Tip Tuesday Tip! The Shed
Welcome to all those that have begun college, high school or any school for that matter and welcome back to those that are returning! This Tip Tuesday Tip is for you! I want to briefly discuss what it means to shed... Most people know that this term basically began with Charlie Parker's quest to become one of the best by stealing away for several months to focus on his craft. Instead of focusing on the history of it... let's breakdown what he actually did!1. Isolation: He decided that in order to achieve greatness at a certain level, he needed to find a secluded, sacred place with no distraction. His "space"! Almost like a "cocoon", allowing his body and mind to grow without disruption.
2. Time: He was in this "space" for months! Not one random day when he felt good... not a week before Juries, not to prep for a recital or performance... but for the craft itself! And, he stayed there until a basic level of excellence was achieved! This takes TIME and he knew that.
3. Consistency: Isolation can be intimidating... you start getting "the itch"... you want to do other things... He didn't do that. He was consistent daily with strict practice coupled with intensity and discipline.
There's much more that I can say he did... but these are three of the most important points. Obviously it's somewhat unrealistic in today's world to imagine isolating yourself in a "shed" or "the bridge" like The Official Sonny Rollins Page.
However, we can take this conception on and apply it to our lives. Understand that in order to reach a certain level of excellence with your craft, you'll need to block out the world from time to time (more often than not), take countless hours of time doing it and doing it with serious consistency, dedication and discipline and NOT STOPPING until the work is done! Some would call this extreme... but, remember!
Greatness is an extreme! Everything else is either average or below. Students, you'll never have this opportunity again in your life! This is the time to get deep in the shed and create the foundation of excellence that will be the base of a great career!
Don't forget!
Consistent Practice turns into habits... those habits then turn into a lifestyle! In order to have a lifestyle that reflects excellence, you need to start in the shed!