What Is Your Musical Archetype?
Confession: For a long time, I thought my daughter never practiced music, mostly because…I never heard her practice music. She was enrolled in both violin and vocals lessons, and neither of those sounds ever emanated from her corner of the house. I did what every practical parent does: I inquired casually, then had a serious talk, then threatened to unenroll her. THEN, I went to the Fall Showcase. I sat in the audience and thought, “Here we go. We’re gonna feel some natural consequences.” Smug parent energy.
What happened next is hard for me to discuss, because it requires me to admit that I was…<throat clearing>... wrong. What happened is that my daughter blew me away! When did she learn to belt like that?! Also, has she been learning violin via osmosis? If memory serves, I asked her those exact questions. She stared directly at me and said, “I don’t learn the same way you do.” Then she glanced indifferently over her shoulder and walked away. And that, my friends, is the moment I realized I will never be as cool as my daughter.
In a previous blog post, Redefining Practice, we discussed how practicing music does not have to follow the stereotypical format of sitting down and pounding drills over and over again. For the record, it can look like that and often does, but it doesn’t have to. There are many methods through which we internalize and learn music.
So then, what is your musical archetype? Read the descriptions below and find your fit!
The Dreamer
Do you find yourself staring off into space and using your imagination to think about music? Do you prefer big picture thinking as opposed to focusing on details? If so, you may be a Dreamer! While people may think you are a bit spacy and off in your own world, you are actually utilizing a different area of the brain to make music real to you.
Practice Styles of The Dreamer:
Playing musical pieces in your head
Visualizing
Thinking about a musical piece as a whole
Internalizing the feel of a musical piece
Understanding musical concepts and theories
Linking ideas together in creative ways
The Explorer
Are you curious about, well, just about everything? Do you find that you hop from one instrument to another, never really settling on just one? Are you insatiable about gathering information about all things music? Sounds to me like you may be an Explorer! Although some may label you as inattentive or unfocused, you are incredibly well-rounded and contain the super power of curiosity.
Practice Styles of The Explorer:
Asking lots of questions
Interest in several areas of music
Wanting to shift between learning different instruments
Becoming immersed in one area of study for a short period of time
A need to shift between focusing on big picture and details
The Professional
Do you feel fulfilled when you are running drills or playing sections of a song over and over again? Do you love mastering the details and focusing on constant growth? Oh yes, my friend. You are a Professional. Some people may feel you are a little intense, but you are simply finding musical fulfillment through the integration of theoretical and physical details.
Practice Styles of The Professional:
Organizing information
Practicing the same thing over and over again
Focusing on drills
A desire to understand musical theory
Asking detailed questions
The Listener
Are you an auditory learner? Do you enjoy listening to others play music, even if it is just a musical drill? Do you find that you play your instrument less than your peers? If so, you may very well be a Listener. While those around you may think that you are not practicing AT ALL, you are using your powers of observation to gather information. When you do pick up your instrument, it will shock everyone!
Practice Styles of The Listener:
Constantly listening to music in the background
A tendency to be quiet during lessons
Listening to songs you are learning over and over again
Replaying songs and musical drills in your head
Observant in everyday life
The Innovator
Do you have an inner desire to take apart your equipment? You know, just to see what it’s like inside there? Are you curious about how things work? Do you enjoy putting physical items or musical theory together in unique ways? If that rings true, then you are most definitely an Innovator. People may roll their eyes at how often you “break the rules”, but what they don’t realize is that you just created a brand new concept or musical doodad (patent pending).
Practice Styles of The Innovator:
Constantly asking “why”
Taking apart and rebuilding equipment
Creating unique musical arrangements
Using musical equipment in novel ways
A focus on creating music as opposed to mastering music
Keep in mind that you may flow between archetypes. The truth is that we each contain elements of all 5 variations. They simply combine within us in a unique combination that creates our personal style. There are times, like right before a performance, when The Professional archetype would come in handy as you prepare. At other times, The Innovator or The Explorer may serve you well as you write your own music. There is no right or wrong archetype!
Practice in ways that support your archetype. This will create joy and fulfillment as you evolve. On the other hand, is there an archetype that sounded just awful to you? There is information here as well! For those elements that did not appeal to you, you will grow faster as a musician if you also practice in those ways. Knowing your personal archetype will help you to relax as you lean into your strengths, acknowledge your weaknesses, and step forward as an authentic musician.
Reach out! We can’t wait to hear about your archetype combo.
- Danielle Parker