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Stepping out of your comfort zone can be a challenging but rewarding experience, especially when it comes to learning a new instrument like the handpan. Here are some tips on how to push yourself out of your comfort zone and explore the world of handpan music:
1. Identify your fears 🎵🤔
If you're new to the handpan or to music in general, it's natural to feel nervous or unsure. Even if you have been playing a music instrument for many years, the way music is taught in our society can create pressure and discomfort.
Identify any fears or concerns you have about playing your instrument and sharing your music with others.
2. Realize 🤝🌍
that these feelings are part of our shared human experience. Everyone around you experiences them in some way, including most professional performers you see in videos and on stage.
3. Embrace discomfort 💪😬
Remember that learning a musical instrument can be challenging and uncomfortable at times. But if you embrace your discomfort and view it as opportunity to learn and grow, it will lose its scariness.
4. Set realistic goals 🎯👌
Start with small, achievable goals that will help you build your skills and confidence. This could include learning a new rhythm, playing a simple melody, or improvising with another musician.
5. Take action 🎬👍
Once you have set your goals, take action towards achieving them. This could involve practicing regularly, attending workshops or lessons, or collaborating with other musicians.
6. Seek support 🤗🌟
Surround yourself with other handpan enthusiasts, whether that's through online communities or in-person events. Connecting with others who share your passion for the handpan can be a great source of support and motivation. If you haven't joined our Facebook community yet, it's a great place to meet like-minded and very supportive fellow students: JOIN HPD COMMUNITY
7. Join or create 🥁🎶
a practice or jamming group to meet up with fellow handpan travellers on a regular basis. Regular meetings can be incredibly rewarding.
8. Embrace 🤗❤️
We believe that this is the biggest gamechanger. Instead of hiding our fears and insecurities, let’s be vulnerable and simply talk about this stuff openly. That way we can turn emotions that feel restrictive and isolating into a connective experience with our fellow human beings.
Remember: Stepping out of your comfort zone you will unlock new sources of strength and potential within you. It can become a highly rewarding as well as an addictive experience.
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I think that music works best when approached with a child-like mindset from a place of wonder and curiosity. The simple melody that a mother sings to her child is just as precious and valuable as Beethoven’s 5th symphony. Forget about playing the fastest rolls or comparing yourself to other players. Just PLAY and hopefully make some mistakes on the way! 😁
One great feature of the handpan is that even the simplest tunes can sound very beautiful.
Enjoying this simplicity makes our life as handpan players and learners so much more fun and enjoyable.
"It’s a part of life that our fears and emotions are reflected through our music and art in general. In the handpan playing journey, we can transform these energies to learn and grow as human beings."
9. Challenge yourself! 🔥🚀
We want to finish this post with a friendly challenge to you. Whatever it is that makes you feel uncomfortable, be it playing for others, recording yourself on video, dancing in the rain to your favourite handpan music (but not with your handpan!!!), find a way to sweat a little. Just enough to step a little further than usual and just about out of your comfort zone. Then share your experience with the rest of us in form or a post or video message in our HPD community.
Looking forward to see you there!
Yiolanda & David
by Yiolanda Theodoridou, HPD Juggler of tasks
and David Kuckhermann, Handpandojo
cover photo by Andreas Sikkis
Going out of your comfort zone can be a challenging but rewarding experience, especially when it comes to learning a new instrument like the handpan. Here are some tips on how to push yourself out of your comfort zone and explore the world of handpan music.