Cayla Bellamy, bassoon
  • Home
  • Information
    • News
    • Events
    • About Me >
      • Biography
      • Bassoonist
      • Conductor
      • New Music Advocacy
  • Gallery
    • Recordings
    • Press
  • Studio
    • Curriculum and Policies
    • Teaching Calendar
    • Lessons and Masterclasses
    • Colorado State University
    • Payment
  • Resources
    • Daily Routine
    • Reed Making
    • Audition Preparation
    • Helpful Documents
    • For Educators >
      • Teaching Virtually
      • Bassoon Techniques Introduction
      • Philosophy >
        • Priorities
        • Fingering Logic
      • Fundamentals >
        • Assembly
        • Posture and Breathing
        • Articulation
        • Intonation
        • The Break
        • Vibrato
        • Daily Warm Ups
        • Contrabassoon
      • Reeds >
        • Characteristics
        • Diagnostics
        • Adjustments
        • Purchasing Resources
      • Equipment >
        • Recommendations
        • Cleaning
        • Minor Adjustments
        • Repair Resources
      • Fingering Chart
      • Summary
      • Continued Instruction
  • Social
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • LinkedIn
    • Contact Form
  • Workshops

Blog

Postings arise as time permits
and inspiration hits. Contact me
to request a special topic!

On Apologizing

12/7/2013

2 Comments

 
"Technically, you played it correctly..."
"Technically, everything was right..."
"Technically, it was fine..."
... but?


This post goes out to the several people over the past month who have asked me what to do when they've technically done it all.  You know who you are, and you're not alone.
Picture
I have previously referred to this performance trend as "playing apologetically." 
This can take many forms:
  1. Facially apologizing - *puppy face*, *scowl*, *stare at the ground*, etc.
  2. Expressively apologizing - playing how you think everyone wants it to go, how you think everyone expects it to go, how you are sure it won't be wrong, etc.
  3. Verbally apologizing - "I'm sorry my piece is so long, I can't play it yet, etc."

As impolite as it sounds, what if we didn't apologize?

If no one wanted to hear you, they wouldn't be there.  Even for "mandatory" school-related events, each and every audience member has chosen to listen to you perform instead of sitting on their respective couches ordering pizza and marathoning Netflix.

What if we didn't apologize for that?  What if, instead, we made it really and truly worth their while?  We are all at least as interesting as another streamed episode of Law and Order or Gossip Girl.

Sometimes I also think of this difficulty as "being camera shy."  Shyness is about
hiding, and in music this can be physically hiding behind our music stand or
instrument.  More often, though, it means emotionally hiding behind the ink on
the page, rather than presenting what we actually believe about a piece and its
message.
For the sake of brevity, here I defer to these cute kids in this Dove commercial:
When did you stop thinking you're worth hearing?

Throw away whatever hides you.
Power up.
Show off for the camera.
Be unapologetic.
2 Comments
Tait B link
12/7/2013 09:37:07 pm

Cute Dove video. I was just thinking about that last night! I'd love it if I/we didn't apologize for every little imperfection. I find that verbalizing insecurity is usually more unattractive than the actual trait that the person is insecure about.

Something being apologetic isn't a bad thing, of course. However, this is not to confuse being apologetic with apologizing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apologetics

Reply
Cayla
12/8/2013 12:17:57 am

So true, Tait. When we advertise insecurities, it often makes people hear what they want to hear... or what we've just told them to, at least.

Thanks for reading!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Archives

    October 2020
    September 2020
    April 2020
    November 2018
    August 2018
    September 2017
    January 2016
    August 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013

    Categories

    All
    Anxiety
    Auditions
    Collaboration
    Goal Setting
    Lessons
    Performance
    Practice
    Psychology

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Information
    • News
    • Events
    • About Me >
      • Biography
      • Bassoonist
      • Conductor
      • New Music Advocacy
  • Gallery
    • Recordings
    • Press
  • Studio
    • Curriculum and Policies
    • Teaching Calendar
    • Lessons and Masterclasses
    • Colorado State University
    • Payment
  • Resources
    • Daily Routine
    • Reed Making
    • Audition Preparation
    • Helpful Documents
    • For Educators >
      • Teaching Virtually
      • Bassoon Techniques Introduction
      • Philosophy >
        • Priorities
        • Fingering Logic
      • Fundamentals >
        • Assembly
        • Posture and Breathing
        • Articulation
        • Intonation
        • The Break
        • Vibrato
        • Daily Warm Ups
        • Contrabassoon
      • Reeds >
        • Characteristics
        • Diagnostics
        • Adjustments
        • Purchasing Resources
      • Equipment >
        • Recommendations
        • Cleaning
        • Minor Adjustments
        • Repair Resources
      • Fingering Chart
      • Summary
      • Continued Instruction
  • Social
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • LinkedIn
    • Contact Form
  • Workshops