Yesterday fourteen music students got together and played jazz. What a blast!

Lessons learned:

1. You cannot over prepare. 
2. Bring legible charts on brilliant white paper, lighting and/or print size is always an issue in a jazz club. 
3. Workshops and your cohort of fellow students is a good place to learn to deal with your nerves.
4. Keep it simple until you gain some experience. 
5. Play from memory for security on stage.
6. It was fun! 

Next up February, Covid willing. 

David

Breakfast piano minute is back for another round of videos. Please enjoy the peaceful daily postings. 

Self assessment is nearly impossible. Our mind can play tricks on us. Research Dunning-Kruger effect for the science. 

Here is a partial solution for music students.  

1. Listen to professional recordings of your pieces. Frequently. You should know them as well as you know "happy birthday".
2. Record yourself and listen back to your efforts. Many students find this very difficult. I understand, but, push through the resistance. It is your best self assessment tool that you have. 
3. Take lessons. Professional feedback is priceless. 

If I can help you, please call me. 

David

Jamey Aebersold gave a great demonstration, which was so revealing to me as a jazz teacher.
He assembled the students in the auditorium at University of Louisville. He would pluck one “lucky contestant” from the crowd to join him on stage. Jamey would then hand the musician a microphone and instruct them to sing/scat/hauler a jazz solo along with the chords he would randomly play on the piano.

Guess what?

Everyone could scat, some very well, others so so. But the consensus was that the “singers” could scat better than they could play. Hmmm. So, the problem isn’t in the head, it’s in the hands.

Conclusion 1: Jamey was encouraging everyone to improve their general musicianship skills on and off the instrument.
Conclusion 2: If you are a pianist or guitarist, sing and play at the same time.
 
Jamey's second reveal.

​One morning he asks the musicians, “How many of you can play 50 jazz standards from memory?” I enthusiastically raise my hand. Looking around the room of 250+ there were very few hands joining me.
How many can play 25?
10?
Any?
Overwhelming the answer was zero.

Conclusion #3 It’s hard to play freely when your head is in a book.
Conclusion #4 These musicians didn’t trust themselves to play without a book/sheet/app in front of them. He was happy to sell them another book. 

I hope this helps you begin to think through what may be holding you back.
 
David