Arnold Jacobs says that it is more important that you know what you want to sound like than what you actually sound like. In his biography, Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind by Brian Fredricksen, Jacobs talks about mental attention: 85% song, 15% wind. Recently, I've been focused on my development of my breathing habits. My attention to wind is currently, above 15%, but reading this and many other related book, I've also realized that my attention to conceived sound (Audiation) is nowhere close to 85%. It's to easy to just listen to myself. However, it's much more enjoyable to have a clear idea of our ideal sound, phrase, and direction.
We have to just go for it. One of my favorite aspects that Tim Hudson mentioned all the time was how to use the time we spend resting from playing. He encouraged us to hear exactly how we wanted to play it while we "rest as much as we play." Can we do that and then carry that over into when we actually start playing again. Continue to be obsessed with the conceived sound, and not our own. We do need to be aware of what we sound like, but not to the neglect of this mental ideal.
Time to keep exploring,
Adam C White
