Comments on: Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #011 = “Most Popular Guy”

By: Emotional Roller Coaster at Manhattan School of Music - Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #013

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:55:33 +0000

[...] In previous posts, I wrote about how I became popular in high school, [...]

By: jason

jason — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:04:55 +0000

My ability to play music does affect my self-worth in different ways.. i am know concerned about popularity as much, but I seem to struggle with my own expectations about my playing. I think it’s deeply rooted in my upbringing.

my parents pressured me to strive academically when i was young. As a result I was getting the best grades in the entire school.. but I realized that I’ve nurtured a very unhealthy attitude about success from that. I remember my parents would punish me if i did not get 100% on my test.. that means that i would get punished for get 95% on my tests.. Although this happened a long time ago it seems to have an impact on my attitude toward how i do music.

I remember having time problems for the longest time.. and it dawned on me that I was so scared of making mistakes and it made it virtually impossible to play anything relaxed and in time.. I was astonished when I mentally allowed myself to make mistakes, but i was playing in time without effort.

In my opinion a lot of problems we have with self-worth seem to come from our childhood.. we learned something about values back then that has a lasting impact on our lives, even as adults… and sometimes we have to undo and unlearn those old habits that is no longer helping us, and somehow come to realize that it’s holding you back somehow.

By: ConsciousWorldMedia.com » Blog Archive » Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #011 = “Most Popular Guy”

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:37:51 +0000

[...] Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #011 = “Most Popular Guy” [...]

By: tom white

tom white — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:07:49 +0000

Oh yeah, I can relate. Being good at music in high school, gave me attention and I loved it. Eventually, this “good musician” identity made me extremely nervous (handcuffed) in critical music performance situations. This led to a love/hate thing with music. Eventually, I’ve learned that I LOVE music and music making. Kenny helps get all the other personal garbage out of the way, Go Kenny!!!

By: Andy Allen

Andy Allen — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:34:35 +0000

Totally off-topic, but I was going through my iTunes collection and was listening to Alex Riel’s ‘Celebration.’ I hadn’t realized, or had forgotten, that Kenny was on this recording. Really great, smokin’ stuff, thanks Kenny. I hope my effortless mastery ‘efforts’ (hah!) can get me into a playing space like this one someday.

Details on the CD here: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jjfexq90ldfe

It’s available from eMusic here: http://www.emusic.com/album/Alex-Riel-Celebration-MP3-Download/10984709.html (that’s where I originally got the album a while back).

Do you have any video footage of this band to share for your weekly video Kenny?

Andy