The Importance of Play

In my latest book, The Empowered Performer, I outline a three-prong approach to building performance confidence and overcoming stage fright: attaining Olympic-athlete-like focus, developing poise through centeredness, and PLAY. Exploring new approaches, having fun while rehearsing, and trying a variety of interpretations all add to the vibrancy of our performances. Play can also help soothe jitters because we are too busy having fun to get caught up in worrisome thoughts!

In our society, we value long work hours, overachievers, and multi-tasking. I would challenge us all (myself included) to make more time for play in our daily lives. Along with exercise and centeredness work, it can help us weather the ups and downs of life: feeling less disheartened by personal setbacks or the latest distressing news.

It can also help us develop our own style. Most critics maintain that the best music training these days is in the United States. However, the biggest critique of Americans abroad is that we are not individualistic enough in our interpretations.

Our performances are smooth and polished with excellent technique, but BORING.

I wonder if that stems from the fact that “classical” music’s genesis was in Europe, and we tend to put it on a pedestal, a little in awe of it, a little afraid, instead of owning it in the way we could own pop, rock, jazz, or blues. We are less likely to take risks in interpretation or try new ornamentation than when developing our own style.

So, my advice is this: learn your music thoroughly, work with your teacher to have the finest, most polished technique possible, and be certain that your memorization is solid. Then, build on that work by having FUN! I devote an entire chapter to Play in The Empowered Performer, so I will give just a few ideas here. Play or sing your classical piece in a different style (rock, country, jazz, gospel). Experiment with different sections at wildly varying tempos. Try performing a section very strictly, with little feeling, then wildly campy, with over-the-top emotion. Then try it a third time, allowing the music to emerge - letting the piece play or sing itself.

If you are more “at home” in another genre, play or sing something from that genre and then attempt to transfer that comfort over to your classical rep. I am much more comfortable singing Gershwin, Cole Porter, Berlin, Harold Arlen… so I sing a bit of a song from that Great American Songbook and then transfer that ease to opera arias.

In workshops, I have seen performances truly come to life and sparkle when the singer or instrumentalist is given different play ideas. It is far from silliness; it can breathe new life and vibrancy into your playing or singing.

Finally, in his book Play, psychiatrist Stuart Brown says that the opposite of play is not work, it is depression. He goes on to assert that work and play are mutually supportive, making room for creativity. Let our work as musicians embrace play and allow our creativity to soar!