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Moonsail Limited
Making Words Work For You |
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Pushing Beyond The Comfort Zone
With 3 young children, a list of DIY projects to tackle, plus the time commitments of running a new business, it’s no surprise that some of the hobbies and interests I enjoy have been neglected recently.
But earlier this year I resolved to retrieve my guitar from the back of the wardrobe, dust it down, put a new set of strings on, and start playing again.
It’s a great way to unwind after a hard-working week and I’ve found it surprisingly easy to pick up where I left off when I stopped playing a couple of years ago. But rather than just sit at home strumming away on my own I decided I should really push myself to get out there and play in front of an audience. Why would I want to do this?
I’d HAVE to practice… It would be an exciting challenge… It would get me out of my comfort zone…
So one evening back in November I ventured down to the ‘Open Mic’ night at Windsor Arts Centre. Held most Wednesdays, it’s a venue where you can turn up with your guitar and play 2 or 3 songs ‘live’. Was I nervous? To quote from ‘All Shook Up’ : ‘Well my hands were shaking and my knees were weak’. Although I wanted to get up there and play, when the moment arrived, I really didn’t want to go through with it at all. But by then it was too late…
Despite my nerves, I somehow managed to struggle through a couple of songs – even generating a ripple of applause at the end. When I returned the following week, I played slightly better. But no matter how much I practiced the songs beforehand, playing them in front of a live audience always seemed to bring out a mistake. A fluffed chord, a forgotten word, or a missed verse.
I could make it easy and just sit at home on my own and practice, but it’s no substitute for actually getting out there and DOING it for real – even if it means making mistakes. I must be doing something right because the Arts Centre recently asked me to play for a whole evening. So I said ‘yes’, and it’s happening this Sunday the 13th. I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to it or not, but one thing's for sure - it HAS got me out of my comfort zone…
If you’re free on Sunday evening, come down to the Arts Centre and say hello. I’ll be playing in the bar.
Hugh McClelland
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