yesterday's quote comes from some guy named publius syrus. i have never heard of this joker, so i dialed up my friends over at wikipedia to get the scoop. (i don't actually have any friends associated with wikipedia, but certainly recognize them as the most credible online source these days...) as it turns out, he is a latin writer of pithy observations on life. a freed roman slave, he also worked as a mime and an improvising writer during 1st century bc. he is credited with a slew of famous quotes, including "familiarity breeds contempt" and "it is better to learn late than never".
the line for inspiration today was "the remedy for wrongs is to forget them". i use this notion as a primary mantra when practicing improvisation. sure, you're gonna screw up - but us listeners want to know how you will incorporate that misstep towards successful thematic development. miles davis made a career out of this, and many are modeling their careers after miles' "mistakes".
many young improvisers get hung up on (knowingly) missing a chord change, and allow their frustration to alter the flow of their creative stream. most don't function like that in real life. quit reading the book after the first word you don't know? stop eating your fries after biting into a limp one? toss the wii remote after you immediately wreck while playing mario kart? put on a hat at the first inclination that your hair won't cooperate? (fyi - i don't read much, like droopy fries, suck at mario kart, and am wearing a hat as i type.)
when god closes a door, he opens a window. be 2 legit 2 quit. and count me as the first to use references from the sound of music and mc hammer to explain important principles in the creative process.
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