Lets drop discouragement

When I was at the last Wula Drum And Dance Retreat several people mentioned to me that they felt discouraged after seeing great players blazing at lightening speed. A friend said to me, “I’ll never play that fast”. I said, why do you need to play that fast?

For me it’s not be about training or wanting to be as good as my master or someone else, to be as fast as someone else or to be as brilliant. Its about being able to fully express my experience playing at high levels.

I am all for fast and all for slow. It comes with time and training. There is no substitute for experience. And it happens when it happens. You can’t rush or force your own growth. All we can do is stay connected, consistent and do our best. Study, learn and grow in our own time.

Some people feel discouraged after seeing a show of brilliant performers feeling like they might not ever “get there”. I have news for you. No matter where you are at in your drumming or musical expression, you are already there!

Of course drumming is a continual learning process at all times.

Please keep in mind that the brilliant performers you see on line, experience in shows or classes have all 100% of the time, put in their time to study and learn. There is no substitute for experience. If you put in your time you will get back equally.

Being happy with yourself no matter what your level is is just as important as learning to play the instruments and rhythms correctly. This is a key in learning to play drums or any instrument. And don’t let any one degrade you because you might not be able to do something that they can.

Accept wherever you are at and be OK with it. I am not saying not to study, learn or practice. I am saying be OK wherever you are at in your journey and don’t try to be something, somewhere or someone you are not. Just have fun with it.

Most of us, 99.9% are not going to be grand masters, so drop that idea immediately. And you don’t have to be a master or world class soloist in order to have fun with yourself or enjoying drumming or music with other people.

You don’t have to play better and you are not a bad player or person if you can’t keep up in a class. If someone can drum circles around us, good for them! It does not make them higher up and us lower on any kind of ladder.

I respect my teachers and those more developed and I also realize we are all just people. Some things you do better then others and some things others do better then us. each of us have something to offer even if we are just starting out or if we have been around for a while.

For me it’s about surrendering the ego. Just have fun. Have great fun with it. If you can’t learn a part right there and then don’t take it all so seriously, It is not life or death. You will learn when you learn it. And if you don’t that’s O.K. too!

Drumming and music performance is “playing”. Playing is having fun. And learning can be fun as well. Don’t worry if you blow it or don’t do well. You don’t need to punish yourself! If you need to be serious, be serious. I am not saying this is a joke but we often take ourselves way too seriously.

Who cares? Do you think a teacher is going home and saying, “Wow I can’t believe Mike Pluznick couldn’t get that beginners part in class today”?!

He or she has much better things to do and think about. It is simply our own egos torturing us!

Drumming is a process and not a competition. We all learn at different rates and speeds. The ego is there to mess us up. It’s best left out at the door before you enter the drumming space.

I tell this to all my students, friends and anyone who will listen. After a great performance, or a bad class go out and play at once. Remember you have a voice and something to say as well.

I was just around dozens of people playing and performing at a very very high level. Teachers and fellow students. Some people were way better then me. Maybe they had better technique. Maybe they had cooler phrases. Maybe they got to shine.

That’s great for them! When I felt discouraged I went out and played and had fun. I found my own voice and acknowledged it. That’s all you have to do. Enjoy playing with whoever. It didn’t and doesn’t matter.

Hear is my suggestion to anyone who loves percussion and who wants to grow and learn and have more mastery over his or her instrument. Be OK with where you are at all all times. Find the balance between study and play. Enjoy the process all the way on road upwards and while you develop.

Walk before you run. Build your skills gradually over time. What is the rush? Many people are trying to be a performer or teacher before they have well rounded skills.

If you don’t build a solid foundation with the roots of traditional drumming styles, studies and well rounded tried-and-true systems it is like a house with unstable walls. It falls down

Play and enjoy your own expression on the drum or your musical instrument at all times. This is part of the lesson of learning how to drum or to be a drummer. be OK with your position.

In dance classes learn to accept the position of accompaniment just as much as soloist. It’s the ego that always wants to be the soloist. “Me, me me!” If you learn to sit in grooves, to really sink into them, they can be just as rewarding as playing complicated solo parts.

We still need to practice. We still need to learn. The learning and the practice gives us connection to the instrument. Do not let someone else’s greatness hamper you. Go out and express your own unique voice. Everything we learn and study is not only for learning and tradition. It is also for healing, for creating new ideas and for sharing.

I respect hard core training, I love to study, practice and excel. But still it is necessary to take it easy on ones self. And please remember, no one is better person just because they are a better drummer or musician. As humans we are all equal. Humility can be a key to become open for learning.

It’s great if you can blastoff on your instrument, but can you get along with others harmoniously ? Can you play with others and help out in a group scenario and not just be a soloist? Can you include others? There is more to drumming then simply being a great player.

It’s about balance. Those that are thinkers can balance with dropping out of their minds and allowing themselves to feel. Those that are unstudied can benefit from studying.
Drumming and music is always enhanced by being well rounded.

Whats uncomfortable and unfriendly rhythmically at first will later end up being your best friend later on.
What I particularly loved at the Wula Drum And Dance Retreat was that all of the instructors were kind, patient and having fun with us.

They pushed us in positive ways but no one was punishing us or making us feel bad because we could not get a part or were not as good as them.

I had the opportunity to go into and experience almost everyone of the classes that happened there and the teachers, students and participants were all supportive, happy and communal.

It takes many years to grow up, and in drumming and music it takes years to mature and learn. Allow yourself the opportunity to grow over time. Nothing great was born over night.

It is so great to be inspired by the grand masters, a super hot performance or a session with people more skilled then you. Reaching for the sky and new limits and pushing yourself constantly is a great practice.

However, it must be done with the balance of acceptance of who we are now, in the moment.
Encourage yourself and encourage others. Stay positive and be open minded.

These are keys for learning and sharing and having more fun while we grow, learn and play.

I want to be really clear I am not suggesting we don’t have big or even huge goals and I am not cutting away from anyones aspirations to greatness. I am merely suggesting we have fun and acceptance along the way at all times in our learning path.

Join the many fine teachers, performers and friends at The 21st Annual Wula Drum And Dance Retreat September 10th -15th 2019.

Located at the Pocono Valley Resort
300 camp akiba road
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
https://www.facebook.com/PoconoValley/
Close to NY
Buses to camp from all metropolitan major transportation centers

https://wuladrum.com/pages/retreat-faculty
Check out the next Wula Drum And Dance Retreat!
www.wuladrum.com
info@wuladrum.com
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