Posted by Tracie Price on May 13, 1999 at 00:20:16:
In Reply to: Not for me, thanks posted by Roy Orbison on May 12, 1999 at 20:14:09:
: Is there some omnipotent
: deity out there who is going to play the notes
: for you or at least help you to play them?
I am usually not inclined to enter into religious discussions, but I did want to comment on this part at least. For me, when I use prayer before a performance, it is in the spirit of "God helps those who help themselves". Meaning, I wouldn't expect any higher power to play the notes for me, or make me play better than I had prepared. I simply ask that I may play to the best of my ability, and that perhaps my playing will be moving to someone in the audience, and that I will play for the right reasons- to serve the music and my fellow humans. For me personally, music itself is a spiritual experience, and it is nearly impossible for me to seperate it from that realm. I always play better in concert if I spend a few minutes in silent prayer beforehand, whether it is due to any spiritual guidance, or simply because of meditation on my own part, it up to the beholder I guess.
I appreciate Paul's willingness to share his story with us- I found it to be moving.
-Tracie Price