One of the best pieces of advice my father has ever given me is to “Just Be Yourself”- onstage and everywhere.
Not necessarily easy to do… or is it?
Having mulled over this bit of enigmatic advice for as long as I can remember, it has become something of a modus operandi for me – a way of living. Not so sure I always know the best way to do it, but it seems more and more like the way to “just be myself” consists mostly of not doing things that are not truly in alignment with who I am. That’s also not so easy, of course, because it’s not always easy to discern between the “Real Me” and the “illusory me” – the mask I sometimes put on to try to fit into the various roles defined by who others think I am, or who I think I “should” be.
Sound familiar? I don’t think I’m alone in finding it challenging to be myself sometimes, especially onstage in front of an audience. But over many years of seeking, I have found it easier to know myself, and therefore be myself – and I keep on seeking and learning. I’ve definitely picked up quite a few great tools along the way to help me with this. One of the best skills in my toolbox is the Alexander Technique.
The Art of Freedom for Musicians, in its essence, is the way I pass on all of this accumulated wisdom on how to “Just Be Yourself” to my own students – insofar as I understand it today!
Do you feel free to “Just Be Yourself” onstage? Is it challenging? Difficult? Easy? What gets in your way? What helps make it easier? What do these words mean to you? I’d love to read your comments below!
These are the types of things we explore in my Art of Freedom classes and 1-Day Intensives, and I can honestly say that, to this date, my students have always come away from our work together with important new insights to help them break through their own personal issues that get in their way of being their best selves.
Are you curious? You can read about my 1-Day Intensives here… and stay tuned soon for a VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT I’ll be making soon, regarding a series of great new classes to help you feel free to Be YOU onstage. Curious yet? 😉
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