Continued EoD practise

At this point, the question is not whether to keep working with this approach, but how. Although the practise itself is simple, the project as a whole appears to be pointing towards a larger format in the future. Since it’s too early to conclude anything about brain halves or a healthy life in the creative field, I want to use the opportunity of my graduation to assert a feeling of having found something that works for me, and there are a few things that I especially want to hang on to. 

I’m quite convinced that The Eisenhower on Drums project will continue after I graduate from the soloist programme. It feels to me like I have started on something of real significance for my life and creativity. It still feels like I’m only just realising what the work is really about; that I am at the beginning of a bigger project, and so there are no conclusions to draw. 

Except the fact of a strong sense of being on to something. 

Firstly, I find that playing inverted drums and singing is good for me, in that it quickly takes me into an open, creative space, and this practise should stay at the heart of the project. 

Although I’ve maintained this practise for some time now, it often requires a strong will to break out of the Q3 and Q4 circles, and it feels very important to keep on forcing myself into the Q2 sphere on a daily basis. 

In making new sketches, I find that the routine of going straight into composition mode after improvising works very well. I just welcome whatever pops up, work on it for 5 minutes, record it, and forget about it. In that space, I don’t worry about whether it’s good or bad. The inner censor is really not there, and experiencing this on a daily basis is worth every effort. 

I would like to use the access to this space to experiment more with Jakob Bro’s approach of imagining the music before writing it. It feels like my concentration is expanding when working with EoD, and I have already made some experiments with incorporating brief “sound visualisations” in the composition sessions after the drum and voice sessions. 

Different people recommend open modes of different lenghts. For instance, both John Cleese (Open Mode) and Cal Newport (Deep Work) recommend concentrated spaces of 90 minutes. I believe you need to find out for yourself what is your optimal time frame, and I will probably experiment with expanding my EoD routine in terms of length as well as content. 

Regarding the noting, I find it important to stay ahead of the noting in recording the improvisations. Noting can be a powerful Q2 space when I’m able to be surprised listening to the sessions. 

I will use the Research Catalogue page as a way of keeping the project up to date and available to anyone who might find it useful. I hope that this will be a meaningful way of moving the project forward. In time, if the practises stay alive for me, I might write a book about the methods, in an expanded way, inviting the reader to design their own creative rituals. 

I will keep on practising mirroring in all the mentioned fields. It is perhaps the most personal part of the project, not borrowed from anywhere in particular, like I’ve borrowed the Eisenhower Matrix, monkey and other elements of the project. 

ØYA x Girls in Airports x  EoD

A question that slowly begins answering itself, is how to bring the EoD spirit into the work on my solo project ØYA, and the band Girls in Airports. Of course, I already feel the benefits of having written new material, and I’m having still more fun and less anxiety playing concerts. I feel this especially as a singer, with ØYA, because of the direct relation with the audience. 

In my own experience, I display more clarity as composer and bandleader, and my bandmates seem to notice that there is a subtle energy shift going on. 

Often, bands are rehearsing in a Q1 space, because of concerts or recording sessions ahead. This is natural, but I love to be working in the open mode with others. The Eisenhower on Drums project has a big element of isolation, but I consider it highly possible bringing some of these methods into play in the rehearsal room. 

 Of course, this is what we are doing part of the time, but we rarely allow ourselves to go into e.g. an awful space together for very long. Typically we are searching for something, something good. Can we invite a space to be more fragile, together, risking even playing a bad concert in the spirit of development?

In the time to come, I would like to try doing some Q2 experiments together. 

Another way is for me to move away from the band leader role, and let the others bring whatever the wish to the table. Anders is playing solo concerts with prepared drums, and Jeppe has a wild action drone energy when playing with the trio Homies. I want to release all this energy within our band, not be afraid to really expand my idea of what an ØYA concert could be like.  

Regarding lyrics, I want to be direct, say things more plainly, and write about things I see in the world. 

In Girls in Airports, we have worked together much longer, and developed our approach to concerts and recording in a profound way. In this setting, it is my challenge to keep expanding what I do, without losing touch with the spirit of the music. It is my role in the band to create a sound space for the two saxophones and percussionists, a role which I love, because I can make the others shine while staying in the background. There is a number of technical aspects also, that I want to bring into a Q2 rehearsal space in order to lift our band more, and also, I want to find new roles, keeping the dynamic of the group alive. 

Practising

As happy I am to be working on this approach, I find that it is no substitute for an organised practising routine; something which I’ve always found difficult to maintain. 

This can be seen as a blind spot of the project. Yes, there is a lot of concentrated work in finishing the compositions, and also a great deal of practising in order to be able to play and sing the songs well. But still, I find that some areas in which I would like to focus are somewhat neglected. In particular, I want to work more concentrated on polymetric rhythm, ear training and technical studies, e.g. playing classical pieces. 

In terms of voice, I find that the work I’ve put in has a payoff with respect to how I approach instruments. There is access to a more neutral relation between instrument and body, that is coming through the work with singing while keeping the body still. 

In short, I find that whatever I choose to focus on should be brought into an open Q2 mode, so that I can grasp more aspects of the subject, with less involvement of the superego.