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Staying motivated over the long haul

4/28/2019

I'm ten years in as a drum student. I've thought long and hard on this subject. I've written extensively on this journey. More here: The aging musician.

In the meantime enjoy the following videos.

Video one suggest classic ideas around staying motivated.

emotional connected, visualisation
break the long-term goal into manageable bites
have fun, just play, get out of your head

The second video is done in the style of classic motivation videos that litter the internet, complete with a ridiculous up lifting soundtrack. (Any moment I expect Tony Robbins to bounce into frame.) It's fun, you'll laugh, and it will help you to stop reading this and get back to the piano bench.

cheers,

David

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How play more beautifully: Listen to great music

4/14/2019

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Yesterday a young student played Bach’s invention in F for me. It went well, he had spent enough time practicing. But it lacked a certain “joie de vivre”. With few words from me, we had a listen to Andras Schiff’s performance on YouTube. Viola, his performance took on a completely new sense of maturity, fun, and liveliness. We all noticed the transformation, including his proud parents.

Next up was his new assignment for the week a review of Chopin Waltz in A minor. We had a listen to 2 contrasting performances on YouTube for guidance. He preferred a different performance than me. That’s ok, we have different sensibilities.

With our access to world class performances at our fingertips, this is often an untapped resource. Centuries ago CPE Bach himself said and I paraphrase, “listen to great musicians”.

Best,

David

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Practice works, correct practice works even better

4/12/2019

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A former student came by today of a lesson after a one-year absence. He played some stride piano. He sounded so much better than I remember. So, I start asking some questions about what he has been up to in the practice room.

He said:

I really wanted to improve
I practice with a metronome
I listen to great players
I practice a lot
I practice my scales and stuff

Yeah student!

Cheers,

David

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Tips, free lessons, and inspiration

Staying motivated over the long haul

How play more beautifully: Listen to great music

Practice works, correct practice works even better

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