Some points of view developed over years of dabbling in music and engaging in sport
Playing (and Learning to play) Music works in multiple ways
Music is heavily based on mathematics, and hence it engages the left brain (taxes it, in fact, till it becomes second nature)
Music is also about coordination. Try picking some notes on a guitar with the ring and little finer alternating as you are capping up some rhythm with the strumming hand. And you will be told to mute the strings! How does one do that, really?
Music is about learning to breathe and relax while engaging in some complex acts (if you can relax while playing music, you really don’t need to worry about relaxation in general)
Music is about empathy, particularly when you play with others. It teaches listening and perception and anticipation. Useful to cultivate.
And most importantly music is about learning to learn.
Now try putting the benefits together and you get something quite amazing out of the hour or so you might be advised to spend playing music in a day.
The music might sound good to someone’s ears. But that’s not really the purpose.
So it’s well worth a thought on why so many people are listening to music rather than play.
Listening ain’t bad, but we should all try playing.
Like me on this video (and all the other unmentionably bad ones on the channel).
But that’s not making me stop. And I am only getting better. Thanks to my guitar teacher of many years, Prakash.
And that gets me to sport.
My friends look quite surprised when I tell them that I am not watching Djokovic slugging it out. I am not wondering about who’s going to be the next generation champion after the big 4.
I would rather be out on a court slugging it out. An hour a day. And spending another hour or so building strength to last a couple of hours on the court.
That doesn’t stop me from studying Federer’s backhand slice and trying to imitate that on the court. Or even wear something fashionable from the season’s look.
Playing tennis (or any sport) teaches me to balance between Attention and Relaxation. Try taking a fast serve off the bounce while you are taking care to breath out when you hit.
Playing sport teaches us to stay in the moment. Undoing the baggage of a lifetime possibly begins with forgetting the last point.
Needless to say, mind, body, soul coming together in high pressure situations. And if you can manage some degree of nonchalance while doing it, how cool is that!
So why are so many people sitting in front of screens and getting tensed up over someone else’s game?
Now why is this finding a place in a blog meant primarily for brand and marketing kind of stuff?
Music and sport (and quite a few other performing arts) have traditionally been some of the largest and most lucrative industries. Huge brands built across events, teams, performers, copyrights, endorsements etc.
But there is already a shift at least in music (aided by technology). A lot more people are getting into making music (on apps like Smule and Garage band). Same goes for movies.
It’s bound to happen in sports.
Appreciation is going to give way to Performance.
And that’s going to create some very interesting new options for business and marketing.
So time to stop watching, and start playing.
contralens 