Just a bit. . .
I've been talking a lot about jumping off cliffs, lately.
It's been the metaphor du jour, lately (or would it be metaphor du mois?). In the circle, we do an enormous amount of improvisation--it might be our strongest ability, and it is certainly one of the skills that sets us apart from other circles. And when you improvise a lot, you begin to find out features of your voice as a musician--certain phrases you tend to play, textures you tend to use, time signatures you slip in to. It really is just like speaking, as we all have a language we navigate on a daily basis, and constantly improvise our way through almost every conversation we have.
What's tough, though, is navigating the thin line between improvisation and riffing. For the sake of clarity, "improvisation" is creating something new and unique in the moment (ideally), whereas "riffing" is using a reliable and pre-tested phrase, figure, or trick in the moment (ideally). Both might get the job done, and they might even sound very similar, but one is decidedly more airborne.
Getting to that airborne state takes time, though, and a lot of risk. And when you finally do take that leap, you can still be hampered by your own fear. You might stumble on the rock that isn't there.
And this is when walls can go up, and when we stop listening.
It's been the metaphor du jour, lately (or would it be metaphor du mois?). In the circle, we do an enormous amount of improvisation--it might be our strongest ability, and it is certainly one of the skills that sets us apart from other circles. And when you improvise a lot, you begin to find out features of your voice as a musician--certain phrases you tend to play, textures you tend to use, time signatures you slip in to. It really is just like speaking, as we all have a language we navigate on a daily basis, and constantly improvise our way through almost every conversation we have.
What's tough, though, is navigating the thin line between improvisation and riffing. For the sake of clarity, "improvisation" is creating something new and unique in the moment (ideally), whereas "riffing" is using a reliable and pre-tested phrase, figure, or trick in the moment (ideally). Both might get the job done, and they might even sound very similar, but one is decidedly more airborne.
Getting to that airborne state takes time, though, and a lot of risk. And when you finally do take that leap, you can still be hampered by your own fear. You might stumble on the rock that isn't there.
And this is when walls can go up, and when we stop listening.