Frontiers Friday #24. Devotion to the Craft (Part 5)
Frontiers of Psychotherapist Development
Frontiers Friday #24. Devotion to the Craft of Music (Part 5)
Happy Chinese New Year, especially to Chinese folks on the Frontiers!
In Part 5 of Devotion to the Craft, I'm focusing on the world of music. (Those who know me, know that besides my obsession with the craft of therapy, music is the other world I spend alot of my headspace in. Related post: The Music of Psychotherapy.)
Particularly, I'd explore musicians who did not "stick to a formula" but continued to push their boundaries and reinvent themselves over the course of their career.
Why is this relevant to therapists?
Two reasons. First, there is a a lot to learn about what it takes to keep going at our own frontier by emulating those who did. What I'm learning from these musicians is that
Struggle is a consistent theme
It doesn't get easier, but they get better.
Second, as practitioners, it's really tempting to "settle down" with a theoretical framework and not continuously challenge our set of ideas, beliefs and principles. (I'm currently reading Adam Grant's new book that targets this called Think Again. This book might end up in our of my Top 10 list that I'm currently working on for a podcast episode...I super-admire--jealous even-- of Grant's level of creative productive as a writer.)
Here's the first 5 artists (1 is a quote from a legend) I'd highlight:
The Beatles
Who doesn't love the Beatles? Let's not forget, in a short span of less than 9 years, The Beatles rewrote the rules of pop music. Music historian Ted Goia noted, the one thing they didn't do is "subscribe to a formula." The Monkees tried to mimic them to a formula, but the Beatles changed within 5-6 months.
Another notable perspective from Goia: "The best music are under our radar. Radio and record labels are looking for the formula."
Compare their earlier albums like Please Please Me (1963) with Sgt Pepper (1967) (or even Revolver, 1966).
David Bowie
No need for further explanation. If you don't know about him, watch The Man Who Changed the World.
Writer Neil Gaiman shares this story about David Bowie meeting a boy who was a huge fan of his (Bowie starred in the movie Labyrinth) but was extremely shy.
In this little story, Bowie reveals how his "masks" allows his to true self to come out.
From time to time, I share this story with clients who might resonate with this. Reminds me of how Ketih Johnstone taught improv actors by the use of wearing a mask, so that they can be free to play.
Radiohead
Radiohead epitomises what it means to continuously reinvent themselves. Even after a success like OK Computer, they continued to push boundaries and come with something like Kid A.
Even though their music is different, their evolution reminds me of The Beatles.
Compare their first album, Pablo Honey (1993) with their last release, Moon Shaped Pool.
(I better stop here on Radiohead, as I can go on and on...)
Tame Impala
I have to mention Tame Impala. The single person behind this outfit is Kevin Parker.
What impresses me the most about Parker's evolution is the amount of constrains he worked with, recording from his bedroom, and how that evolved to become a signature sound that is highly sought after, even from the greats in hip hop.
Compare InnerSpeaker (2010) with his last album The Slow Rush (2020). His signature sound remains but everything else has changed
Proud to say his from Perth!
Words Worth Contemplating
"Man, sometimes it takes a long time to sound like yourself." ~ Miles Davis
Reflection:
How have you evolved?
What have you changed or updated your mind about over the years?
And why is our personal evolution important?
Deliberate Practice Webinar
Oh mind. We burst zoom's limit of 100 people for our Feb 17 webinar! We are hitting more than 2 times the registrants... Scott and I are now quickly scrambling on how to deal with this. If you have signed up, we will be in touch with you shortly.
Thanks for your interest and patience about this.
Individual Conversation
Meanwhile, I'm thoroughly enjoying the individual chats with folks around the globe. I'm so glad I put out that invitation some weeks ago.
For other who have scheduled a time in the months ahead, thanks for being patient with me. We will make the time to connect!
WELCOME DEVOTED THERAPISTS NEW ON THE FRONTIERS!
If you've just joined us, feel free to check out the back catalogue of Frontiers of Psychotherapists Development (FPD).
Also, if you want to see the past newsletters, click here
In case you missed it, see past series on Devotion to the Craft:
My other blog is Full Circles: Reflections on Living