To Play for Others, Don’t Play for Them
Let’s begin with a koan. Then I’ll show how it surfaced in my practice. Finally, I’ll explain what it means for you.
Today I want to offer a thought that almost feels like a Zen koan:
How do you play for others?
Answer: By not playing for others.
Short and paradoxical.
Last week, almost by accident, I posted my first shakuhachi video —a forty-second clip, nothing more. To my surprise, it found an audience.
That moment taught me something I’d been chasing for months. Or rather, it forced me to rethink my approach so I could tackle a deeper question —one I know many of us musicians share:
“How do you play for others?”
From Accident to Insight
It all started with a flicker of courage. I hit “post” before second-guessing myself. And then: silence.
But soon the views started rolling in. In that unexpected feedback, I found a clue.
Not about technique.
Not about pleasing an audience.
But about presence.
Here’s the real question—the one that untangles almost every doubt when you want to share your music:
“How do you connect with the moment?”
Paradoxically, it’s when you stop aiming to please that you truly touch people. Here’s a short video about it.
Playing vs. Performing
I first experienced this freedom with the hitoyogiri. There’s something effortless about letting the music breathe -instant to instant, without shape or agenda.
Short pause.
But with the shakuhachi, I felt trapped: an aesthetic cage crammed with endless technical demands. My poor flute was innocent —yet I blamed every missed note on myself.
Over time, I saw that the instruments weren’t the real issue. It was the environment I brought with me.
- Hitoyogiri space: calm, contemplative, spacious.
- Shakuhachi space: buzzing, insatiable, perfection-driven.
Both can inspire. But in the latter, I lost the inner silence I needed for that sacred musical dialogue.
What This Means for You
👉 To play for others… it actually helps not to play for others.
👉 To truly grasp a moment’s beauty… it pays to really listen, then let whatever arises unfold—without forcing it into some perfect form.
Reflection & Next Steps
- Take a deep breath connect to your environment.
- Don’t set a goal before you pick up your instrument. Notice what surfaces. That’s today’s melody, don’t fight it.
- Record something short don’t aim for perfect. Aim for a feel good factor. Post it. Resist the urge to polish.
These little experiments pull you back into the present. And that’s where genuine connection happens.
That brings today’s reflection to a close.
Thank you for sharing this moment with me.