24/05/2026
I had a wonderful time at the Fish Creek Teacosy Festival today. Not only was I playing trombone with my fabulous and supremely joyful band, Invy Horn Jam, but I finally found the courage to do my first improvised solo in public.
It was better than rehearsal because I landed in something free. There were wobbles, repetition, wrong notes — the whole gamut. But I finally didn’t care. I got out of my own way, turned off the inner critic, and blew some notes.
That’s the thing about improvisation. The science backs it up, but honestly you don’t need the science — you just need to have stood in front of people and felt the moment when you stop managing yourself and trying to get it right. It’s been described as a pathway to creativity — turn off your inner critic, get out of your way, and play. Oh, but first you have to show up. I almost didn’t today.
&Lyndal