Musical identity can be a hard thing to find

It's taken me a long time to learn what I like like playing.

It's taken the inclings of a stylistic position on all this folk stuff - or rather deciding that such a position is pretty pointless as what I find valuble is making my music fun and engaging. Instead of thinking "I like English and Irish tunes" I'm prefering "I like this kind of phrasing by this player in this tune here". It would be nice if it coalesced into some kind recognisable style, it's a lot easier to find an audience!

But as this stuff has to be memorised and evolved and if I'm doing it for myself then I have to really like the stuff, really like all the qualities of the stuff I'm creating. Otherwise why I do want to live it, to burn it into me?

I decided that I'm happy with my music as long as it is well developed, distinct, possesses a certain clarity and it has a little bit of magic. That's how I like the music I choose to listen to, and the people I interact with too. More importantly, that is the music that I see audiences react best to. It doesn't matter what it is - it has to have a very clear "ness".

If you fall outside of a tradition then you have to realise you're playing a popularity game of some degree. It's been pretty obvious that the desire to make stuff my own way is a bit too strong for me to exist only as a "Classical Harpist" or "Irish Harper" or perhaps any stylistic tradition. I still value them hugely both for their aesthetic appeal and the extreme skill involved in each. I will still play music from those traditions, but if I tried to place my identity inside them I would feel false.

I hate working on my own. I'm going to have to design a working life where I'm not.

Right now I can't quite see how that's going to happen. So on with the research...

Hunting nessie....

immersion - incubation - illumination - verification

http://cameroncounts.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/doing-research/

In 1945, Jacques Hadamard published a book called The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field. The above four words are his theory: that there are four phases of thought involved in solving a mathematical puzzle. I think this is a pretty good description for solving any problem. Doesn't mean that you know when to stop or start each one, more that you might find the landscape more familiar and less annoying.

Woods and trees

I'm grateful for all the non-musicians I get to play for. So often musicians can't see the woods for the trees - all that detail is too close. Those who don't spend their lives obsessing over sounds give you a much better impression of the world you are actually crating with your music, which is after all the point.

Something Triona Marshall said to classical harpists learning to play Irish music - you have to go for the energy. The vibe, the feel, the energy does not come out of the details. Go for the the woods first, you can focus on the trees later.

Love the internet...

Thank you phydeaux3 for your very handy tag cloud and the very clear instructions. Here's the link.

Handy sites to have...

http://www.creativeboom.co.uk/

Must look this up again...

They are currently hosting a link to Grayson Perry's article on creativity. Discussion anyone?

http://www.creativeboom.co.uk/london/blog/grayson-perry-on-creativity-imagination/

Shooting Roots

So pleased to be part of this...

http://shootingroots.org/

Shooting Roots is an organisation run by and for young people, offering creative and participatory folk workshops at festivals and other events. In a nutshell it’s all about generating opportunities for young people to perform, develop friendships and access the folk arts.