Lessons learned from TWI 2011: Shime

At the end of last weekend's TWI (focused on shime and hand-held percussion), I offered up to the participants some comments that I want to repeat here:

• Outside eyes. Even if you're lucky enough to have a mirror to watch while you practice, most of us miss out on a lot. We get used to seeing what we want to see or even focusing so much on details that we forget the total picture. If you can, try videotaping and watching yourself from different angles. Consider taping the whole picture, or focusing on the hands, or face, etc. Even easier? Have other people watch you.
  

• Breathe! Obviously, we breathe when we practice. Hell, I even bet you're breathing now! A person with good technique will breathe in a complimentary manner to their motions (i.e., exhaling on exertion, anticipating when to inhale). What I mean by breathing here is to take a deep, non-metered breath for the purpose of centering yourself and taking mental stock of what you're doing. Especially after given things to work on, people often get SO focused that other areas suffer (like posture, relaxation, etc.) So fill those lungs and re-evaluate every now and then.

• Use your body as a metronome. When your body understands a rhythm, then you don't have to think about it. You don't want to bounce about when you're playing (unless the song calls for it) but I recommend exaggerating a little bounce when you're practicing on your own. Eventually you whittle away at the amount of excess movement you're adding until it becomes an internal thing. This little skill translates to a HUGE benefit and can help you in maintaining tempo against people who speed up, holding a pattern that interlocks with others, and even acts as a back-up for those times when you zone out and are having so much fun that you forgot what you were playing.

Amongst dozens of drills designed to help people listen, follow, lead, maintain form, and relax, these were the things I felt most important to impart. They apply across the board, regardless of where you are in the ensemble or how long you've been playing. As always, I hope some of this stuff helps!