Preparation

4 Signs You May Be Practicing Too Hard

I was talking to a cellist the other day who complained of a history of feeling apathetic in the days before an audition. Specifically, he noticed becoming crankier, less motivated, and struggling to play well. I know sometimes musicians try to convince themselves they don’t want to win the audition in an attempt to reduce [...]

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Hard Work is Overrated (You Might Be Working Too Hard)

Lazy can be good Strive for max efficiency Not so easy, eh? (Why the haiku? TMQ) There seems to be this widespread notion that hard work is commendable and worthy of praise, while laziness is at the root of society’s problems. Kids underachieving in school? Well, kids nowadays don’t have any work ethic. Childhood obesity? [...]

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The Problem with “Perfect” Practice

Mistakes aren’t all bad. Don’t be afraid to make them – just don’t ignore them! (Why the haiku? TMQ) We know that practice doesn’t make perfect. (And while we’re on the subject, we might as well admit to ourselves that 100% flawlessness is impossible, and that most of us don’t have what it takes to [...]

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Cracked Notes? Squirrely Intonation? Solution May Be Ease-ier Than You Think

Minimal effort brings maximal performance. What a paradox! (Why the haiku? TMQ) Musicians are often regarded as being a pretty hard-working lot – a reputation that I’d say is probably well-deserved. We often start at a very young age, spend lots of alone time practicing while others are out doing more enjoyable things, and are [...]

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Thoughts on Thriving as a Musician in 2012 and Beyond (What Does it Take?)

Recently, I was asked to write a guest post on a relatively new music site. As I did some browsing through the archives to learn more about the folks behind this venture, I found some noteworthy articles that I thought would be of interest to the readers of this blog. String-heavy emphasis, but still very [...]

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