New!!: PROCRASTINATION WILL TURN TO LEARNING

Procrastination Will Turn To Learning

A universal foible of humanity: find this or that to do before doing the chore.  We think that's a weakness,  but why does everyone have this quirk?  Maybe it’s valuable for perfection; a tool supplied in our collective subconscious?  I think this time is among our most valuable gifts: we are in a relaxed, Zen mode, receiving an array of intuitive, instinctual messages from our subconscious.

Consider your procrastination as a chance to rehearse: think about breathing through a planned passage, plan scale patterns, and imagine fingers vibrantly bouncing off the fingerboard; if working on a tune for improvising, go over the shape, form, changes, and chord scales.  You are rehearsing!  When the instrument is finally in your hand, much of the busy work will be completed.

John Coltrane was asked how he was able to play so fast, to which he replied: “I practice slow”.  As you practice slowly, you are focusing, burning, saving onto your hard drive, and the more your focus, the stronger the brain signal you'll build, that intangible treasure you want to receive in a performance----the reward for which you've practiced.

I believe the process to perfection is acquired in three stages: thought and planning, physical practice and internalizing, and finally the performance, the time when  you have no conscious control: all you play is intuitive, fed from by your instinct, your subconscious, which works 20,000 times faster than your conscious control.  When you're finally performing, any attempt at conscious control and planning will interrupt that strong intuitive brain signal.  You really have no control over what you play, for you play what you ‘must’!; the source of that ‘must’ was probably found while procrastinating. 

Please tell me your thoughts on this essay.

I want your feedback and comments.

Sincerely,

Errol Weiss Schlabach