Productiveness and Practice

Image from oddquartet.com – print it out and stick it on things! You know you want to…

Practising: I am well aware that I need to do it, but I have a tendency to either get distracted by other things, or lapse for weeks if I don’t have performance to prepare for.

But, as I mentioned in my post the other week I’ve recently started taking piano lessons again. It’s been going pretty well so far – in four (five?) lessons I have three pieces that are starting to come together and I’m pleasantly surprised how quickly things are coming back to me. I’m pleased that I’m remembering how to read music again (which I haven’t done seriously since I left university… in 2004). But the main thing that starting lessons has given me – something to practise for every week.

My previous experience of piano lessons has been draconian attitudes and pressure to pass exams*, so it’s been a really refreshing experience to go to a teacher who told me on my first lesson ‘yeah, if you can get 15-30 minutes in 4 or 5 time a week, you’ll see some improvement’. And I am.

What I’ve tried to do these past few weeks is to keep track of how long I have practised each day, and record it on a prettily coloured chart to keep myself accountable. I’ve included rows for guitar and vocal practise too… but to be honest, once I’ve worked through my piano practise, picking up the guitar feels like a treat and not a chore.

So, lately I’ve been playing a lot more and this is an excellent thing: time spent playing is never time wasted. However, I am starting to feel like I’ve actually been less productive. I don’t have anything physical to show for my work. Despite spending way more time in the music room, I haven’t progressed further on my never-ending album, nor have I written much new material or worked on the bits hubby asked me to do for the relaunch of the radio show.

I can’t help but think that I could do with a few more hours in the day to fit everything in.

Or maybe I just need to get more organised…

*I had several teachers growing up, but the two that I had most of my lessons with were also the two that I feared the most… The first scarred me emotionally for life and made me hate everything to do with playing (which explains why I quit several times). The second made me work really hard and actually got me through grade 5 with merit. I have a lot to thank her for, even if she did terrify the young me.

Taking stock: A Look Back on my Resolutions…

Late last year I made some resolutions and was all excited to be getting on with them. So, we’re in July now and I suspect that absolutely none of you care whether I have kept to my word or not: so that means it’s about time I had a review to see how I’m getting on…

So,  what was it that I resolved to do all those months ago? Well, handily, here’s the  list:

• Blog more (and better): This is going fairly well so far – I’m managing to keep this very blog updated regularly. Admittedly, it’s not quite up to the three-posts-a-week that I was hoping to work up to but I am averaging around one or two posts a week, which I am pretty happy with. Whether or not my blog is better than it was when I started is subjective;  I’ll let you make up your own mind on that. Things are going ok, so I’ll just carry on then…

• Play more (and better!): Hmm, must try harder on this one… This was the resolution I really wanted to keep, but I’ve definitely struggled to stay on top of a practice routine. I’ve played a fair few gigs this year (which is nice), so I’m not rusty – I’ve just not really managed to practice regularly enough to improve my playing either. Time for a re-think, and some advice, perhaps?

• Warm ups, la la laaa: I have been trying to remember this one, but could probably try harder. The idea was to make sure I warm up properly every time before singing. At the moment,  I’m not taking the time to make sure I’ve warmed up effectively, nor am I doing it every single time I practice (which I should be doing more anyway). Naughty!

• Looking out for number 1: Well, the idea behind this resolution was that I sometimes forget to try to make the best of myself when I’m stressed, or tired, or am just feeling lazy. I’m generally not that bothered about my appearance most of the time – hence the resolution to at least make it look like I care a bit – but I am trying to make more of an effort when the occasion calls for it. I’ve made an effort to keep on top of stuff like making sure I have enough time to get ready properly and taking time to rest if I’m tired so that I’m not as stressed generally; I’ve been keeping an eye on what I eat, but I’ll admit that I’ve not been exercising enough. Oh, and I still haven’t got my hair cut. So, overall not bad – but there’s still improvements to be made.

Well, there you go – I am doing well in some areas and not so well in others. Such is life I suppose – but the thing that is annoying (and it’s annoying because it’s all my fault!) is that it’s the most important resolution that I’ve let slip the most.

In the spirit of my original resolution post; I’m not giving up. I just need to have a look at the current situation and see where I can make improvements, and how I can work those improvements into my life.

If anyone has any tips on incorporating practise time (and exercise!) into your daily routine and not flaking out on it, then I’d be very interested to hear from you in the comments. Or, if you’ve successfully managed to change your thinking to include new habits, or even if you’re struggling along like I am, I’d love to hear your thoughts.