Ouroboros. Creating the right personal mind set going into the school year is every bit as important as what we’re creating for our students. To that end, we need to take the tail out of the snake’s mouth and see where that critter leads us! (My apologies to those of you who have a fear of snakes, but I ain’t the one that came up with that whole deal!) I’m not simply talking about “recharging” ourselves: I’m talking about continuing to create or recreate ourselves! So, with that in mind, here are four things just to get your creative “self” juices flowing. Tip of the iceberg, er, snake:

1. Go someplace you’ve never been and stay there a few days. Then, take that visitor’s wide-eyed perspective back to familiar grounds. You’ll be surprised at the view.
2. Dive DEEP into that hobby or start a new one . . . or start one! All of the most incredible musicians I’ve ever met have a passion outside of music that drives them! In part, it’s what provides them enjoyment outside the rehearsal hall, but also can serve to allow the subconscious to spring forth creatively!
3. Do something that scares you – that’s legal. If you do that, then I won’t need to describe the benefits here.
4. Volunteer at a homeless shelter, play music at a retirement center, have coffee with a V.F.W. group – get outside your comfort zone and get perspective. These encounters will not only change you, but they also help put life in perspective.

Again, those things are just a beginning. Break the snake. Live life. Continue to evolve. That, my friends, is the path to living our authentic selves, the place where our best teaching and music-making comes from!