Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- Self Expression.

If self expression is the pinnacle of art (or if you at least agree it is very important) and if you desire (and attempt) to express yourself in music, you are an artist. In the past, I would not have used the label "Artist" to describe anyone that was not already great at creating genuine art. I typically reserved the words, art, artist and musician for only the highest levels of excellence. But as a teacher of saxophones, bassoon, flute, clarinet, and the many forms of jazz I have changed my use of these terms for the benefit of all students. SO..... I believe "Self Expression" is the pinnacle of all art. Anything less, "is less" in my opinion. I'm not going to debate that view or try to persuade any of you to also believe it. Instead I am going to assume you already hold that view and discuss ways in which I may be able to offer you both philosophical and practical advice. Street sense, if you will. The first step is to stop thinking of yourself as merely a musician. I'll take this one step further and recommend against thinking of yourself as a musician! You are, or are at least learning to become, an artist. Music just happens to be your medium and oboe just happens to be your instrument, but YOU are the artist. From this day forward when someone asks you what you do or who you are, don't reply by saying you are a saxophonist, clarinetist or musician. Tell them (in a non-arrogant way) you are an artist. If they want more details than that, go ahead and tell them music is your medium. I guarantee you will put an entirely different impression in other people's minds than if you were to. But beyond the impressions of others, you will begin to put stronger impressions in your own mind that you are in fact an artist (even if you are still in the learning stage of fully becoming one). The way you view yourself (as an artist and not merely someone who owns a guitar and plays it sometimes) is very important to the way you will think about what you are doing musically. The way you see yourself will also effect the results you will get as you are expressing yourself. To be truly self expressive one must actually know what one is trying to express! Did you ever look back on a conversation you had and fantasize about talking to that person in a more authentic way than you did? Perhaps it was someone who mistreated you and instead of telling them how you felt about it, you walked away feeling dis-empowered and wishing you had stood up for yourself. For some of us, speaking our truth, in the moment, may be difficult because of fear of confrontation and lack of confidence, but not speaking our truth can have damaging effects on self-esteem and even health. “People often say that this person or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something that one finds.When we think about ourselves, we tend to think in a certain way about our skills, strengths and talents. We narrowly define ourselves, meaning we live life from a certain way of thinking and being, which limits our experiences. We can re-create ourselves at anytime and choose to define ourselves in other ways. Explore new ways of thinking and being, and you may discover that you have talents and passions you never knew existed. THINK ABOUT IT. We can help birth ideas and create new possibilities for our life with creative techniques. Some creative techniques to try include: writing daily about anything that’s on your mind,( HOW DO YOU THINK I DO THESE BLOGS? ha ha ) keeping an idea book that you can carry with you, using mind maps for creative problem-solving, brainstorming, and creating vision boards. Many of us rarely, if ever, take time out from our harried schedules to become an observer of our own life and who we are being. We get so bogged down in daily activities and obligations that days, months, and years fly by. Take time to step back from your life and see whether you are truly happy, fulfilled, using your talents, and pursuing your passions. You can even hire a life coach to help you with self-exploration to gain knowledge that can open up new possibilities for you. ~ These are things that are on my mind. Thinks like self expression, finding better ways to open the channel and so on. As well as this amazing _Straight tenor saxophone_made by Sax Dakota. The avenue of self-expression and fun abound here. Why? Because the sound inspires me. It's very unique, it's organized via the straight tube of the tenor. I'm really knocked out by how it inspires me. But more on this as you hear me play it live too. Till next week...be well and stay on your path. ~ Tim Price ............The thing always happens...That you really believe in;And the belief in the thing...Makes it happen Don't bunt, aim out of the ball park....Aim for the company of the immortals....Shifting our misbeliefs is our assignment....Carlos Santana - 2013