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Soprano on Her Head : Right-Side-up Reflections on Life - and Other Performances

by: Ristad, Eloise

Soprano on Her Head : Right-Side-up Reflections on Life - and Other Performances

by: Ristad, Eloise

ISBN 13:
9780911226218
ISBN 10:
0911226214
Format: Paperback
Copyright: 06/01/1981
Publisher: Real People Pr

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Introduction

(4)

Meet the Soprano

(8)

Meet not only the soprano, but several others in the book's cast of characters who come to some right-side-up solutions to problems through some upside-down approaches

The Book of Judges

(10)

We all have inner judges who yammer at the edge of our consciousness, often intimidating and immobilizing us. We can look these judges squarely in the face, and learn to deal with them in ways that free us of their tyranny. We may even change them from monitoring, censuring critics into common-sense allies and supporting figures

Shall We Dance?

(14)

There is a dancer within each of us who is longing to respond to life and music with joyous intensity and unselfconscious spontaneity. We may need encouragement to find that dancer, but once discovered, our minds and bodies feel recharged, ready to meet challenges in our lives with fresh insight. If we are performers the bonus is double, for our performing can take on surprising new life and energy

Inner Clowns

(14)

How often we have need of inner clowns who can tickle a rib and help us see the humor in our predicament. Performers and music students are not alone in imposing impossible demands upon themselves, getting in their own way through over-conscientious efforts. Our inner clowns can help rescue us from our folly, giving us a clearer sense of perspective and at the same time help us develop more effective ways of practicing our art

``Sure, I Had Lessons''

(12)

Non-musicians may toss off a glib ``Sure I had lessons when I was a kid,'' and pretend indifference. But many still remember the pain and guilt over feeling ``dumb'' and ``inept'' and ``untalented,'' not realizing that the teacher's method of teaching simply did not match their own learning style. It's reassuring to know we can stop feeling guilty just because our brain works differently than someone else's

Someone Bumped the Checkerboard

(16)

Do you ever feel as if someone bumped your mental checkerboard and sent all the pieces flying? Such experiences can be baffling, yet may illustrate nothing more dramatic than the fact that no two brains work alike. As we experiment in various ways we can gain insight into how to use our strengths in a sideways, upside-down approach to problems instead of trying to force our brains to work in conventional ways

Journey With a View

(28)

When we plod along the trail watching feet and rocks, we seldom capture the long view ahead. Upside-down sopranos and hiking with a larger awareness can lead to upended musical staffs and a long view of reading piano music. If you grew up in awe of the mystery surrounding music reading, you may well lose your innocence by the end of the chapter

None of the Old Words Seem to Work

107

(8)

There are times when the old words stop working and we must temporarily abandon them in favor of the authenticity of fresh awareness. We may find this out at the piano or in a cross-country ski lesson or at a typewriter. The old words come back to life again when we go beyond word-squared boundaries long enough to stimulate some other learning senses

Meadowlarks, Minds, Muscles, and Music

115

(12)

A skier, a composer, a novelist, an athlete, a pianist---all have in common the ability to close their eyes and imagine an action, a sound, a plot, or a complex series of movements so intensely that minute muscular impulses occur. The creativity of the learning that can take place through visualization techniques often astonishes us

Drink Your Milk; Don't Drink Your Milk

127

(12)

Which authority do we listen to in the ever-present controversies over health, or piano technique, or the way we live our lives? If we settle on the ``right'' answer, there are often tiny rumblings of doubt that make us uneasy. We find that ``truth'' comes wrapped in many different packages, and that we must find the ever-changing wrappings and substance of our own personal ``truth.''

Maybe I Should Just Keep Bees!

139

(8)

Many of us are ensnared in a debilitating ``super-person'' act as we try conscientiously to live up to unreal expectations and demands. What luxury to know we can permit ourselves to be human, and that being human means that we may even ``fail'' at some of the preposterous goals we set for ourselves. Once we abandon our overearnest trying, we often find ourselves closer to our real goals

Maybe I Like My Problems

147

(10)

Problems, unfortunately, can sometimes be addictive. The very familiarity of the struggle offers reassurance, whether the struggle is in cleaning up a Brahms Rhapsody at the piano or in solving problems in a relationship. If we can give up our addiction long enough to fully imagine ourselves without the problem, we can often step confidently onto new ground, ready to explore

Clammy Hands and Shaky Knees

157

(16)

What are your own symptoms of stage fright? Do you mask the actual physical sensations under the unspecific label of ``nervousness?'' If you are willing to go beyond the label and explore your stage fright through a variety of topsy-turvy approaches, your shaky knees might even learn how to behave

``So You Were a Flop!''

173

(10)

What devastating words to hear, yet at the same time how comforting to hear someone say them out loud. When we stop our pretending and say such words aloud to ourselves, we sometimes discover new strengths

``Who Me? Did I Play That?''

183

(10)

Once we drop our preoccupation with the ``right way,'' improvising freely with movement or music can provide us with a metaphor for improvising in our lives. The freedom we gain can take us beyond the narrow boundaries of our existence and introduce us to lively characters within us waiting to emerge. These new characters enrich our performances, on or off stage

Soprano on Her Feet

193

(10)

A soprano can't really build a career standing on her head. Preposterous, fascinating experiments must ultimately lead us back to singing on our feet, or playing the piano in a bow tie. If the soprano takes singing on her head as a new formula for success, she will be disappointed. If she takes each successful experiment as a literal solution to her problems, she misses the point. Often in life we must stand on our heads before we can come full circle and turn ourselves right-side-up once again

Afterword

203

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Soprano on Her Head : Right-Side-up Reflections on Life - and Other Performances

Soprano on Her Head : Right-Side-up Reflections on Life - and Other Performances

9780911226218

0911226214

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