So goes my life

So...the other day I was talking to a friend about school, boys, church, the usual.  Of course music and violin practicing came up and she asked how much I practice and then she asked me this question that sparked this post.

"How do you have such an awesome attention span?"

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  HA.

For those of you who know me well, you know that my attention span is, well, about something like this...

 

 

But really...it's true.  So anyway, it got me to thinking...what are the things I do to make a practice session productive and effective?  The answer definitely is NOT having a good attention span.  But here are the tips and tricks that I have found to be most effective for me personally.

 

*when it comes to practicing in general*

 

1. Make the practice space comfortable.  While this may seem like a waste of time to some, I cannot concentrate on my music as well when there are chairs, stands, and abandoned sheet music everywhere.  It is worth it to me to spend 3 minutes cleaning up a bit because my concentration is so much better. I also make sure I have a comfortable chair to sit in and that I have a sweater in case the AC is on full blast.  It may seem a little high maintenence but I am willing to do it if it will help me concentrate more!

 

2. Have materials accessible. I always make sure I have all the things I need right there on the stand or on a chair next to me. If I have to keep going back and forth from my locker I get easily distracted.  For me this includes rosin, music, metronome, pencils, headphones, water bottle, etc.

 

3. Take frequent breaks. Believe me when I say it is extremely productive to take breaks.  I don't mean get in your car and go out to eat breaks, I mean put down your instrument and take a swig of water, stand up in your practice room and stretch, or go get a quick drink from the drinking fountain.  Like, 1 or 2 minutes.  This helps me so much especially when I am drilling passages.  It gives the brain a second to process everything that has been drilled into it, and I find that I play the passage much better after stopping and thinking about something completely unrelated, just for a minute or two.  So those of you who have to be sitting there for the full however-many-hours-without-stopping-because-you-would-feel-guilty-if-you-even-blinked-during-your-practice-session, just try it, and tell me it doesn't help! That is why I usually don't mind when people pop in and say hi while I am practicing. 

 

4. Have a plan, have a goal. For me, I try to make my practice plan as detailed as possible.  Usually it looks something like this:

10 min scales

10 min Schradieck

20 min sight reading

etc etc

Sometimes, when I know the exact time I am going to practice I do the same thing only with the specific times

4:00-4:15 sight reading

etc etc

 

When it comes to goals, I like to have long term goals and short term goals, as well as a goal for the specific practice session

Right now it would be something like this

Long term: learn the Tchaikovsky violin concerto for my senior recital in spring 2013

Short term: have Bach memorized by studio class in two weeks

For the session: have section "B" up to speed by end of session

...or something like that.

 

5. Ask questions. On everything. Literally. Self explanitory.  Can't tell you how many times I have been confused by a bowing or a fingering or a phrase or something and I just go and knock on my teacher's door or write it down or shoot my teacher a text asking the questions.  One thing I have learned is do not assume that you are doing it right.  Unless you are 100% sure, then ask.  If you can't ask at that moment, mark the spot and then ask later.  It is so much better to just skip it and get it right the first time!  I have learned this the hard way a few too many times! Taking a few minutes to do that beats having to re-learn the passage because you did it differently than the teacher would like...

6.  You absolutely HAVE to have patience. 

7. Have specific motivators. Of course, the biggest motivation is to get the piece learned or the technique mastered, but sometimes that seems so far off that the motivation is sometimes lacking.  So, going along with the goal setting, I always find something to motivate myself that is more short term.  Usually it is having the music ready for my next lesson, but even smaller than that I will tell someone that I want to play an excerpt for them in an hour, and that motivates me to get it polished so that I don't embarrass myself :).  Those are just what works best for me.  I have heard of people self rewarding themselves, like if they reach their goal they get to go out to ice cream, but it just depends on the person I guess! ( I would go out for ice cream anyway ) 

 

I am going to have to do a violin specific practice post later because this one is getting toooo long, but there ya go.  And so goes my life...now I need to get off this computer and go practice some more!

A few random thoughts

I am a scardy cat.

Yesterday morning there was someone out to get me!

First, there was a HUGE thunderstorm around 2 am. Now, don't get me wrong, I usually love when it storms, I find it exciting, and I absolutely love the rain. HOWEVER, In my bedroom alone in the dark I found it kind of hard not to panic as the thunder shook my blinds, because I am scared of the dark. Believe me when I say that if I didn't have a lamp right next to the bed you can bet I would be doing the running and jumping stunt. The rain against the windows was very relaxing though, thank goodness for that.

So then I got to work. We have to scan a little card to get into the building after hours and about 6 inches from the scanner was the biggest spider (out of captivity, I have seen a tarantula in a cage before...) I had ever seen in my life, and that is not an exaggeration!! It was HUGE. A good two inches all around at least. I am terrified of spiders. When I got to that spot, it was about 5 minutes to 6, and I spend about 3 minutes debating whether death was worth it because I knew that the second I tried to beep the card the spider was going to leap at me and attack my face. I decided it wasn't worth it. So instead I ran back down the stairwell, and entered the building from the opposite end. The result was that I clocked in 3 minutes late, but I think that my life is worth it!

I am an old lady.

Believe it or not, it is getting harder and harder for me to stay up late. I don't know how this is happening, is the universe shifting? Are the stars aligning? Did I just see a pig fly across the sky? It is true! I, or any member of my family I am sure, did not think this to be possible. Mind you, waking up in the morning is still the worst thing ever, but after about 10 minutes of being awake I am actually pretty alert. I believe in miracles...

I need a car.

Self explanitory.

For the beauty...

I am overwhelmed. 

Yesterday, I was listening to the Tchaikovsky violin concerto performed by Joshua Bell and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and I could physically feel the power and beauty of the piece in my chest.  It was very overwhelming to know that something as simple as turning on the radio in the car, on the way to dinner, could have that affect on me.  I feel very grateful that regardless of what is going on around me, I can turn to this companion and I can feel this peace and happiness almost anytime, anywhere.

Everyone has different opinions on classical music.  Sadly, the majority of humans consider it boring, tedius, long winded, etc.  I feel so blessed that it touches me the way it does, and that I understand it in the way that I do because it has been a significant part of my life, and is a huge consolation whenever I need it most.  It is so accessible, so moving, so emotional, and so beautiful. I fully understand that different people have different opinions, but I also believe that no matter what, there are works out there somewhere that have the potential to touch each and every person in the same way that I was touched yesterday and so many times before.
I believe that people are scared of classical music, I really do.  Classical music has the potency to make one feel very vulnerable, it may surface emotions that aren't expected or wanted, or maybe it is just the media barrier that is unnerving.  Whatever the case may be, there is definitely a barrier between the individual and the music, and I can tell you, the music is not the thing creating the barrier. 

So, before you come to conclusions, go listen to some.  Just, type in well known classical music or something into Google.  Or, simply listen to this, and then try to tell me that it does not in some way touch you, move you, or just plain sound nice.  Let yourself go, let the music take over for a few minutes, and hopefully you will understand what I am talking about. What I feel when I hear this really is an amazing thing, and I wish everyone could experience it!

This is Barber's "Adagio for Strings"

God Bless America!

Before I write another word, I just have to say two things.  Yes, I realize today's date, and yes, I realize that the actual 4th of July was a week ago. 

That said, last week was a very significant week! It was the week of my favorite holiday! Independence Day.  I don't know what it is, the fireworks, the parades, the red, white, and blue, the barbecues, maybe an accumulation of all of the above.  All I know is that I love it. I love the energy, I love the celebrations, and I love that for that one day, our nation comes together and celebrates the one thing we all have in common, our freedom.  

And, mine didn't turn out to be a total dud like I thought it was going to be.

You see, the sad tale of my pathetic 4's of July for the past two years goes something like this...

2010: I wasn't even in the COUNTRY! I was in Canada at a music camp. Which, don't get me wrong, was an awesome experience.  But that particular day was kind of a let down. Obviously, no celebrating was to be seen, since, well, we weren't in the US.  We even rehearsed "Oh Canada" that day, oh the irony.  The good news is that Tara and I wrote "Go USA" on the sand on the beach, and the fact that I got to go to the beach ALMOST made up for the missing of the holiday.

2011: This year was a bit better, I was at least in America this time! I was in NC at another music camp, and because there was music to learn and rehearsing to be done, there wasn't much celebration during the day.  I did lay out on the dock at the "lake" (pond) and We went into town that night to watch fireworks, so the whole day didn't go to waste.  

2012, how I thought it would go: sit at home and mope about how my family was in Fillmore without me and pretty much feel sorry for myself all day.

2012 how it REALLY went: woke up early. Not usually a good thing, but because it was a holiday there was something in the air, and I was wide awake.  Plus, the only time the weather is nice these days is at freaking 6 am. ANYWAY, so we got to go to a free breakfast, that was yummy.  The first thing I was super unhappy about was the parade, or lack thereof.  Let's just say Centerville/Fillmore's parades are 163% more exciting, sorry Southern Utah.  One thing you could definitely improve upon.

So anyway, after that I went home, and napped.  NAPPED. On the fourth of July.  I know. Sin.  But then, Keith, bless his heart, rescued me and we went to Babylon, and spent the afternoon swimming.  It was delightful!  The off roading required to get to and from there wasn't all that bad either.  Not to mention the scenery :)  

For dinner, two of my favorite twins, Matt and Kenzie came over for a "barbecue" with Heidi and me.  We had pasta salad, baked beans, watermelon, KFC, homemade lemonade, and of course birthday cake.  That was the highlight. I kind of loved the feeling of family I had at that time. Thanks guys, for  being my family for the day when I was missing mine so much :)

And to top off the day, I went and saw Aladdin at Tuacahn. We brought the birthday cake from dinner to share with the pit and it was fun to see everyone.  It was also fun to actually see the show instead of hear it (I am a sub for the pit) and afterwards they did fireworks.  That was the coolest.  They played "Proud to be an American" and with the music playing and the fireworks echoing off the canyon walls it made for a very emotional few minutes.

So...although I would have loved to be in Fillmore swimming and playing hide and seek with the family and grandparents and doing whatever other shenanigans they did, the day was still pretty alright. :)

The beautiful scenery on the way to Babylon.  This is why I love St. George

(Babylon is a river in St. George, just to clear up any confusion)

More scenery.  Just amazing.  "For the beauty of the earth..."

Babylon.  So fun, so refreshing, so happy :)

Birthday cake!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!