Difference Between Theory and Practice

I have been learning the real difference between theory and practice lately...

Every Tuesday night at Crawdaddy's Resturant in Visalia there is an open jam. The sit in musicians are seasoned players with depth in jazz...which is my passion. Because I don't get many opportunities to play upright bass jazz I've been hanging out there on Tuesdays trying to pick up what I can.

I usually end up getting lost in a song. I use it to discover where I'm lacking. At home I practice, learn the theory behind the music, and try to internalize the emotion of the song. However, when next Tuesday rolls around, I still find myself getting lost in the song.

Last night was a turning point for me. Finally I was able to hang on to two songs all the way through. I even picked up on a new one that was thrown out...at least well enough to play with some level of conviction.

Through this process I was reminded that there is a real difference between theory and practice. It is something often underestimated. You can talk about theory but it takes real practice to "do".