The drummer lays down a nice simple 4:4 groove. The rhythm guitarist starts with some bluesy chords. I ponder how to enter into this jam. As the lead guitarist comes in on the blues scale, I decide to let it out and enter on the downbeat, holding down the rhythm. I disregard technicalities and established norms and let myself play what feels right. Feeling the vibrations ring through my soul, I let the music take me. Suddenly, a phone call interrupts us; we realize we have been jamming for twenty-five minutes, which shocks me.
My life is dictated by and clocks. My alarm wakes me every morning. I time my drive to school. In some classes, I persistently note how slowly time passes. On the ice, I keep track of the time left in the period. I am governed by time; I stress about where I have to be next and how long it will take to get there. However, when I play …show more content…
Disregarding time allows me to also disregard my ego. Losing this helps me become more in touch with the world around me, while simultaneously feeling like I am part of something much grander than myself. When my band and I “jam”, without uttering a word, we communicate on a deeper level. Unlike other areas of my life where there are grades, correct answers or scores, when I play with my band, I am not as concerned with my skill as I am with contributing to the band and enjoying myself.
Music lessons began before I even started school, first piano and then viola. As a child, I wasn’t given a choice, and while I didn't loathe lessons or practicing, I watched the clock and never practiced over my thirty minute requirement. At the age of ten, I got Guitar Hero 3 for Christmas, and it was love at first strum. Subsequently, I quit viola and piano and took up guitar lessons and voice lessons. Four years later, I started bass guitar. As a middle schooler, the thrill of jamming so loud the floor vibrated thrilled me; even more thrilling, was how it completely annoyed my older
My life is dictated by and clocks. My alarm wakes me every morning. I time my drive to school. In some classes, I persistently note how slowly time passes. On the ice, I keep track of the time left in the period. I am governed by time; I stress about where I have to be next and how long it will take to get there. However, when I play …show more content…
Disregarding time allows me to also disregard my ego. Losing this helps me become more in touch with the world around me, while simultaneously feeling like I am part of something much grander than myself. When my band and I “jam”, without uttering a word, we communicate on a deeper level. Unlike other areas of my life where there are grades, correct answers or scores, when I play with my band, I am not as concerned with my skill as I am with contributing to the band and enjoying myself.
Music lessons began before I even started school, first piano and then viola. As a child, I wasn’t given a choice, and while I didn't loathe lessons or practicing, I watched the clock and never practiced over my thirty minute requirement. At the age of ten, I got Guitar Hero 3 for Christmas, and it was love at first strum. Subsequently, I quit viola and piano and took up guitar lessons and voice lessons. Four years later, I started bass guitar. As a middle schooler, the thrill of jamming so loud the floor vibrated thrilled me; even more thrilling, was how it completely annoyed my older