Henry van Dyke on Performance, Perfectionism, and the Art of Sharing

Tuesday Quotes are short explorations of music, life, and the daily endeavor of practicing classical guitar. Find more here. Enjoy!

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”

Henry van Dyke

How good do we need to be before sharing our music with someone?

Do we need to get to a particular level or speed before letting someone hear us play?

One of the mistakes we often make is thinking that playing music is about us. It’s not. When we play music for someone, the act itself is the point.

Kids are comfortable with this. They can draw a picture and present it as a gift without any notion of “not-enoughness”. They don’t feel the need for their art to be museum-quality. It comes out, and they pass it along. Clean and easy.

But as adults we think we’re already supposed to sound perfect. We compare our daily practice to a professional’s edited studio recording and find ourselves wanting.

This is akin to not leaving the house because we don’t look like the airbrushed models in the magazine ad.

Sharing music can be scary, sure. We put ourselves in a vulnerable position. We remove our armor and expose our soft underbellies.

But if we select our audience carefully, and show up with enthusiasm and generosity, it usually goes well.

Not only do we build confidence and enjoy a personal victory over our ego, but we also inspire others to do the same. And that’s a gift as well!

Music is communication, and it truly is the thought that counts.

Hi, I’m Allen Mathews.

I started as a folk guitarist, then fell in love with classical guitar in my 20’s. Despite a lot of practice and schooling, I still couldn’t get my music to flow well. I struggled with excess tension. My music sounded forced. And my hands and body were often sore. I got frustrated, and couldn’t see the way forward. Then, over the next decade, I studied with two other stellar teachers – one focused on the technical movements, and one on the musical (he was a concert pianist). In time, I came to discover a new set of formulas and movements. These brought new life and vitality to my practice. Now I help guitarists find more comfort and flow in their music, so they play more beautifully.
Click here for a sample formula.

I just started level 1C...I was able to look at a Carulli piece, albeit a simple one, and understand it. And that understanding allowed me to play it much more easily on the first run through, and I expect it will allow me to make it fully musical at tempo quite soon. That's a huge personal victory for me. Until very recently my mindset was: "Notes on a page. Jimi didn't need them and I don't either." But I ain't Jimi, and now I want those notes on a page.

My work in CGS, even at these early levels, got me to that personal breakthrough. And that's given me more confidence that continued work will get me to greater places in due time. So to answer your question: yes, I absolutely feel like I'm making headway and moving forward in my playing. Thank you for that.

~ Matthew Ecker

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After more than a year as a member, I remain impressed with the Woodshed, song courses, Tuesday quotes, weekly lessons, and the CGS community. Without my membership, I think my enthusiasm for learning classical guitar would have faded long ago. Instead, I am enjoying the process as I make steady progress in my playing.

~ Steve Dosh

-Steve Dosh