I found the two articles I read interesting this week. The theme of becoming too fixated on a singular thing and losing awareness of the larger picture was very relatable. I often find myself narrowed on a singular goal or object, and it limits my abilities - especially when playing my Viola. One of my greatest difficulties on the viola is that I struggle to balance multiple aspects of my playing. For example, while focused on my bow stroke I lose my quality of sound, or when I am trying to navigate a difficult fingering, my bow is crooked. So, while I practiced this week, I tried to be aware of how I was coordinating my body, to see how it would impact my playing. 

I found this really helped me manage all of the different aspects of my playing. Rather than focusing on how I specifically held my bow, or how I positioned my instrument, I took a step back and found a relaxed position with less tension. I also tried to be more aware of my surroundings, so I felt more grounded. Doing so gave me a greater awareness of how I was controlling my movements to reach a specific goal. For example, there is a sixteenth note passage I struggle with, especially since my teacher wants me to lead my bow with my forearm (which causes lots of tension and pain). By taking a step back, so that I was not fixated on controlling my forearm, and by relaxing my muscles, I found it a lot easier to bow the passage. Similarly, I was more aware of the way my body moved to create different sounds. One way this helped me was to create a more “mysterious” atmosphere in the 2nd Bach Cello Suite, as I became more aware of how I was creating the lighter tone and greater dynamic contrasts.