What Leads to Magical Music Moments?
- The Pesto Boys’ first performance at Incubator Unplugged
- Scum Alliance in their improvised headlining set
- Jem Wilde playing to a room so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
These are some the moments in Incubator history that stick out to me. Moments when everyone, without saying a word, knew something special was happening. We all had different reasons to think so, but we could all feel it. For as long as the band was playing, we were in. We were experiencing something magical together.
Moments like these are hard to come by. They’re what I live for. These are the moments of real growth. Where a performer does the thing they didn’t know they could do. When they stop trying and just flow… and everyone can tell.
The question on my mind is…
What conditions have to be met in order to achieve that kind of outcome?
There are four conditions that maximize the chances of a magical musical moment (MMM).
1. You have to put yourself in a situation where you’re not sure
You’re not sure how it will go. Maybe you’re not sure if you’ll get along with your bandmates. Maybe you’re not sure if you’ll get it done in time or if people will like it. Any of these will do.
You have to be unsure so you don’t set expectations for how the performance will go.
If you’re feel confident that it will go a certain way, that’s having expectations. That’s clinging to an outcome, which is the opposite way to get into flow.
Truly not knowing how it will go and being okay with that is the goal.
2. The process has to be enjoyable
If the practices are a slog, you’re more likely to want the performance to go well. To, you know, make up for how unenjoyable the process has been.
When you want something to be a certain way, you’re not having as much fun. You’re straining, mentally. Emotionally. When you desire an outcome, you take yourself out of the moment. Your mind is busy wanting, pleading to the universe that this experience be what you hoped it would be.
When you’re enjoying the process, the outcome doesn’t matter as much because you’re having a good time.
3. There have to be elements outside of your control
When you’re in control of every aspect of the songwriting, when to rehearse, who’s in the band, what to wear, and song order, you’re taking a heavy burden. It’s the burden of responsibility.
What if you’re wrong? How would you feel?
It’s better to not risk that. It’s better if bands are just bands. Imagine the mental space that’s freed up when you can show up to practice and not have to worry about anything other than being a bandmate. Where you, as a player, can simply play.
At Incubator, control is distributed across multiple people and committees in a harmonious, democratic fashion. And something I’ve noticed is that that, at the end of the day, this comes as a relief to many (even the people who want control).
4. You want to express something real
The previous 3 conditions are important to achieve MMMs, but not required. This 4th condition, though, is an absolute must.
You have to have something to say that can be expressed through words or an instruments.
This does not require much skill or talent. Ir requires desire. A desire to express something real within you.
MMMs don’t happen when you copy someone else’s swagger. Or when you’re trying to prove that you can play really fast.
They happen when you want to communicate something you believe to the world through music.
The common theme throughout these conditions is giving up control
As a self-diagnosed control freak, I understand intuitively what it’s like to cling to control and how freeing it is to let go.
From being in bands and running Incubator, I’ve learned that in tandem to giving up control…
Joy is the secret ingredient
Incubator’s processes are built around joy. Joyful rehearsals produce joyful performances. Joyful performances produce joyful audiences.
The path to MMMs is dark and windy. It demands you give up control and give in to the moment. But anyone who witnesses them knows it’s worth it.
