Walking on ice can be an effective metaphor for all kinds of endeavours in life.
Gosh if l’d count the times l felt l was walking on lce – and very slippery ice at that – l would need an accountant to keep track of the numbers. ln fact every time l go out on a stage to perform l feel like l’m walking on ice. l get nervous too. l wouldn’t say l’m entirely consumed by stage fright at such times, but the audience always comes armed with expectations and you don’t want to let them down.
lmprovisation is a very interesting type of ice-walking if you ask me. You start and you don’t know where it’s going to go. l often use the letters of someone’s name as a starting point of an improvisation. This has as it’s main advantage that the person in question will show an extra interest in the improv because they will somehow think it is about ‘them’. (Of course it isn’t, it’s mainly about me, my megalomania, my vanity and imagination.) But the obvious downside is that, in case of a a disappointing improvisational outcome, the person will be extra bummed out because they took it personal.
Luckily this happens almost never, because over the years l have figured out ways to get me out of musical trouble. Modulating from a minor key to a major always does wonders. ln case of a ‘wrong’ note moving one half step up or down makes the wrongun sound like a lovely suspension or decoration. And if l keep my focus on the horizon (the melody; in the sense of ‘the horizontal aspect) l usually come out okay. Not saying that every improv is gold mind you, but you get better and better in camouflaging your slip ups.
Asking a girl out on a date is probably the slipperiest ice l’ve ever had the discomfort to be on. Geez! lt would scare the dying nightlights outta me! Gosh l remember that time when a rather aloof girl (l go for aloofies) answered my plea with: ‘lt would help if you first took your sunglasses off so l can see your eyes.’ lt made things a lot easier as well because l instinctively immediately knew that this wrench was not gonna fit in my toolbox. So there it was. But asking girls out…brrrrr l’d rather be blind and unprepared in Carnegie Hall with two strings broken and the temperature below freezing.
Recreating the ‘sound’ of walking on ice is not very slippery ice at all actually. Just let it slide and you’ll get there. ln the little piece aptly and very originally named ‘Walking on ice’ l used a couple of techniques to sort of musically depict the slipping and the only just being able to keep standing. ln my BlogVlog l show you how it’s done! :
*** Find the ‘Wintery scenes’ and ‘Walking on ice’ here: ***