Do I have to perform if I learn an instrument? and How can I manage my practice within a busy work schedule?
Some might be curious in the connection of these two questions and combining them within a single podcast. Learning an instrument is often seen as different to learning another skill, even like sport. And in this context, performance is then perceived through a very narrow lens – most often the concert stage with lights dimmed and an auditorium filled an expectant audience. Holding this image in mind, it is not without reason that the question ‘time to practice within a busy schedule’ will hold a certain cause for concern, enough to dissuade new or returning players from embarking on your musical journey.
Is it ever too late to take up and instrument after a long gap? & What are the difficulties a mature beginner learner could face?
Once again, I find myself connecting two questions which share the potential for self-doubt and fear to be dominant factors As is so often the case when desire and resistance are battling it out for supremacy in terms returning to an instrument or taking up an instrument you’ve longed wanted to play. Risk is possibly the biggest single factor and yet a factor with many diverse implications which can influence the decision – to do or not to do!
Making practice worthwhile
Of the many questions I have been asked, these are two questions which have particular poignancy; How can I make practice feel more worthwhile and Why do I make mistakes in performance which were not there in practice. While most often articulated as separate questions, they are very much connected and highlight some indisputable flaws which exist in the practice process itself.
How long should I practice & How can I feel more motivated to practice? (part 1)
How long should I practice and how can I feel more motivated to practice. These are two questions I am most often asked but as separate questions. Yet they are linked by three words which are crucial and fundamental to the practice process, Motive – Reason and Purpose.
How long should I practice & How can I feel more motivated to practice? (part 2)
Leading on from the last podcast where I discussed how long you should practice for and how to feel motivated to practice, in this podcast I will be explaining the relevance of motive, reason and purpose in organising a systematic process that will break down the often-disorganised approach to learning.
