Daydreaming While Playing

"When I play from my mind I get in trouble."- Stevie Ray Vaughan

Sometimes I get into trouble when I am playing my own songs and singing. I know the music so well (because they are mine) that I start to think and daydream about other things when I am playing and singing. Don't ask how this happens, but it does. It's not good because then when I find myself back in the "present" moment, I frequently can't remember where I am at in the lyrics or music.

In order for me to remember my songs, they have to tell a story, and then I know what comes next. That's true for acting too, for me. I can't remember lines if they are chaotic and don't make sense in the bigger scheme of the play.

Well, Thomas Swan said that as musicians, we don't have the luxury of completely feeling the emotions of a piece, because we have a responsibility to the score, to the composer, to the interpretation. If you lose yourself completely in emotion, you forget the details of the music.

You must balance the two. Sometimes it's not so easy.