Focus and Listening
How to Be Truly Present When Making Music
Staying focused isn’t just about discipline — it’s an art.
And in music, that art begins with listening.
Opening the channels of your mind to truly listen is not mystical or difficult.
The secret is simple: silence the inner noise so that the essential sound can emerge.
Music is Presence
Making music means being present in real time.
Music is the art of sounds combined in the now.
Each second that passes no longer exists; the part that’s yet to come doesn’t exist either.
There is only the present — and that’s where everything happens.
Focus, therefore, is presence: energy channeled into the moment.
The energy you put into playing must be entirely there, in the exact instant when it happens.
It’s like driving fast on a highway — you must stay alert to avoid missing a turn or losing control.
Attention Without Attachment
Being focused doesn’t mean being anxious, closed off, or blind to what’s around you.
On the contrary, it means being open and aware of everything your senses can capture — but without attachment.
You can feel the audience’s energy, but you shouldn’t cling to it.
You should listen to your bandmates and fit your sound with theirs.
Listening is not a passive act of judging or analyzing.
Listening is feeling — like when something hot touches your skin and your body reacts instantly, without thinking.
Music works the same way: you hear and immediately respond.
The less judgment, the better. Just reaction.
The result will reflect the musicality that already lives inside you.
No Expectations — Only Truth
At first, the results might not be what you expect.
But that’s exactly the point: expecting something is the ego trying to control what should happen.
Making music is freeing yourself from that control.
It’s about becoming a channel through which your inner music can manifest.
As long as it’s inside you, it doesn’t yet exist.
It only becomes real when you play it.
And for that music to touch people’s hearts, it must be connected to your truth.
Listen to the Environment
Open your ears to the space around you — even silence has sound.
Hear the air moving, the bodies shifting, people settling into their seats, adjusting clothes, breathing, coughing.
All of this becomes the backdrop for your art.
Stay connected with your fellow musicians and let your sound flow naturally, without preconceptions.
Whatever happens is the purest expression of who you are.
With time, you’ll get used to it — and your musicality will flow more freely, expanding to the stage, to the room, to the world.
About the Author
Wagner Vasconcelos is a Brazilian drummer and educator based in Amsterdam, known for his deep connection to Brazilian rhythms, jazz, and blues.
He holds a Master’s degree in Musical Leadership from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and teaches workshops and drum lessons focused on rhythm, presence, and creative flow.
👉 Learn more at wagnervasconcelos.com
Get in touch for lessons and workshops.
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