Tuesday, September 18, 2018 by Averil Spence-Clarke | Uncategorized

A lot of discussion last week and into this week has been about "practicing with intent".  So, what exactly do we mean by "intent"?

Most of us practice because our teacher told us to, our parents are cracking the whip with various forms of torture if we don't complete the assigned timeline, we have a piece that has been assigned or worse, the dreaded scales that we have to learn.  We sit  or hold our instruments, move our music around and look for any excuse to delay actually playing.  When we do start playing, it is with the decided idea that we are going to grit our teeth   and get it over as fast as we can so we can get to the music we like or head off to video games and other technological marvels of fun.  

As teachers, our purpose is to encourage students to grow musically on their instrument and to help them integrate musical mores into their everyday lives.  Not every student comes to lessons because they want to be there: some are there because it is important to their parents that they are exposed to this discipline; some come because they heard something/someone and they wanted to play that particular selection or sound like that person; others genuinely want to learn because they like the chosen instrument and want to be better at playing.  Practicing and discipline do not enter into the equation, even less so the younger the student.  To help each student achieve these goals, we lavish them with scales and repertoire, throw exams at them, persuade them into performances, and expect progress week after week many times regardless of other commitments.  The expectation is that our job is to ensure that they move steadily towards perfection on their instrument.  Most times the student does progress and meets those expectations.  Some students find the regimen too difficult or not what they expected and quit lessons and ultimately the instrument.  So, the question becomes one of how to meet the expectations of student, parents and teachers without overwhelming the student, disappointing the parent and perhaps frustrating the teacher while retaining the joy of playing.   

How we approach practicing and ultimately performing is of utmost importance in meeting those expectations.  As adults we learn that goal setting is critical to achieving success.  When we start a practice session,  do the goals have to be large, world encompassing ones - no!  It could something as simple as mastering the fingering pattern for a scale or even just remembering the accidentals in that scale.  So, why not make a game of it: if I can play that scale correctly five times in a row without a mistake, I will give myself five minutes extra on my favourite video game or read the chapter of my book without interruption.  Share that goal with your parents, get them on board so they can encourage and support you or celebrate with you when you achieve the goal.  

Do you act as your own cheerleader!  When you decide it is time to practice, whether you set the time or the time has been set by parents, choose to start from a positive place.  Smile and find one positive reason why you are practicing.  It may be that you are finally playing a piece that you always wanted to play, or you have made some impressive gains in learning your upcoming performance piece or you finally mastered that one scale that has been eluding you.  When you achieved any or all of the goals, did you jump for joy, high five your puppy, clinked juice glasses with your best friend, reward yourself with the TV show you wanted to watch.  Celebrating the success on this journey of learning helps us want to do it again and helps us to "feel" the joy of accomplishment.  With every celebrated gain, we start to feel good and it inspires us to move forward with the same momentum.  

How many of us forget to schedule in some "me time" into our practice day!  You have practiced scales until all you can see are sharps and flats; you have gone up one side and down the other of your study until your eyes are crossed; repertoire has been researched and your fingers are numb with repetitions of that one section you are challenged by; so time to stop playing.  Not yet!! Why don't you pull out that piece from Pirates of the Caribbean that you downloaded many moons ago; how about the Ed Sheeran song you have been humming on and off that's sitting in the piano bench; inspired by the movie "Coco", you have that salsa song just dancing through your brain and it's on the piano stand.  Take a few minutes to weave your way through a few lines.  Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy - that's why we wanted to play in the first place & all that hard work you have been doing on the "other stuff" will pay off in spades as your music starts to look easier, feel more comfortable and you are able to play it with spirit and energy.

Playing, practicing, learning is all about "intent"!  How we approach each day's practice, each performance, every encounter with music is always about our attitude.  I love the song by Louis Armstrong, "When You are Smiling the whole world smiles with you...".  If you approach practicing and playing from a positive standpoint, you will achieve more gains, feel good about practicing and want to move forward in the same vein every practice session.  Does that mean you will never feel frustrated or just plain, don't feel like practicing or playing that day?  No, it would be unrealistic, but if more days are happier and fulfilling, then you will continue in that vein and ultimately meet your goals.  Parents will enjoy the journey as opposed to battling you and teachers will be ecstatic that you are enjoying the journey. 

Here's to celebrating with you on this year's intentioned and fun-filled year of musical journeying!