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The Grind By Alison Shearer |
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Home > What's New > Caramoor Blog > The Grind By Alison Shearer
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November 12, 2010
All fall I have been working away, writing and arranging music on top of working at Caramoor and following my busy practice schedule. My dreams were big—I wanted to create an impeccable set list that ebbed and flowed, taking the listener on a sonorous ride through different tempos and genres. I wanted the music to mean something. The deadline for this work had been far in the future… November 13th. Now it’s here. Tomorrow night at 7:30pm my quintet will perform a two hour show of original music at the Pound Ridge Library. The words “two hour show of original music” roll off the tongue so easily; but when you think about it, two HOURS of ORIGINAL music is a lot. Two hours of music amounts to eleven years of playing, four years of college training, several year’s worth of composing, and four months of thoughtful programming. Now that the gig is almost here, I find myself asking “so what?”
After years of learning, refining my skills and expressing myself through composition it is humbling to realize that the concert will be over in a blink of an eye. Inevitably, I will have a surge of energy upon completing the show, but then will come the critical voices. “Did I play well? Did the audience understand what we were trying to do? Why should anyone be listening to me when they can put on a record of John Coltrane and hear amazing music on an even higher level?” All of this to say that I inevitably won’t be satisfied… but maybe that’s a good thing. The dissatisfaction is in part what keeps the drive alive, and wanting the music to matter is what makes it great. John Coltrane’s hunger for musical integrity was insatiable – he even made a toy saxophone out of a broomstick so he could do finger exercises when he was traveling. Trane would fall asleep with a saxophone in his mouth and immediately start practicing when he woke up. His hunger for greatness led him to redefine jazz, and it has never been the same since.
Tomorrow’s show is a small stepping stone in the road that lies ahead. The music tomorrow night will not change the landscape of jazz; it won’t cause a riot; it won’t be the defining moment of my career. But it will be great. After eleven years of playing, four years of a college education, several years of composing, and a few months of programming, we are going to swing! I hope the music will put a smile on everyone’s face and reaffirm my love of performing. Regardless of how thing go, I will be ready to embark on the next big thing immediately following the show. But until then…. Practice, practice, practice.
For reservations and more information please call the library at 914.764.5085 Leave the first comment
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