Destination #1 - Progress Update

I've been on this journey for a few months now and am a bit disheartened by my lack of progress.  I have not attempted to practice the guitar or voice at all and did not do much with the violin.  The only thing I've done on a regular basis is the piano and even those attempts have been spotty since I returned from my vacation. 

I find myself making excuses as to why I can't make time to practice; and like all excuses - they are lame.  I'm fighting an internal battle right now.  This is something that's important to me, yet I can't - or won't - make time for it.

So, I am making a renewed promise to myself.  I will make time to do at least one thing I love everyday!  It is time to recapture my dreams and pursue them with passion!

Too Much of a Good Thing

During one of my recent self-induced piano lessons I decided that I had given myself too much to practice in a 30 minute time frame.  Actually, I realized this during my practice sessions, but during my lesson I made the decision to decrease the amount of things I practice during the week.  I also decided that I needed to re-do a few of the pieces that I didn't get to practice as much during the week.

There's something to be learned here.  Don't bite off more than you can chew.  You'll only frustrate yourself if you try to accomplish too much in a single day.  You'll also find that you won't make as much progress if you try to do too much than if you break down your efforts in to manageable chunks.

I feel that if I work on practicing well (taking things slow, correcting mistakes instead of playing through them, etc) I will get better faster and I've seen evidens in this pretty quickly.  My sight reading has improved quite a bit and I make fewer mistakes, even on new pieces.

Hearing yourself improve is a great boost!  If possible, record yourself so you can hear your progression over time.  Recording yourself and listening back on it will also help you correct your mistakes.

If you find yourself not making the kind of progress you hoped for, take a deep breath and step back.  Have you tried to accomplish too much too quickly?  Pare down your project into smaller tasks and focus on one thing at a time.  Really hone in on improving one skill at a time.  It may seem small and tedious at first, but as you get better, you'll get faster and when you move on, preforming that skill well by rote will save you huundreds of hours later.

Piano

I have practiced the piano every day for a minimum of 30 minutes.  I finally feel confident enough with the fingering on the C Major scale that I have progressed on to G Major.  I am almost halfway through 3 beginner books and have learned a lot of theory.  1st and 2nd inversions are finally making sense to me!

Additionally I have played for my mother (she has been playing the piano since she was 4 - my mother is my piano expert), who tells me that my technique and posture are very good.  So far I am not practicing any bad habits and my mom is quite proud of me.  (Thanks Mom!)  I am pround of me too.  Lastly, I have memorized Prelude No. 1 in G minor by Catherin Rollin.

I have done all of this in less than two weeks.  I am so pleased with the progress I have made thus far.  I know that in the beginning I will move pretty quickly with the piano, and I am confident that these small successes in the beginning will propel me forward as things become more challenging.

What successes have you had thus far?

Defining the Path: Destination 1

The definition of your goal depends entirely upon you.  No one else.  After all, we're here to live our own lives, so it is up to each of us to define what that means to us.  Your spouse can't tell you, your parents can't tell you, your friends can't tell you, only you can say what the difference between living and existing is.

What does becoming a better musician mean to me?  Here are the specific goals I have for this area.

Destination #1:  Become A Better Musician

• I want to play the guitar reasonably well.  I want to be able to pick up a guitar and play a variety of songs for my own amusement and to entertain others.  The object here is not to be the next Carlos Santana, it's just for fun.
• I want to play the violin amazingly well.  I played the violin for 6 years; however that was a long time ago.  I was once extremely talented in this area, and I am hoping that all the talent I once had is not gone forever.  I want to be good enough to play first chair in the orchestra/symphony of my choosing or to be a solo performer.  (The goal is not to play first chair or be a professional soloist, but I want to be good enough that I could be.)
• I want to play the piano amazingly well.  I played the piano for 6 years, and like the violin that was a long time ago.  Unlike the violin I was never extremely talented in this area; however I wasn't a complete dunce at it.  The end goal here is to be able to play at a concert pianist level.
• I want to sing amazingly well.  Music is obviously something that I love, and like the other instruments, I have been singing for quite a long time.  At this time I don't have the self confidence to say that I want to be a soloist, but I love singing in a choir and would love to be good enough to join an elite choral group.

What specific goals do you have in mind?  I'd love to hear from you!