Music Intelligence, Health and the Growth Mind Set
It’s tough being a musician these days. I’m here to let you know that I get it. Not only are income opportunities limited, but with the world being so tense lately, it’s hard to keep your head up and focus on anything other than what’s happening in the news. It can be difficult for musicians who are worried about their income to stay healthy mentally and physically – but they don’t have to struggle alone! Learning how to balance all these things so they become less overwhelming doesn’t have to come second – it should be one of our top priorities as musicians if we want to thrive! Part of FretboardHustle.com’s goal is to help you reach that state of balance. We will discuss strategies for musicians of all levels (beginner or advanced) that will help them grow as performers, business-people, writers and session musicians while also helping them flourish in their life outside music.
I struggled with my fear of failure for a long time – in fact the first time I performed on stage, I struggled to make my voice even audible while singing The Cars, “Just What I Needed” to my 5th grade class talent show… but over time I found that fear was holding me back from success.
Shortly after, little me was feeling incredibly bummed. I was never going to be a rock star, I just knew it. But then in what I thought was just a little pep talk, someone explained a concept to me that really stuck, and then years later I stumbled upon the book Mindset by Carol Dweck – which I’m sure now they must have been reading – and this really helped me overcome my fears.
It turns out that people can have either a fixed or growth mindset about themselves; in other words, some people believe that their intelligence is static and unchangeable, while others think they can always improve their abilities through hard work. That being said, mindsets can be changed! This concept, when I was so young had an immediate impact on how I viewed myself as a musician because now I believed that if I just practiced more often then I could become better at what I do! So far this has been true because since learning this lesson, not only have my skills improved immeasurably, but my talents have brought me across the country to both coasts on tours with Zoofunkyou, playing and building a career based on simple passion and love for the joy of music.
Musical Intelligence is one of the best skills you can develop and it will allow you to play & enjoy music for years, even when things feel like they have hit a wall. That isn’t limited to chords, scales and arpeggios either. I believe the way we treat our bodies and minds as musicians is directly related to our musical intelligence.
Music has the power to provide peace and calm when anxieties are high, pull you out of depression when feeling low, make even the most mundane things feel meaningful and purposeful. Different chords strike different emotions in our psyches. Playing music can cause a dopamine response in our brains that improves our mood even if we don’t struggle with our mental health too. Developing creative musical intelligence may well have an effect on prosocial music-minded behaviors like mastering new skills or overcoming traumatic experiences by way of songwriting and performing. I want to be clear: music should not be a replacement for going to a doctor or receiving medical treatment. Music therapy is a real and effective field of medicine (with tens of thousands of qualified professionals) for a reason and music deserves to be considered as a valid form of self & community health improvement.
I am not a music therapy professional, I am a performer and a writer of music. In my 15 years of music industry & music education experience, it has become clear to me that music is a healing art. Valuing musical intelligence also encourages us to take care of our bodies. If we can’t muster up the energy to play for our audiences with gusto after we load our amps from the car, how are we going to deliver an impactful performance? Developing and maintaining an attitude that will keep you happy, healthy and feeling good about yourself is crucial to growth as a musician and person.
All this being said, playing an instrument can be a pain in the neck. The guitar and other musical instruments have the potential to flex your hands, arms, back and neck in ways that are unfamiliar for the body, which can lead to pain or muscle tension on areas like the fingers, wrists, shoulders, spine and more. These can be distracting while we’re playing and cause us to end our practice sessions earlier than we intend to.
The good news is there are plenty of things you can do including but not limited to stretching before playing, using the right posture when practicing and performing, and learning about how muscles work together when we play. To prevent long term problems, it’s important to exercise those muscles and joints that are neglected when you’re up on stage playing your heart out – or hunched over your guitar writing your next masterpiece!
If you want to be a great musician, it’s important that you develop your emotional intelligence as well. Beyond improving your ability to connect with others through your songs, this will allow you to better understand yourself and use the right coping mechanism for any stressful situation in life such as performing at a huge concert or recording an album at an expensive studio. The life of a musician is not an easy one. It’s important that musicians be in the right frame of mind, and have their bodies ready to withstand all the stressors they are faced with.
I want to help you develop the skill set to be your best musician-self in your most important moments.
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