\u200bHotel California<\/p>\n
by al swainger<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a few months since my last article. I had set myself the task of writing one a month but in the end I just couldn\u2019t keep it up. The trouble is that once you stop, it can be hard to get going again \u2013 whether that\u2019s writing articles, going to the gym, practicing or whatever.This article seemed like a good way to break the ice and start again for the new year. It contains some reasons why I wasn\u2019t able to keep going and, by recognising them, why I\u2019m ok with not beating myself up about it. Sometimes things get too much and a break is necessary. As long as we don\u2019t lose focus in the long run and start again when we can, it\u2019s fine. If we don\u2019t start again, that\u2019s also fine \u2013 as long as we don\u2019t persist with the guilty delusion that we SHOULD start again. The only person who really decides whether something is worth doing is you.7 reasons you need a holiday No regular office hours. As a self employed musician you\u2019re used to being at work 24 hours a day. You\u2019re not actually \u201cat work\u201d of course, but in a perpetual state of readiness. The phone might ring at any hour and need an immediate response \u2013 the same being true of email, facebook messages, twitter etc. You know that if you wait too long to respond you might lose a gig, a new pupil or a workshop. You also know that if you don\u2019t take that opportunity, somebody else will. And if that person does a good job they will probably be offered the next gig too. Now you\u2019re in a position where by not responding fast enough, you\u2019ll lose two gigs, or two referrals\u2026 So you daren\u2019t ever switch off, just in case. You\u2019re your own agent. If you\u2019re not actively dealing with an enquiry (or doing your tax return) then you\u2019re spending time trying to generate work. This can mean lots of time on social media, going to gigs or jam sessions, organising rehearsals, contacting other musicians to discuss future projects, organising recordings and\/or tours and so on. This can be hard to judge. Do too little and you may not generate enough work to pay the bills, but beyond a certain point you can over commit or start to annoy people as an \u2018over-hustler\u2019. The regularlity of keeping this up, following up phone calls and messages, can provide a constant low level drain on your energy levels while you try to juggle all the other essential areas. You\u2019re your own publicist. Very closely related to being your own agent but where that one is about generating work, the publicist role is about showing that you are worth working with. It\u2019s not possible to gig all the time, you can\u2019t always have just put out an album or a new book \u2013 the easiest way of demonstrating your wares \u2013 so you need ways of keep yourself visible in between these more obvious moments. On the whole this is the fun bit of making sure that the phone continues to ring \u2013 writing articles, composing, meeting up with friends for a jam \u2013 and will inevitably lessen once the next tour starts, the next album actually comes out and so on. But now you\u2019ve spent all your time between the more obvious parts of your job too and you find you forgot to rest. You\u2019re your own roadie. Travelling can be really exhausting, whether you\u2019re the one driving or not. Postural options are limited leading to aches and pains. There\u2019s loading your gear in and out of cars, theatres, pubs, hotels while negotiating kitchens, flights of stairs, narrow lifts, crowds of people standing in the way\u2026 And finally hanging around at airports, hotels or theatres which is often draining too as you hold your body and mind in a state of readiness for the next thing. Although it might seem like just the opposite you really get very little time to genuinely unwind. Gigs! Although your actual playing time is probably somewhere between one and three hours you can usually add at least three hours to that once you factor in setup time, hanging about, interval and breakdown time. The interval is not really time off of course as there\u2019s often no green room. Having no where else to go you could either wait in the packed bar, where you might spend the entire duration queuing for a drink, wait on the bandstand or go outside with the smokers. Whichever option you go for you are essentially waiting to start playing again, which means you get no mental or physical downtime in this situation either. Practice. Although being the best isn\u2019t everything it\u2019s still a factor. Periodically someone new will appear in your area and you will probably lose some gigs to the novelty of the new arrival. If gigs are the only time you practice then you might lose them permanently if you don\u2019t continue to put at least some time in here. If you aren\u2019t finding ways to reinforce or explore good posture \/ movement during this time this is also going to contribute to the reasons you will need to take some time off. Your awareness of your own habits is going to play a big part in how beneficial your practice is to you. If your practice time tends to involve pushing you to the physical limit you might want to reconsider the way you are approaching it. Poor dietary habits. Late at night it\u2019s virtually impossible to buy anything healthy and you\u2019re usually exhausted from the combination of travelling and gigging. This can have the knock on effect of missing breakfast in the event of an early rehearsal, recording or departure the following day, because your need for sleep is more immediate. This is bound to have an effect on your general health and energy levels over a long period. 7 ways to make the most of your holiday when you get there7 Reasons 2Now you know you need a holiday \u2013 what sort of holiday do you need?Ideally you need to get away from home. If you stay in your familiar environment then you are likely to do much the same things as every day. Staying away from home is great, leaving the country even better.Be on holiday long enough for the automatic stresses to cease \u2013 take as long as you realistically can. It takes a while for the Pavlovian responses to ease (checking the time, social media, your phone, responding immediately to every enquiry) for me this is about 5 or 6 days so I\u2019m not really starting to unwind properly until the 7th day. Be aware of them and aim to gradually wean yourself off them entirely for the duration of your holiday. Our minds need to learn to rest as much as our bodies. How can you do that? Allocate a specific time to check your phone for texts. This is hard because we tend to carry our phones with us all the time. If you can cope try turning it off or leaving it behind when you go out for the day. Don\u2019t answer the phone directly \u2013 set up voicemail to ask people to text or email. Let go of the day to day annoyances, tell people that you are away and will be back on the case when you return unless it\u2019s genuinely urgent. Stop participating in social media with a view to stop using it altogether while you are away. None of those conversations ultimately matter, no one will miss you for a couple of weeks. It\u2019s a great networking tool and it\u2019s good to maintain relationships but it\u2019s also part of your day to day life which is preventing you from really relaxing. When you do need to respond to people while away, keep your answers simple. Use closed answers that don\u2019t invite further conversation. Try to limit yourself to diary checks if possible. None of this is to be rude but it\u2019s too easy to get drawn into dialogue that could easily wait until you get back. This may be your only chance to properly unwind for a long time. Eat when you are hungry. You are on holiday, no longer confined to mid afternoons and post midnight feeds so take advantage of it, go for the healthier options when they appeal. Practice Alexander Technique, Yoga, Pilates or anything else that works for you to make the most of your physical relaxation. It\u2019s hard to recognise physical tension until you experience your body without it and that is not something that can be swiftly achieved.Last thing I remember, I was running for the door. I had to find the passage back to the place I was before.\u201cRelax, \u201d said the night man, \u201cWe are programmed to receive. You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave! \u201c\u2013 Henley \/ Frey \/ Felder (Hotel California)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
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