How a Tea Ceremony Made Me a Better Pianist:​ Mindfulness in Music Study

*This post is part of my “Mindfulness, Mindset, & Imagination” series. See the end of this blog post for more information about registering for a music workshop where we’ll expand on these themes!

How a Tea Ceremony Made Me a Better Pianist:
​Using Mindfulness in Music Study

In my last *blog article, I wrote about how your mindset can help you do well or lead you to worry and doubting yourself. One key takeaway in developing your personal mindset was to, “Try and see what happens!” Treating new situations like experiments can develop your curiosity, which can lead to surprising outcomes.
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Would you agree that piano playing tends to be a more mental than physical activity?
Sure, you use your whole body, not just your hands (and feet) to play the instrument, but have you considered approaching piano study in a mindful way? How can “being mindful” help you play piano better?

Mindfulness: an Eastern practice adapted by the West ​

The practice of mindfulness has its origins in the East, mainly stemming from (though not exclusively limited to) religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. In the late 1970’s, those who studied from teachers in India Thailand, Sri Lanka and surrounding areas introduced mindfulness in the United States. Contemporary American authors, speakers, and teachers on mindfulness include Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein.
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One famous figure who popularized the concept of mindfulness and secularized it for Western audiences is Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. He created Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare, and Society, after studying with Zen Buddhist teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh. Kabat-Zinn’s approach combined scientific research and mindfulness techniques, (like meditation and yoga) to complement traditional medical and psychological treatment for patients. Kabat-Zinn’s work with stress reduction has been integrated into healthcare, psychology, sports, and schools.
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Today, organizations and institutions like the Insight Meditation Society, and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies help educate the people of all backgrounds about mindfulness meditation, and other similar practices to balance our fast-paced, technology-driven lifestyles.

Mindfulness Defined

From Kobat-Zinn’s Center for Mindfulness video, [at video markers 2:04 & 5:40] mindfulness has three qualities: Attention (choosing to be awake in each moment), Intention (choosing to focus attention; being present) and Attitude (being open; bringing curiosity to what we notice we’re aware of). Those qualities are reflected in Kobat-Zinn’s definition: ‘Mindfulness is the awareness that rises when we pay attention on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally.”

Let’s look at more definitions of mindfulness, with italics relating most to pianists. Do you notice a theme in keywords?
rom Merriam-webster: Mindfulness is 1. the quality or state of being mindful and 2. the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis

The Insight Timer app, which features a large library of secular, spiritual, religious guided meditations, educational lectures, and audio tracks to aid in sleep, describes the practice this way: “Insight Meditation or mindfulness derives from the Vipassana tradition in the school of Theravada Buddhism. It focuses on experiences such as hearing, seeing, chewing, tasting, touching, smelling, pain, thinking and moving. Attention to the physical body and patterns of the mind can create a mental awareness which keeps attention grounded in present reality.

From 3 Definitions of Mindfulness that Might Surprise You, mindfulness researchers created a specific definition to avoid broad minconceptions and aid future scientists studying this topic: Mindfulness is the self-regulation of attention with an attitude of curiosity, openness, and acceptance.

What Does Mindfulness Have to Do with Playing Piano?

If you think relating mindfulness for pianists (and musicians) is a new idea, there have been many articles, blog posts, and summer programs for musicians dedicated to the topic. Pianists face all kinds of situations where mindfulness can be used, from practicing, to learning new ideas in lessons, asking thoughtful questions, to focusing attention when performing. Similar to mindset, being mindful affects our thoughts, behaviors, how and what we feel.

At a basic level, mindfulness requires focused attention and awareness. This state of being aware, or as some like to say “being present” is especially useful for musicians. Where one chooses to put their attention while engaged in an activity is the key to being mindful in a beneficial way.
There’s also the element of non-judgement. In this sense, not judging means detaching from results, opinions of others (good and bad), and simply making an observation that isn’t personal. It’s going easy on yourself, taking pressure off, and noticing harsh negative self-criticism isn’t helpful.

When making music, we certainly have to judge the accuracy of notes, rhythms, our execution, judge how our movements affect our tone, and listen critically if what we played was what we wanted. Yet, in a mindfulness sense, non-judgment means to just take in “what is,” while taking away personal feelings. It’s accepting a situation (doesn’t mean you have to agree with it) rather than forcing what “should” happen or being upset about what didn’t happen.
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Mindfulness is a way to improve focus and concentration-skills that we continually develop when studying piano. Being present and observant in small moments of time, lessens distraction. Attention can be placed on how our bodies move as we play piano. Body awareness gives us clues on what’s going on with our playing technique. Attention can be focused on our emotions when we hear a piece of music we enjoy (or maybe dislike) and have a meaningful conversation with our teacher about it. Awareness to our thoughts before a lesson or during a performance can help us notice sensations when we feel prepared and excited compared to when we feel bored or anxious.  

Mindfulness & Musicianship

Here’s my take on how incorporating mindfulness principles can be useful to pianists.

• Know that piano study (and learning about music) is a journey. Sometimes, results aren’t immediate. To be mindful with piano lessons, there’s no need to judge yourself (or compare yourself to others) about mistakes made, how long it takes to master a technique, or fully grasp a concept. Challenges and accomplishments within music study are all part of a bigger picture.

The truth of piano study is that your level of skill is based on progress over time. There will be times when lessons are difficult or frustrating; usually that’s when most students give up or quit. Mindfulness while learning piano encourages non-judgement. It’s developing patience with the learning process, and especially being patient with ourselves. “This is going to take some time and it’s going to sound bad for a while until I get better” is a mindful approach each time we sit at the keyboard.

Challenges are temporary; with consistent practice and focusing on small wins you’ve made for yourself, there will be moments of insights and mastering techniques you couldn’t do before.
A mindful “small win” with yourself and/or with your teacher would be: 
Sightreading: You put your attention on looking at the music and try not to look down at your hands. You worked through the nagging thoughts that notes were missed and the tempo was uneven. Although you struggled, made lots of mistakes, and were frustrated, you eventually sightread through the small two page piece from your method book. You were focused in real time, and didn't judge yourself since it was the first read through.  Your teacher congratulates you for being focused and trying your best. The point was to play without stopping completely while upset. You did it!

• Be Present while you practice and in your lesson. 

Applying mindfulness to practicing (or in lessons with your teacher) and being present in the moment, means placing attention on what you’re doing, what you’re trying to figure out or accomplish, and not judging yourself about how things are going. You know you’re being mindful when you practice with a focused goal instead of just going through the motions while your mind wanders. (e.g. playing scales quickly without listening to yourself so you can get on to playing your fun piece).
Attention to the moment: “I’m practicing my scales as a warm up for my fingers”
Attention to what you’re doing (setting an Intention): “I’m going to play these scales with a relaxed wrist and add musicality as I crescendo up and decrescendo down.”
Non-judgement: “I played the scales but my wrist wasn’t relaxed.” *With judgement: “I played the scales and my wrist wasn’t relaxed. My arms don’t know how to loosen up. I’m terrible at playing scales!?”
So what’s the best way to practice? = it’s paying attention to what you’re doing.
Just like tip #1, enjoying and engaging in each step of the process of developing piano skills will serve you better than trying to quickly check off all the items in your practice log in one sitting!

• Overthinking doesn’t help. Notice “what is” in a present moment and allow yourself to be absorbed in the experience.

I mentioned my overthinking causes “over-analysis-paralysis,” in my first post, and I’m continually taking steps to curb it. So for me, making tea was a breakthrough moment.

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In my story, I was aware of how I felt: uncomfortable, a little bit nervous, and the “pit” in my stomach kept growing. I observed my own thoughts and how my mind was racing in the moment: “What if I don’t do it right!” “I wasn’t paying attention to him enough?!”. I felt the silence and uneasiness around the room. So before I allowed my overthinking to get worse, I did something about it. (and ultimately surprised myself!) I accepted how I felt, but set the intention to be curious and step outside of my comfort zone.

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After my tea ceremony experience, I'm more conscious that action helps me move through my thought clutter. I'm a better pianist now that I know acting more and thinking less serves me better. I felt really unprepared for the task as soon as I stood up. I got through the "performance" of the ceremony, all the while being present with each next step. Taking a breath helped me refocus.  I showed a certain level of courage by stepping up when asked, unprepared. I can take with me the visceral feelings of that evening and apply them to my next performance. If I felt mindly confident because of acting in spite of my overacting mind, I can certainly develop greater confidence and competency after practicing with mindful preparation.

Feeling self-conscious, carrying self-doubt, and mindless chatter keep you “inside your head.” To counteract overthinking, it may require action. Other times it means you don’t take your thoughts personally, and quietly realize your mind tends to go into overdrive when under stress (and that’s a normal reaction). Mindfulness is a reminder to attend to the feelings, sights, and sounds, in the moment, and again, to do so without judgement.  ​

It’s important to note I’ve only touched the surface of exploring mindfulness in all of its history, religious traditions, and symbolism. As mindfulness continues to be promoted in the United States to boost productivity, stress reduction, and is focused more on the science benefits, those formally trained in the practice can provide much deeper insights than what I’ve written here. With this small introduction to mindfulness, I hope you’ll have a fresh perspective with each lesson, new concept, and your next session at the piano. Using Attention, Intention, and having a Attitude of curiosity (open to whatever happens) will definitely transform your piano playing for the better.

What’s one point you can relate to and use the next time you’re at the piano? Back to my first question: do you think playing piano requires a certain level of mental effort alongside the physical?
Do you agree taking action before thinking too much is a good solution?
Leave a comment below or send me a message about this post. I’m interested to hear your thoughts!

If you want more perspectives on mindfulness for musicians and being mindful in daily life, here are more Resources & additional Reading:
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A guest blog post from Pianodao.com expanding on the Mindfulness themes: “Is Mindfulness Relevant to Piano Playing?” by Doug Hanvey.
A Way to Amplify (or Weaken) the Effect of Self-Talk on Performance by Noa Kageyama, PhD. of the Bulletproofmusician.
The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart by Madeline Bruser
Getting Started with Mindfulness from Mindful.org
What is Mindfulness? Definition and Benefits (with Psychology)
Classic Zen Story told during the Tea Ceremony: The Samurai and the Tea Master Story
​Mindfulness Certification Training offered by iNLP Center

This post is part of a series related to an upcoming Masterclass/Workshop for high school pianists, in collaboration with Lily Music Studio. I’ll be talking about issues many musicians face, like performance anxiety, ways to practice better, and will offer feedback to 4 performers on their pieces. With open discussion, a unique composition activity, and featured local food, this experience aims to be more interactive than the traditional masterclass, allowing for all attendees to participate.
If this sounds exciting to you, register here & join us on June 10th, 2019!