Let me go ahead and say this post has nothing to do with Jim Morrison. Last week I competed in the Great Plains Marimba Competition, an interesting experience and one that I will write about in the coming weeks. (Distance is good in some cases, yes??) Now, I'm by no means a person who has taken many competitions. There is an interesting moment, though, when finalists are announced and your name isn't called. You start to wonder if this sort of playing scenario is meant for you, if a "competition player" is who you are or who you want to be. And this time, for me, it became very clear that I view competitions as a stepping stone, not the end of some glorious road, but hopefully a little push to a new adventure. Those that have won have undoubtedly participated in many. As Ji Hye Jung said during her concert (and I paraphrase), "How did I win the competitions? Let me tell you -- I only mention the ones I didn't lose ." Last week's day of fina...
artistic health + percussion