Sometimes the best we can offer in the moment is mediocre or less than mediocre. None of use as musicians strive to do this; we want to sound amazing to, to strive for perfection. However, there will be performances, lessons, etc. that we offer our best, and the result in that moment is not perfect, it might be very good, or average (There are a ton of adjectives).
If you are like me, a few of those words are uncomfortable. Average and mediocre is never what I strive for, and for some reason I give these terms a negative stigma. However, the overwhelming question is: if I offer the best that I can in the moment, and the result is average, very good with a few mistakes, note flawless but not super musical, super musical but with a few missed notes, mediocre, amazing, poor, or whatever!?! Can I still learn from this experience? Is this an opportunity to learn from myself and grow. Striving for perfection is not inherently a bad thing, but it can blind us from taking realistic steps toward improvement. So today, I'm not asking if I am willing to settle for mediocre performances. I'm asking if I can find joy and growth in offering the best that I can today.
