Hey Nigel, Allan from New Zealand here, just became a member a few days ago and starting to go through the forum posts. Loved reading your post here regarding the phsychology and science underpinning Greg’s approach to practicing and playing yeah? I really resonate with his framework and find it very helpful as a newby to understand the mechanics and the psychology behind it all, along with the mindfullness of what’s going on, and how it feels as I’m learning and playing. So glad I’ve found WindWorks, lovin’it. Thanks again for your thought provking post. Allan

Good post, Nigel. Thanks.

Yes, Greg’s teaching methods are quite well rounded.

As someone who is now suffering from Embouchure Focal Dystonia (coming up on a year now), addressing all aspects of playing is essential, whether you have Dystonia or not. My decline seems to have finally hit bottom and I have found myself thinking at times that a psychologist would have been helpful along the way. Where did I see that sentence about Dystonia? “The death of the player you once were”? That’s real. It’s a hard death. I think I have finally come to terms with this and am ready to let go of the past and do the work to dig myself out of the Dystonia grave and learn to play again. Sadly, the past — my 1.0 brain — is fighting a tremendous battle to not let go. It has extraordinarily entrenched neural pathways. (I did that to myself by reinforcing those pathways daily over decades.)

If any of you are questioning the validity of Greg’s methods — don’t. Commit to it and do the work. I believe that it will save you from the heartache that can come when other methods you’ve used finally fail.

Hi, Nigel,

I also have a problem with the field of psychology. I have not yet met one person who actually was healed of a traumatic emotional event through psychology. The best I’ve seen accomplished is that the injured person only learns to better cope with their trauma. Not healed, just better coping skills. What a waste of time and money.

I think I have come through this first year of my Dystonia experience in many ways a better person. My identity is no longer derived from being a trumpet player and I no longer have the need to prove myself to myself or to anyone else. This is actually quite freeing because I had an enormous pile of ego that I used to carry around. (It recently died with the last of my trumpet skills.) The peace that has come out of dumping that pile has been surprising.

There are two concepts that I am now taking to heart — “no excuses” and “nothing to prove”. I haven’t yet had opportunity to put these concepts in action, but I suspect the next lesson I have with Greg will be the litmus test for that. (If I get defensive in any way during a lesson I’ll know I still have a ways to go.)

I have decided that it would not be healthy for me to ever again list off past accomplishments or my list of former instructors. Doing so would violate the “nothing to prove” concept I have adopted. (I might make a rare exception to tell this stuff as part of explaining my Dystonia experience. I hope not.) I also had to decide whether or not to continue with trumpet playing. I came very close to quitting, but I’ve decided to take on the challenge and put myself through the long process of fighting off nasty 1.0 brain to get to 2.0 brain. I agree with adding your disclaimer: “keep playing this way and you will probably develop Dystonia, resulting in the symptoms of grief at losing your ability to play” to many trumpet playing methods.

If you should decide to research the possibility of developing a Musicians Psychology concept, I would be delighted to hear what you discover.

All the best,
Janet

Hi Janet,

Thank you for sharing some of your experiences with dystonia. I can relate to a lot of what you have said and it has taken a fair while to understand what has been going on for me and to accept “the death of the player I used to be”.

I have found that my 1.0 brain was entrenched in survival mode and was motivated to satisfy unsatisfied needs in an unhealthy way. I have found this survival mode programming has been a factor in the need to prove myself. In going through Greg’s course I have gotten to the point where I can now see my brain switching over to ‘me 2.0’ which is in a place of calm. When this doesn’t happen and 1.0 is clinging on it has been really beneficial to remind myself that the 1.0 programming served a purpose in a time I don’t remember and to thank it for serving that purpose (whatever it was) but that it doesn’t need to serve that purpose anymore, the threat has passed. An analogy would be: A lifeguard saving a small child from drowning, then saving that same person when they are an adult and a competent swimmer. The child needed ‘saving’ but the adult does not with the lifeguard being the 1.0 brain. So the 1.0 wiring (lifeguard) served a purpose of allowing the person to survive but is now getting in the way of allowing the person to thrive. By thanking my 1.0 brain (personified as the lifeguard) I can acknowledged that it exists and treat it with a loving kindness that brings my nervous system out of survival mode and allows my new 2.0 brain to do its thing. While I still have my moments, this approach has allowed me to move beyond ‘fighting’ myself and the need to prove myself or be perfect.

All of this goes on before even getting to the instrument or even any of the exercises that have anything to do with playing or Greg’s course. I believe finding this place of calm is crucial in simply building a healthy relationship with one’s self and allows one to find states of flow which I believe is one of the goals in performance psychology.

I appreciate that dystonia is being talked about more and more and to hear how others are healing and progressing with it. I look forward to hearing more from you and others!

All the best,
Patrick 🙂

This is such an incredibly important thread and I thank all of you for contributing. I am working on a website to delve into this topic a lot more deeply.

Much respect!!!!
Greg

I appreciate everyone’s well thought out responses immensely. I like your analogy, Patrick, and will try that. Perhaps taking a kinder view of the 1.0 brain will calm it enough to go away easier. Right now, it feels more like I’m trying to fend off a very hungry great white shark.

Patrick!!!

Thank you! I tried your approach and I do believe it worked! Of course, many issues are yet to be overcome, but my 1.0 brain seems to have lost a few teeth. The real test will be picking up the horn again in about 8 hours. Typically, my experience is that a good day is followed by a bad one. A really good day is followed by a REALLY bad one. (It has been a proportionate trade off.) That being my usual experience, I’m hoping for an exception to the pattern and find I get another good day!

Janet

Janet! Yay!

I’m very happy for you! Tomorrow will just be another opportunity to thank the lifeguard 🙂

All the best,

Patrick 🙂