I'd have to say I'm still very much in the holiday mood. You know - enjoying the freedom, not having a schedule etc. When I return home I will still have another month and a half before I start Uni so my 'holiday' itself is not necessarily over when I return in a few days. I was lucky enough to get a part-time subcontracting job at a music school teaching for the remainder of my holidays which will give me time to look for other jobs. Well I teach privately as well but with the amount of petrol I use and the amount it costs, one job just isn't enough sadly.
I intend to play more gigs as well as they pay quite well, but honestly, I didn't realise how tiring it would be until I started a couple months back. I played a 3 hour Latin/Flamenco duo with a friend and by the end of it, well.. I've actually never been so tired of playing guitar. But I guess that's part of the job sometimes, you just gotta push through and enjoy the music even if it is not exactly what you feel like playing. That being said, the gig went pretty smoothly. The wedding that I played at last sunday (unfortunately no video) went pretty well too. It kind of helped that everyone was talking and not staring at me as I could just relax and play as if I was in my own room - which is where I usually play best. I have a feeling it is the same in most forms of art, that we (as artists) perform best when we do not think about what we are playing/saying/singing. We just appreciate the moment, and enjoy the music for what it is, to grasp and acknowledge the intrinsic value of our instruments and music. In many school performances I regret being on stage and constantly worrying about what other people were thinking about my playing. I found those performances were the ones I was least happy with. Then there were the times where I was carefree, and even though I made a few undesirable noises and hiccups, the 'performance' itself was far more enjoyable. Because I hold this philosophy of music I deeply admire Tommy Emmanuel. Not only are his pieces reflections of something beyond this world, when I watch him perform, it is almost like he and his instrument are a single entity. The passion he exerts, the feeling he generates, in combination with the virtuosic playing create something beyond words. Something I wish I could replicate. But as they say - 'The Journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step' and I guess so does the practicing.
Jesse Liang
