Don't Be a Musical Chicken Little in Your Head

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

If you remember the story of Chicken Little (also known as Henny Penny), an acorn falls on her head and she determines that the sky is falling and begins to run back and forth, proclaiming the upcoming disaster to the rest of the animals.

How often do we do this when we play, sing, or conduct?

Something goes wrong - a dynamic, a missed note, a straying alto.  And suddenly we think, "it's all going to be downhill from here."  We stay with the error, real or imagined, while the music continues. Maybe more mistakes follow; maybe not.

When there's a break in the music - end of a movement, end of a piece - we tell ourselves and others (if available) that there's danger ahead.  If one mistake or miscue has happened, won't there be more?  Ack!  The Sky is Falling!

Don't do that.  You'll just wear yourself and/or your singers out. We're just talking about acorns here.

Play on!