Regular Jamming


By: Daniel Date: Oct 20, 2006 - 09:14 AM

Almost every Friday afternoon at a local retail business, my friend Kenny hosts a 2 to 3 hour hardly strictly bluegrass jam. My work schedule is arranged in such a way as to allow to attend on a regular basis, and often work is so stressful that staying home on Friday and spending the afternoon jamming are necessary remedies to a busy week.

One afternoon a week I put aside all thought of work and home. One afternoon a week I immerse myself in a new fiddle tune or song.

People think relaxing should be about doing nothing; about letting the TV or a movie entertain you while your brain ceases its higher functions. But the best relaxation has two basic components: 1) it is utterly unrelated to work, and 2) it requires as much physical effort and/or concentration as work does. This ensures that when you're relaxing (getting away from work mentally and physically) that you're not holding some spot too far forward in your mind about what is going to happen when you go back. You end up getting the full benefit of the time put in, and if you're a musician, you get the benefit of measurable improvement in skill.

Thus, jamming weekly keeps me sane, and I guard the time I have scheduled to play music jealously.

Posted: Fri - May 4, 2007 at 10:18 AM          

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