This summer I had two organ lessons. The first on June 29 and the other on August 31. Since I did not write a post already about the June lesson this post will summarize both.
The earlier lesson marked the first lesson where I did not sweat through my shirt. At previous lessons I felt nervous which for me leads to extra sweating. I felt more confident with the practicing I had done leading up to the lesson which resulted in less nervousness and therefore less sweating. I still had nervous sweating it just was not enough to go through my shirt. This felt like a minor accomplishment.
In the most recent lesson, it was hot in the balcony as the air conditioning was not running when we arrived. I felt more nervous than I should as it had been 2 months since my last lesson. I’d like to believe that the excessive sweating can be attributed to the temperature. However, the pipe organ revealed my uneasiness! For when I initially played, the sound which came forth did not sound relaxed or confident. If their had been an audience, they would have known something was off even if they could not articulate exactly what. Michael (my teacher) didn’t say anything but I am sure he noticed. I calmed down after a few minutes.
The lessons proceeded like most lessons and I continue to struggle with playing the rhythm correctly. I will conquer this issue eventually! Michael says that I need to become a better listener. Then I can identify the problem sections when I playback recordings of myself practicing. The ultimate goal is to correct the issues before going to a lesson.
I’ll end with a picture taken last Saturday at my lesson as I quite like how the summer sun is shining through the window.
Heidi Bender writes about her experiences of learning to play the organ. She started on the adventure in 2009.
She also writes on her website Tons of Thanks, which helps people write thank-you notes. Heidi is also a cat lady who writes at The Joy of Cats.
Heidi,
Your post makes me smile. It’s curious how nerves can affect us physically in various ways and I appreciate your sense of humor about it!
Ellen
Heidi,
Keep hammering away. I am sure you will get there!
Thank you for the encouragement Mark!
I shouldn’t be laughing, but boy can I ever relate to the sweating story!!!! You always seem so laid back that I would never have thought that you sweat!!! haha I give you a ton of credit for continuing to pursue your dream and you’ll have to sweat a lot on your journey!!!!!
Thanks Mary Jane. I tend to sweat a lot when I am nervous. I think I have always had the nervous sweats and is not unique to my organ playing.