The Mind of the Jazz Musician

Jazz musicians are highly trained professionals, just as in any other skilled professional field. Whilst on stage, it may appear to the causal observer that we are relaxed, and perhaps barely even exerting ourselves. But what you are seeing is the tip of the iceberg. This effortless composure is the culmination of years of dedication and hard work, to make the mere impossible seem second nature. Our bodies are relaxed, but our minds are laser focused—choosing, from a seemingly endless combination of notes, the perfect melody nestled within a complex syncopated rhythm. What you’re witnessing is the pinnacle of balance of focus and concentration that...blah blah blah...folks: this is the crap we tell all you people so you’ll come to our gigs and be impressed. (Is it working?) But it’s about time you knew the sober truth. Every time you see a musician on stage with their eyes closed, they’re definitely not thinking about the song they are playing. They are most likely either a) falling asleep, b) thinking about what to spend their gig money on, or c) asleep. Ironically, the last thing on our minds is what we’re doing. (Don’t tell the guys I told you. I’ll get in big trouble.) And if you break it down further, each musician has their own specific inner dialogue/commentary, and...you guessed it...I’m here to tell you all about it. Next time you’re at a gig, you can