n jazz improvisation one can make the "wrong" note a "right" note by what one plays after it.
One of my formative eras was when I played the lunch shift at a jazz club. I'd sometimes play the dinner shift, but they did not pay well. They did feed you and give you a couple of drinks after work.
Anyhow, they paid poorly (and didn't hire union members). This meant there was a constantly changing lineup of musicians. You never knew who you'd be playing with, at least not with any consistency. On top of this, my formal education was that of a classical guitarist. I'd never really played any jazz at all.
I learned a lot at that club. It took my improv skills to a whole new level and gave me new ways to examine music theory. Those experiences made me better in a number of ways.
Oddly, another similar experience was when I'd regularly sit for an 'open mic' bluegrass session. In reality, it was mostly the same people who showed up and jammed for three hours on a Thursday night. There was no pay involved, and it took place in a section behind a pizza parlor. The pizza parlor also had some rooms back there where you could rent out a room and then make money giving lessons for the various instruments.
I actually got off on the wrong foot with them. Not really knowing any better (when has that ever stopped me?) I showed up early. I noticed that they had a double bass on the stage. Seeing this, I hopped up on the stage and started busting out the bass line to some Pink Floyd songs.
There were people already seated. I didn't know they were seated because they were waiting for their kids to finish their lessons.
Little did I know that these particular people had a whole lot of religion in their bluegrass. At the time, I looked like I'd just stepped off the cover of an 80s hair metal band. Suffice to say, they were less than impressed.
Fortunately, and this isn't ego, I was able to get them to see past that with my guitar playing. I was invited back, which is something I did. I'd go play there fairly often. There was no money involved. It wasn't even a party scene. (I'd take breaks to go smoke and drink a beer.) I'm still in touch with a few of the folks I met there, and I learned a great deal about bluegrass.
They pretty much only did the religious side of bluegrass. There's plenty of bluegrass music that lacks a deity, but they loved them some deity-involved bluegrass. Still, I learned a lot. I met a lot of nice people. Those two things make it a win in my book.
Anyhow, I don't want to derail the thread too much.
I will close by saying that all the various experiences we have can teach us something. They can help mold us into the people we are today. But what's really important is that these skills can overlap. Hmm... What's a good example? Being able to perform in public means you're more likely able and willing to speak in public. Being able to confidently speak in front of other people can lead to all sorts of good things.
