The Zone can vary significantly in terms of intensity and duration. In leading scientific journals, prominent researchers, such as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (
http://www.cgu.edu/pages/1871.asp), have identified characteristics typical of the full experience:
· The feeling that the mind and body are perfectly integrated.
· Mental concentration is 100% on the activity at hand with no thought given to success or failure, self-evaluation, or to other competitors.
· Time seems to slow, sometimes to the point where everything seems to move in slow motion.
· Every movement is seamless, effortless, flawless, and flowing.
· "Spectacular" levels of performance can be attained.
· Feelings of "total mastery", "a sense of invincibility", "transcendent".
· The experience is "perfect, complete…reacted to with wonder, amazement…and even reverence, exaltation."
Everyone has the capacity to experience The Zone.
What's blocking the way?
Imagine a circle. This represents "The Zone", when one is performing at 100 percent.
Distractions such as worry, nerves, and self-consciousness, can cut away "slices" of the circle to the point that we may be performing at a fraction of our potential.
Attitudes and values can have an equal impact.
Ken Fornetran, whose last CD won a Downbeat award as one of the best of the year in 2005, discussed this in an interview (I've cited this elsewhere, but it's especially relevant to this discussion).
"I used to get all worked up. I felt like I had to come up with the perfect song, the perfect set, and would get upset if there were mistakes. If you get stressed out, it's going to affect the music. Worry turns you inward, cuts you off. We begin to have issues about getting up in front of people and playing. We can begin to get nervous about it, to constantly worry. I used to have those kinds of anxiety issues. But, I've learned to just let things happen. It's not going to hurt you if you make mistakes. And even if you do fall on your face performing, it's not going to physically hurt. That's how we learn. We need to understand and accept that for some nights and for some sessions something can go wrong and will go wrong. It's the same for every musician, no matter how talented."
"We're a lot better off going in relaxed and letting things happen. When you do this, the music will come to you…You can try something and it may not work, but that doesn't mean it isn't good music and people won't like it. I used to think that if I made a mistake, the entire set was messed up and horrible. But, if you really break it down to the first song, then the second, and so on, some will be good, some less so, and you suddenly realize that out of two hours, maybe only 5% wasn't that good. But that 5% shouldn't be the only part that you remember and therefore make you feel bad about your playing. The memories of that negative emotion can carry over to the next gig, and after a while you're in trouble."
"People are going to listen to what they want to listen to, and even if there was a part that wasn't that good, they will fly past that with their memories and remember more of an overall feeling for performance. The more you focus on yourself and worry that you'll make mistakes, you won't be positive and that's what the audience will leave with; not that you played bad, but you weren't positive and confident about your music."
http://www.saxontheweb.net/Jazz/KenFornetran1.html
We need to understand that no one is perfect. Mistakes and setbacks are a normal part of the performing processes for even the most talented and experienced. Mistakes provide valuable feedback and are opportunities for future improvement. For example, professional comedian Chris Rock says that he "routinely bombs" but that's the nature of the creative process; it's how he eventually finds out what works and what doesn't; how he refines his timing and technique. It takes a whole series of mistakes to achieve something great.
K. Anders Ericsson,
http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/ericsson.dp.html. a prominent authority in this area, states that "Deliberate, focused practice" is a key component. This means working on a technique, seeking constant critical feedback, and focusing on improving those areas that require improvement. "Feedback" includes having a positive attitude that allows you to objectively evaluate your performance and then apply that feedback in your practice.
We may feel an expectation to be good right from the beginning. It doesn't work that way. We get into trouble when we expect too much too soon. Allow yourself the time and patience necessary to acquire knowledge and experience.
Judging your performance with terms like "good" and "bad" accomplishes nothing. Those are emotions (e.g. disappointment, frustration, self-criticism) taking control. We can get caught up in focusing more on what we've done "wrong" rather than on the activity at hand, eventually leading to a self-defeating mindset.
Mistakes and setbacks help us to become familiar with these types of negative thoughts and emotions and to learn how to manage these distractions. Becoming aware of how one's nerves and emotions respond to pressure and stress, is the first step towards learning how to manage them. In short, says psychologist Kimberley Amirault, it's about "learning how to be comfortable while uncomfortable".
How do we go about this? The website we're working on this summer will provide a practical, step by step program. In the interim, here are a couple of good places to start.
http://www.saxontheweb.net/Resources...-NSharpe1.html
And from the great jazz saxophonist, Mel Martin:
"I practice a simple form of meditation for twenty minutes, once a day, usually in the morning. It has nothing to do with religion, purchasing a mantra or following a guru…The first ten minutes is for concentration. It could be on whatever I'm listening to...my breathing or an upcoming performance. Being a very goal oriented person, I find that I might do the latter for a week or more prior to my performance using the technique of positive visualization.
The second ten minutes are spent … allowing my mind to think whatever thoughts come up. As they emerge, I acknowledge them and then attempt to bring back the basic focus of my concentration of the first half…
If you are readying yourself for performance, this will help you to maintain your focus so that when you hit the stage, you can be totally relaxed and confident. During the meditations…you can mentally rehearse the music you are going to perform. Then, before you go onstage, you can clear your mind of any clutter and all of the mental work you have done will pay off because you have embedded it on the subconscious level…
You will be surprised at how liberating this can be. "
http://www.melmartin.com/html_pages/Articles/zen.html
No paradise of the East,
No paradise of the West-
Seek along the way you have come.
They are all within you.
Haiku
R.H. Blyth (Trans.)
