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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
 Posted - 02/26/2009 : 7:51:54 PM
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This past weekend I played slack key at the Fairbanks Winter FOlk Festival. It was probably the worst I have ever played in public. Not sure what went wrong, as I had prepared well prior to the event. I think part of it may have been getting there about 5 hours early so I could hear other acts. Then in the breaks I would go practice, and as my time neared, I felt myself getting nervous. Next time I will just show up right before i am to go on and start with the slow piece first (I began with John Keawe's Ohiki;Sand Crab and it went downhill from there). Anyway, I played the same songs for the dogs last night; can;t tell if they liked it or not (what does a yawn and dog fart count for on the applause meter?), but I played them quite well.
The reason for this post is not to cry in my beer or on your shoulder, although i did some of each. Actually I am only writing this because as I signed in today on TPnet, I saw, perhaps for the first time, the quote on the lower right corner of the page;
"Play the best you can and share what you know. If we don't share slack key, we'll lose it. That almost happened once, so watch out. Take care of it."
- Uncle Raymond Kane
I played the best I could that night, and shared what I knew. Somehow, I had even fooled a couple of folks in the audience, for some told me they liked it, and one asked me to play at his personal summer folk festival. So, I guess part of it was being my own worst critic, but the big thing is I shared what I liked and hopefully helped pass it on.
Thanks, Uncle Raymond, for renewing my will to get back in front of a crowd, and, by the way, the one song I learned from watching you on video, Mai Ae I Ka Hewa, I played the best. Mahalo for having shared your life and talent with us.
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Karl
Frozen North |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2009 : 8:45:54 PM
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I was once at a performance of a very well reputed slack key "Master." A real one:) The performance was awful. At the break he asked me if it was sounding as bad as he thought it was. (During some of the performance "the master" was doing duets with another player who was playing a harp.) Couple of days later I went for a lesson and I asked what went wrong. He said that playing with the professional musician just threw his timing and everything else off. And he couldn't get it back during his solo pieces.
Couple of weeks ago, on my regular gig, I started thinking about a piece while I was playing it, one that I play so often I could do it in my sleep. I goofed up so badly that I couldn't even find my place in the music. All I could do was improv a couple of chord progressions to get to where I could start at the beginning. (I probably should have just stopped and started all over again, but I didn't have the guts to do that.) Needless to say, applause for that song was polite, at best. Interestingly, I really found the groove on the next song and got some of the best audience response I've gotten in a long time.
So, Karl, don't sweat it. Learn what you have to learn. Take a dose of humility pills, and keep on playing. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2009 : 12:14:30 AM
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| I have found, from the other side of the stage, that musical performers are indeed their own worst critics. But I am sure that what you perceived to be screwing up or to be poorly performed. did not come off that way to your audience. If you forget a note or if the timing is a bit off, iff you speed up or slow down, you may know it was not what you meant to do, but your audience probably thought it was supposed to be that way. That what makes live performances so much better than recorded performances -- you get the human touch. Karl, in my book, gotta have plenty , ahem, shall I say, shootz, I guess cojones, to play in front of an audience. I am sure your audience enjoyed you sharing your talents, and I hope you will continue to enjoy doing so as well. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
Edited by - wcerto on 02/27/2009 12:16:57 AM |
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T-Dan
Lokahi
USA
132 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2009 : 12:33:19 PM
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It's always refreshing when someone else reveals their humanity, thereby helping us all realize we're not alone when our occasions of imperfections surface and we silently chide ourselves. But even after a less than perfect outing, whether truly sub-par or merely perceived by ourselves as such, it's healthy to get back on the horse and keep riding. Uncle Ray's quote is a good one. And I remember hearing or reading Keola Beamer saying something along the lines of "play with aloha," and it'll all work out...
Thanks for sharing, Karl...Keep playing your best... |
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Hula Rider
Lokahi
USA
215 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2009 : 3:57:52 PM
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Aloha e Karl,
I know the feeling! Keoki invited me to play at a fundraiser he was handling the muscic for, and I was, well, to be kind to myself, simply awful. Not like I didn't know the music - I had written it!
I figured out where I went wrong, so it was a good lesson. I just feel bad that I subjected other people to it!
Malama pono,
Leilehua |
Edited by - Hula Rider on 02/27/2009 3:58:14 PM |
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Daryl
Aloha
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2009 : 4:00:15 PM
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I went up to play at the open mike at the Aloha Music Camp a couple weeks ago. I started out playing the song and ten seconds into it my fingers didn’t know where to go. I lost it. I started over and got to the same spot and again just lost it. My fingers forgot where to go and I've been playing this song for over a year year without a problem (for myself anyway).
Rather than just walk off, like I really felt doing, I apologized and then played something from the middle of the song and then went right to the ending part. Then I walked off.
It was an incredible humbling experience. Yes I took a lot of humility pills.
But the amazing thing to me was everyone there understood. I didn’t understand why anyone would accept what I did until I found that everyone there had had that same experience at one time. Everyone was so incredibly supportive, I couldn’t believe it. Thank you to EVERYONE there that night and especially to Keola, Moana, Mark, John, Hope and Konabob. I learned a lot from that and I’ve been thinking really hard on that experience ever since.
I suppose I’ve been too hard on myself. For me, almost every guitar player I see or hear I'll find something that will impress me or influence me. I’m teaching a young boy of eleven years old that is an incredible guitar player to me and I’m learning from him as he’s learning from me (I think he is anyways).
For some reason I’m easiliy intimidated if I play something for another musician. I’ll mess it up because in my mind they’ll find something wrong in the way I’m playing it.
But after this experince and thinking about it I suppose I thought I needed to learn ‘everything’ there was I could on the guitar before I’d be satisfied. But that’s not the way it is. Like Uncle Ray said “Play the best you can and share what you know.”
John Keawe said something during his class too that said a lot to me and that was he said he couldn’t do the ‘thumb thing’ like Chet Atkins did and that hit home to me. John is an amazing guitar player and ‘he’ has a problem playing like Chet Atkins. Wow!
So anyway I learned I just need to be myself instead of trying to be someone else and to stop trying to ‘impress’ rather than ‘entertain’.
Daryl |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2009 : 7:38:56 PM
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| My favorite quote is from Ozzie. "You know, it's just music." |
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PearlCityBoy
Lokahi
USA
432 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2009 : 04:47:49 AM
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My favorite quote from Ozzie is: "No matter how badly you mess up, you'll live to see another day. No one ever died from a bad performance."
Aloha,
Doug |
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sirduke58
`Olu`olu
USA
993 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2009 : 11:16:59 AM
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Here's some tips on defeating "Stage Fright" as taught by Ozzie Kotani.....
In a stressful situation..........
1.) Take a deep breath.
2.) Smile inwardly to yourself as you exhale slowly
3.) Say these words mentally-ALERT,AMUSED MIND,CALM BODY...Repeat
I don't quite remember where Oz got this from but it was from some kind of study as is the following.
Relaxation techniques
1.)A few minutes before the encounter, sit down in a room by yourself and make yourself comfortable
2.)Do deep breathing exercises because it brings oxygen into your body.Inhale deeply through your nose & exhale slowly through an open mouth.Repeat 5 times.
3.) Then close your eyes and imagine yourself walking down a staircase.As you descend you'll say inwardly: Just relax,10 relax,9 relax,8 relax etc....until you reach the last step. You need not sat it out loud.
4.)And then you'll think to yourself: Calm,relax,secure or whatever you want. You are giving yourself "Positive affirmations" Try to keep the suggestion short as in: I will be calm,cool & relaxed.Repeat 20 times then open your eyes.
You will feel very refreshed,clam,your muscles will be relaxed and you won't have that tension acroo your shoulders. Even on the worst days,clarity and a feeling of peacefulness can be yours if you concentrate.
Ozzie also says that getting acclimated to playing comfortably before an audience only comes by repetition.The more you do it the sooner it becomes old hat.Don't dwell on bad perfomances because the audience will forget about it a lot sooner than you will,turn it into a positive by converting it to a learning experience.If you were prepared and focused and still messed up then you played to the best of your ability and messing up was out of your hands.And of course Raymond & Doug's favorite Ozzie qoutes...RJS "You know it's only musc" and PCB "No matter how badly you mess up,you'll live to see another day. No one ever died from a bad performance" Everyones input here are great food for thought & very helpful tips.Bottom line is we're just trying to have fun and share
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2009 : 4:17:48 PM
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| Thanks for all the kind support and suggestions. On the way to town last night my hawaiian buddy called and said we have a gig tonight at 6:30, can you make it? Well, I had put my latest weird guitar creation in the car to show a friend anyway, so i said yes, of course. I got there last and was noodling on the guitar playing slack key music box to get in tune, and the sound man hit my jack and I was on the air,solo. Just smiled and kept pickin'. and quite well, I might add :} |
Karl
Frozen North |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2183 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2009 : 7:08:28 PM
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You can never play it as good as you can hear it in your head. You always have something to shoot for. My dad told me that music is really only for having fun with your friends. Treat the audience as friends. Nothing will be the exact same twice, each time is unique. Every time is a learning experience, if not how to, then how not to. Thus one learns sympathy and empathy for others and gains the ability to laugh at one's self.
If we only walked when we walked perfectly, we'd never get anywhere.
Karl, don't forget to sign up for next year! |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2009 : 10:04:08 AM
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| As I have said before, our art, music, is subjective and volitile (it's here while we play, and then it's gone). When I play, I know what I'm tring to achieve. When I don't make it, I feel that I've failed. Fortunately, the listeners (including other members of the band) don't know what I was trying for, and they respond to it based on what they heard. I've walked offstage, really bummed out, and been congratulated on what I've played. Alternatively, I walk off feeling real good and have folks say "Man, you SUCKED! Played too much, too many notes, what were you tinking of!" This actually happend to me two nights in a row when I was playing music full time. So.... keep tryin', have fun, and keep it in perpective. |
keaka |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2009 : 5:22:07 PM
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| Thanks again you guys |
Karl
Frozen North |
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sirduke58
`Olu`olu
USA
993 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2009 : 5:57:18 PM
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Hey Karl
Just wanted you to know that the tips from Ozzie that I posted aren't really directed to you. I know you're a seasoned vet at public performances. I just thought it was a perfect oppotunity to share the tips with other folks, like yours truly, who aren't battle tested yet.Your bad performance night was probably just an anomaly,it was probably just a monster that you built(negative reinforcements).
Aloha
 Braddah Duke |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 07:40:55 AM
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"We have met the enemy, and he is us." Pogo, Walt Kelly
That's why the buzz of playing live doesn't go away after numerous performances. Inside we always have a little voice saying "What if I mess this up?" But no mauna crashed into the kai, life goes on. And the buzz comes from knowing that no matter how prepared we may be, we can still mess up. I like the buzz of playing live; I don't want to get so mechanically precise the buzz-and the little voice- disappear. Don't run yourself down, you probably have a little voice waiting to do that for you.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 11:00:50 AM
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Try sing in front of one pro like Ozzie. That is more scary than singing to a house full of strangers. Seriously though I usually donʻt tighten up anymore because I have learned to do my best and not sweat about the outcome. I have seen all manner of great musicians make mistakes and they just keep on going. No apology necessary from their performance as Kory said critics can get up on stage next time and see if they can do better. I once sat behind Wayne Harada at a CSNY concert. He talked all the time and didnʻt listen to the music. Next day he said they were junk. Well maybe he didnʻt care for the music any way so he didnʻt listen. I just think that critics are just usually full of their owns selves that they get to go to shows free and then write what they have preconceived anyway. Amazing what some people get paid for.
As far as critiqueing ones self. We can be very hard on ourselves. I have rarely heard a recording of myself that I liked. So I have never released anything yet because I think its all junk. We always make mistakes in performance but it is part of performing and being human. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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