“Use ideas sparingly”

This isn’t a blog entry more an aide memoire. This is probably the most useful piece of advice I have taken away from Geoff Simkins Saturday workshop (thank you Geoff) and one that only hit home in the last few minutes of the last workshop of term.

I’m hoping it’s a piece of advice I can keep with me. When I play live, I often try to keep at least one piece of advice in my head, such as:

Project the sound like a trumpet

Play clearly and confidently

Hold onto that feeling

Play with conviction

Hold onto ideas, don’t let them go

Make the music dance

Make the music smile

Remember some of things I have learnt

Forget all the things I have learnt

Play with an open heart

Enjoy it

Don’t forget the audience

Don’t forget the other musicians

Play for myself

Play for the one person who is listening, and now

Use ideas sparingly!

This has to be the antidote to simply throwing in every musical idea that comes into your head when soloing. Take an idea, explore it and develop it until you can’t think of anything more to do with it and a new ideas pops into your head. I just need to remember this.