Mondegreen and improvisation as a tool for self discovery

As Jonah Sirota and I prepare for the first Mondegreen show on Sunday, I am reflecting again on what a great tool improvisation is for self-discovery. When you are improvising, you find out the real story on what your abilities are. The deficiencies in your aural imagination are immediately apparent. How you deal with your deficiencies tells you how much courage you have.

Will you choose the safe route and stay within the realm of safety? Will you do what you know will work, or will you take a risk? Will you chance making a “mistake” for the glory of a meaningful musical moment?

I hope I am prepared enough to take a risk. I find that normally the issue is rhythm. If I can trust and commit to the rhythm that is in my body, I am willing to go to areas that might be beyond my areas of comfortability in the development of my aural imagination.

Fortunately, I am partnered with someone that has an amazing imagination and a courageous soul. Jonah knows how to commit to something even when it is going off kilter. In any case, organ – viola – tabla box – will be like nothing you’ve ever heard before. Better come check it out on Sunday.