Music Maverns Make Dressage Doable!

Playing music is about turning pages of notes into a live, 

breathing performance! 

 

One of my Goals for this year was to learn to play the Flute. This meant re-learning to read music - which I've not done since I was 14!  Luckily it came back to me relatively easily.  Learning the fingering of all the different notes however, proved a bit more tricky.  But the biggest surprise of all was in how difficult it is to count properly!  It seems that counting to 4, 6, or 8 is much harder than I remembered as a two year old toddler, especially when coordinated with when to breath, reading the right notes, and finding the right finger position - all at the same time!

Several times throughout the year I've had to remind myself that learning to drive a car was also full of dexterity challenges and tons of concentration, and I managed to master that - in the end.  (Thankfully it didn't involve counting)!

Ten months into my flute playing and I've just had a huge 'ah ha'! Playing the flute can help me with my dressage riding! All I need is to learn the lessons of a Maestro and how to conduct an orchestra! 

The skill of a Maestro (think of the flamboyant arm waving back of an often balding man wearing tails) lies in his ability to lead an orchestra of competent, individual and independent thinking experts - to perform as one!

He has to lead them to create something emotionally moving, inspirational, coordinated, technically correct, rhythmical and memorable.  (Much like Charlotte's achievement at last year's Olympic Games on Valegro).

The Meastros' leadership tools are those of:

Having a vision, 

Providing constructive feedback, 

Technical gap management, 

and 

Compassion

.... All of which translate into riding skills too

Some tips for how being a Musical Maestro can help us to become better dressage riders...

 

Conducting like a Maestro!	Riding Like a Maestro!
The conductor doesn’t do the work him self, but directs others who do!	Our horse should do most of the work not us the rider (no red sweaty face on our Charlotte)!
If a conductor wants the orchestra to own the work, then he has to be willing to let go of some control.	We have to trust our horse to be able and willing to...
You can force an orchestra to comply with your directions, you can require obedience, but you can’t mandate enthusiasm, creativity or inspiration	We can use gadgets to control, demand, and train for obedience but we can’t mandate cadence and airs above the ground that replicate those born from the enthusiasm, and innate ability of a horse allowed self expression
Everything I do is aimed at creating a feeling of community and shared responsibility	As riders we must create a feeling of partnership and shared responsibility with clearly understood roles and responsibilities
If the orchestra  sees that my first reaction is to judge or criticise, they can’t help but shut down some part of their talent, and revert to a more defensive mode	Give appreciation, reward and praise so our horse can keep wanting to try for us
As the orchestra finds its flow, you feel more connected to what everyone else is doing -  you’re riding on a wave of energy that makes it easier to carry out your own task	Once  we get out of our horses way we both achieve more with less!
An amateur orchestra needs more hands-on direction from its conductor	A young inexperienced horse needs the rider’s help, involvement and decision making
When the orchestra already knows the music and doesn’t need to be taught it is the most difficult type of leadership to learn.  The direction must be more visionary and strategic and less helping them manage the details	Don’t nag our horses with aids and repeating moves over and over if already mastered.  Allow your horse some latitude to express their personality.  Keep in mind the bigger picture and the overall feel we are after
Some orchestras need quite a lot of energy to wake them up, but once awakened then you can let up.  Others are quite sensitive and can be relied to take care of themselves. Then you can refine what your vision tells you is necessary.  The minimum is always best	Know your horse! Feel and respond to the horse you are riding today.  Do no more than is absolutely necessary then let the horse continue, reminding him only if he gets distracted
Use the baton to show what is coming next	Use transitions or half halts to show what is coming next – set him up for it
A leader must commit to that which has not yet happened, to what they have not yet played	A rider must commit to the next transition to set the horse up for it in the current movement, to be forward planning and future focused

 

Riding doesn't have to be hard! It doesn't have to be a red faced, sweat inducing experience. It is about having a vision, using your imagination to get there and only sweating the small stuff when really ncessary!

 My favourite quote from the world leading Music Maestro Roger Nierenberg:

"It is a wonderful thing to project confidence and authority. 

 

But your main channel of influence with an orchestra is your listening"  

 

I think we all have much to learn if we could first learn how to listen to our horses and then how to listen to ourselves and what is needed, and what is not when it comes to our ridden work!  Maybe then we can learn to play music while mounted like the Maestros from their podium.