Broken Strings

Lately, I've been feeling called to play my monochord more often. I had a virtual sound bath the other day, and this instrument was calling to me to use it.

So why hadn’t I been playing it? Well, it needed tuning.

There are a few reasons why I had avoided this simple task.

Time. 

Tuning the monochord takes time. Yet when I reflected on why I wasn’t actually making the time, it became clear that it wasn't really about time. After all, if I can find time for a mindless scroll break, I can certainly find time to tune my instrument. Yet, I hadn’t been doing it.

Why? Maybe the real reason was...

Fear. 

It seems silly to be afraid of tuning an instrument, but in the past, I’ve had strings break while tuning. I’m not an experienced string player, and replacing strings is out of my comfort zone.

Whenever I feel a little resistance while turning the knobs, fear creeps in—the fear that, if I turn too hard, I’ll break a string, just like before. 

However, I didn’t get a monochord to let it gather dust. Playing it out of tune wasn’t an option, so the other day I grabbed my tuning app and began the process.

Not long after, I hit that familiar resistance and tension.

For a moment, I thought about stopping. What if I broke a string again? How much tension is too much? Why was there so much resistance?

But then I thought about what would happen if I walked away. My monochord would stay untuned, unplayed, and unused. And that’s not what I wanted.

So, I kept showing up.

When one string made me too nervous, I moved on to the next. Slowly, one by one, I tuned each string.

And guess what? This time, no broken strings!

Will I still be afraid next time? Probably. It takes time to rewire those neural pathways and build confidence. 

But here’s the thing: we have to keep showing up, even with the fear of broken strings. Because if we don’t, we won’t be able to play our music.

How about you? Is there an “instrument” in your life that inspires some resistance for you to work through? Hit reply and share your story! i’d love to hear it!

I hope this story inspires you to keep showing up. And also, gives you a real peek behind the scenes. Everyone you see on stage, has many backstage moments to prepare for that moment!

Wishing you a blessed day, fully tuned and beautifully played!