You know when you’re kind of in a slump? Not a reed slump or an oboe slump necessarily, but just feeling blah?

I’ve felt this way the last few days or so… nothing “wrong” per se, the weather’s been good and everything is really fine. Maybe it’s a momentary lack of motivation or just too much time in the car enduring the unsurpassable Chicago traffic. I don’t really know, but I try not to get upset about it because life has ups and downs and these times (as well as the really inspired times) pass too quickly.

I am always amazed at what transpires to affect the change from blah to not blah. (Anyway, hang on here, this DOES have to do with the oboe!)

So, the day was progressing busily today just as it always does, and suddenly I felt drawn to take out my oboe and play FOR FUN. I must admit, I haven’t done that for ages and like anything, it is never good to forget what you enjoy about something in the first place. I didn’t even think about reeds, I didn’t think about much, really. I got out some solo Bach and just played, sort of using the music as meditation.

Might sound funny, but that’s what it was. It was the opposite of practicing, at least for me, because I actually was able to use the medium of the oboe for what I was feeling about everything. This meditation session didn’t last long (with 2 little ones running around it never does) but it turned my day and my mood around.

So, here’s what we all already know that refreshed me today: music is a gift, and no matter how “good” you are, you can use your playing to deal with life in a way you cannot do with anything else.