Well, it happened again.
I played a gig last weekend and it went really well. The band was tight, the audience was delighted (and they let us know, enthusiastically). I played well, and felt really good about myself.
The next day, I saw another band play, and they were so good, I felt guilty for feeling good about my own skills. My gut reaction to these types of occurrences (and they are fairly common) is to think, “I guess I’ll put my instruments on EBay tomorrow – I have no business calling myself a musician.”
Of course, I don’t do that. But it can be frustrating, and oddly, humiliating to work so hard and long to hone my musical skills and still encounter musicians so supremely gifted that I can’t reasonably expect to catch up.
Measuring yourself against others can be a useful motivator, but it can also drag you down. So, if comparing yourself with other musicians isn’t a pleasant experience, don’t waste your time on it.
I can’t give up, though. I have too much time and passion invested to give up. It’s the journey, not the end that makes it worthwhile. I have learned to be proud of my skill level, even while staying determined to always try and improve. Sometimes, seeing the gap between my abilities and others is a good motivator, and that’s much healthier than getting discouraged or humiliated.
I think anybody that plays music should take that to heart as well. The benefits of playing music are well documented. It’s fun, social, and helps your brain stay healthy.
But it is hard at times. The worst thing you can do is despair over the gap between where you are and where you want to be. You may never get where you want to be, but you can have a rip-roaring’ time trying to get there.
Practicing, and endeavoring to learn new aspects of your instrument, and the music you play will ALWAYS result in improvement. That can be very satisfying. If you already like the way you play, then good on you – continue to have fun with it.
Lest you think the “gap” is just another example of life being unfair, I have learned that while natural talent is a real thing, the best musicians have invariably put in vast amounts of time and effort to master their craft – more than most folks even want to commit to. Talent may nudge their starting line up a bit – but the work, the commitment to learning, and the time to hone your skills – it does not fail to help.
