Practice Makes Perfect

One of the things I have spent and continue to spend a great deal of my time on is practice. Music, just like most skills in life, requires commitment and time. As a teacher and instructor one of the things that I see frequently is students not feeling like they are progressing and/or feeling “bored”. I always tell my students that I understand and sympathize with this feeling, not everything in music is always “fun” even if you love it and have a passion for it. I mean lets face it, long tones and scales can be very boring, tackling hard material can be frustrating, not being able to hit a certain note or play at a certain dynamic can make a person feel defeated. With that all being said, the “secret” to getting past those moments is simple, practice. It might sound too simple to be true but the fact of the matter is most of the time when I feel like I’m stuck, or feel like I can’t play something quite right, its because I haven’t put the time in to get to that next level. If you feel lost with where to start, asking your band conductor or booking some private lessons can be of great assistance. Learning how to practice and learning the correct techniques is arguably as important as practicing itself. Learning to structure practice sessions, set goals for yourself, cut out distractions, keep a record of your work, and practice the “right” techniques (embouchure, finger patterns, posture, tuning etc.) not only will increase your productivity as a musician thus increasing your progress and skill but will also give you transferable skills for school, the workplace, and life. Let me end by saying this, I know that not every musician wants to play at a college or professional level, I have worked with and taught many musicians that simply play as a hobby and pastime, but I have never met a musician that didn’t want to get better. Take it from me, sometimes it is hard to put in the work but ultimately it will pay off in big ways.