PlayLists

Posted on Categories Care of The Soul, Inspirational Wellbeing, old age, Self-care, Self-expression, Wellbeing

Are you using your Spotify to create a soundtrack to your life?

If you catch yourself thinking “this is boring” or “oh no not that again but it has to be done” or “I’m lonely” or “it’s time to get ready to go to that event but I don’t feel like it” or “I’m tired”….. You get the idea.

Then you can go into your Spotify and choose a song or a collection of songs to change how you feel.
Music can be used like medicine.

The Purple Tempo channel has a collection of songs listed under headings such as Slow Down for Sleep and Stay Upbeat.
It’s free.

Purple Tempo is the passion of Pamela Jordan and offers Inspirational Wellbeing through Mindset and being a Musician, especially as we age.
www.pamelajordan.com.au

 

Be Where You Are

Posted on Categories Achievement, Care of The Soul, Kids, Learning music, Parents, piano lessons, Self-care, Self-expression, Soulful Life, Wellbeing, zoom piano lessons

Are you continually striving to be better?

There are a number of ways we could view this – healthy or unhealthy.

If though, it becomes chronic and robs you of enjoyment of doing the work or the activity, would you say it has become unhealthy? There is a place for striving.

For someone who is establishing their skill as a Musician, the striving aspect of it has to be managed as much as someone with well established skill and identity as a Musician.

Recently I was surprised to discover that continually striving had become unhealthy for me.
When my teacher mentor Deren Eryilmaz of Taubman Approach in Europe
talked about the eastern view as opposed to the western view of practise, a lightbulb went on for me.
I had been striving and driving myself (in my mind) and no wonder I wasn’t gravitating to the piano like I used to. My piano had become like the girl in the high school playground who I avoided and felt guilty about doing that.

Be where you are.
Coming from the solid place of someone who is well established musically, Deren said, you can now take the position of simply being where you are. Now. Stop the continual striving for more or better or different. Enjoy the skill you have. Play what speaks to you. If it’s the Scarlatti Fminor Sonata that intrigues you at the moment, then play it and get to know it, make friends with it, love it, enjoy it, explore it.  This was a lightbulb moment for me! Of course! So I have been playing what I am drawn to and happily playing (notice playing not practising) each weekday morning first thing.  The feeling of joy and satisfaction and fulfillment and being deeply nourished keeps me going and sustains me.

If you are someone who is in the early years of their musician journey, you are establishing your skill and knowledge.  There are a lot of things you are learning.  The way to ‘be where you are’  is to accept where you are right now, knowing that you will grow in understanding more and more as you go along. Wherever you are, is wherever you are and it’s a rich place.  There is no point berating yourself that you left it too late to begin or regret that you let something go and now you have to regain it or having expectations worthy of a perfectionist.

When you occupy where you are, and accept where you are, and seek to understand where you are, exploration and discovery and your curiosity will evolve your playing. Your skills will progress naturally.

Wherever you are, is wherever you are, and it’s a rich place full of potential exploration and discovery.

I am here to help.
I am happy to help.

Pamela Jordan is a Music Teacher Mentor and Transformative Coach in Seaforth, Sydney, Australia.
www.pamelajordan.com.au
She offers coaching via Zoom as well as in Studio.
Book a free discovery call here

 

Music Practise

Posted on Categories Learning music, Lifestyle, Self-care

Let’s talk about Practise.

Music Practise that is.

Lately I’ve been thinking deeply about what happens when I’m happily doing plenty of practise, and when I am not.

What I have noticed is that when I am playing for myself – that is to fill my own well of joy and self-respect as a musician and for my wellbeing, then the practise happens and all is good. I am in heaven through the music.

Pamela JordanWhen something has shifted and it’s about something else – it could be any number of things – someone else’s issue, a sense of should or duty, or simply going through the motions of the practise without my heart engaged, or I’ve made it about money, then at some point I will baulk about doing it. The well has dried up. I’ve landed smack down in the concrete of earthly existence. Not only is the well dry, I am out of kilter, out of tune and out of love.

So, if I am willing to look and see what is there, my practise (or no practise) is a barometer for my self-love and how well I am or am not doing my core self-maintenance. Have I gone too far over into doing for others?  Time to come home to heaven and fill my own well.

 

Pamela Jordan is the Musician and Teacher Mentor at pamelajordan.com.au.

She is also a certified Transformative Coach specialising in living a heart-centred spiritual life you love.  Book a call with Pamela here

10 Ways to feel more supported in your musical development

Posted on Categories Achievement, Care of The Soul, Learning music, Parents, piano lessons, Self-expression, Wellbeing, zoom piano lessons

So you are learning to play your musical instrument – congratulations – and now you are feeling a lack of support for it?
The most important decision here is to be your own support.
Waiting for your music teacher ( or anyone else)  to say what you need to hear doesn’t empower you.
Keep a notebook, and write your concerns as a question and ask your teacher about it at your next lesson.

Here are 10 tips to help you move towards the wonderful musical life you are dreaming of.

Have a wall behind you when you play. In this image, it looks like he has a wall behind him and is supported, whereas it looks like her back is open to whoever might walk up behind her.  If this is correct, I would suggest the piano is moved around so she has the wall behind her and can look out, without turning around.

Good lighting. Natural light from the windows or a daylight bulb in a lamp, so you can see clearly.

 

 

Enough fresh air, from windows or indoor plants eg Peace Lily

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sound in.  No sound disturbance from your household or neighbours noise

Sound out. No sound disturbance made towards your household or your neighbours. Stay within the local authority boundaries.

 

Distraction.  Ideally, your piano would be in it’s own room, away from the remainder of the household or other occupants. TV and or computer devices, siblings, tasks undone – many things can be a mental distraction, so it’s better to have them in a different room. It’s a good idea to keep a notebook and pen beside your instrument, so you can make a note of anything that comes into your mind while you are practising. Then you can return to practise, knowing that the reminder is there when you finish. Sometimes we can sabotage ourselves with the idea that things are more important, when most of the time they really aren’t.

 

 

Be your own support. That is, what you tell yourself about your playing becomes the truth over time.  Choose what you want to feel and who you want to be about this.  Build yourself up.  Be your own best friend. If you can find other people who support you too.  Make a choice to be each other’s support buddies.

 

 

 

Place a gorgeous photo of yourself playing, and looking joyful and confident, beside where you practise.  It’s amazing how looking at this is a powerful reminder of the truth of you!

 

Time in nature is a wonderful balance to being indoors doing the mental work of practise.  This is a way to support yourself

Woman playing flute in flower field

Knowing yourself well matters

Always have a clear goal you want to achieve for your next practise or playing session.  The goal can be simply to enjoy playing the music you love, or, it can be something more challenging. It’s up to you each day.

Pamela Jordan is an experienced musician teacher mentor in Sydney, Australia.
She is available for inspiring music sessions via Zoom on Australian Eastern time.