Music and Mindfulness

A few months ago, I joined my colleagues at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre for our annual teachers gathering. My friend Johnny who I was in training with was very intrigued by my approach to mindfulness and how music has weaved into part of my practice.

Johnny: What are the similarities between music and mindfulness?

Me: One of the common myths about mindfulness is that you must sit like a Buddha to practice! For formal meditation perhaps sitting is preferable but to me, mindfulness is a way of life, a living, organic thing. Everyone’s experiences of mindfulness are different. It can involve many elements such as movements and sound.

The phrase “Turn on, Tune in, Drop out” resonates. The difference between playing an instrument mindfully and playing it on autopilot is immense. Using orchestra rehearsal, for example, starting from sitting at our desks. Turning on our senses (touch, sight, sound and breath), how much we can engage in the moment. Tuning in: how deeply are you able to listen? From tuning, how do our instruments sound like today (its tone at home vs at rehearsal), how does it feel (vibration of the instrument and our movements from playing), are we open to connecting with our desk partner, so our bowing or breathing is more in sync? Drop Out: Once we feel more grounded in the moment, we can slowly let go and allow the sound of the music to come to the foreground. Allowing the notes, you are playing to be part of the composition.

Johnny: What about our busy minds? Does that ever get in the way while playing music?

Me: Yes! Especially when you have to sit through so many bars of rest! This is where the practice of attention recall becomes very handy. During meditation, often our mind wanders, this is what the brain does. Hence, there is no such thing as “clearing your mind”.  However, as long as we notice our mind wandering, the more we practice bringing our attention back to an anchor such as breath and body sensations, in the case of playing music – sound, we will be able to come back and focus on the present moment. For most musicians, this feels like a natural reflex. We learn to do this through playing different pieces of music, in different ensemble performances, time and time again.

Another great thing about music is it can be a great visual reminder to be the here and now. I was backstage for the Mozart Requiem, worrying about the fast passages. Roger from First Violin said to me, “Forget about the bar before. That bar’s gone. The next bar is what you need to focus on.” - A bar at a time – what great learning in music and life.

Johnny: Most musicians appear to be perfectionists – is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Me: It is a common goal in humanity that we all want to flourish in whatever we do. It is the idea of being the best versions of ourselves and the sense of achievement that drives us forward. Like any sport, to play music well, you need to learn the basics. The precision of the pitch, the tone, the rhythm, and the expression of each note can potentially affect the outcome of the performance. So understandably, we all have a bit of perfectionism in us.

However, too much of a Perfectionist can be a hindrance. As a creative, I often find that self-critical thoughts can be very loud, particularly when I play a bum note, my fingers and bow not moving fast enough, or not playing as well as others. The loving-kindness practices help to soften such thinking. Particularly if I had a long day of work, turning up at rehearsal feeling tired, as best I can, being kind to myself and saying, “Well done for showing up, and whatever I can bring to the table tonight is plenty good enough.”

Johnny: Do you prefer playing music on your own or in a group?

Me: Just like our mindfulness practices, sometimes it serves us best to be on our own, sometimes it is better to practice together.

There’s something rather beautiful about playing music as a collective. The common humanity we share: a common goal towards a good performance, shared interest (especially our tea and cakes at rehearsal), and compassion and empathy for others (when you see the sea of notes clouding over Second Violin’s scores).

From a scientific point of view, the vibration of music, the harmony of the sound and the collective energy in the room help to soothe the body and mind. When you feel connected as a unit, it boosts a degree of psychological safety that makes you feel less alone. Great for mental health too!

Johnny: Finally, what advice would you give to musicians?

Me: Gosh! I feel like I’m punching above my weight here (on anything technical)!... I think the practice of gratitude and allowing ourselves to savour the good moments is important. One wobbly entry or note is not a failure. It’s a stepping stone in preparing us for the next concert. Just bask in the joy of the audience’s applause of appreciation of our performance, especially since we all worked so hard towards it.

Rina Cheung is an active member of the Chorleywood Orchestra. She is a qualified mindfulness teacher trained at Oxford Mindfulness Centre. She offers mindfulness sessions for corporate as well as general groups. If you would like to explore more, go to www.mindfulbeti.com