Why do you keep doing it?

Where does your inspiration to 'keep going' come from? Why do you practice your instrument every day? What makes you love music?

The answers to these questions are different for everyone, and everyone NEEDS to answer them. If you do, you will never have a reason to be discouraged or negative for very long, because whenever you feel like that (and you will at some stage) you can go back to the things that make you happy and get your purpose back.

I have certain songs that just plain make me smile... and some that make me laugh with enjoyment. I listened to something today and couldn't help shouting out because the MUSIC was so happening that I had to acknowledge it, and my LOVE for music. I am still feeling energized by that one song... Four minutes of music has changed me for hours... It made me want to PLAY - like a little kid with his toys. Pure enjoyment and no effort or work involved.

That is why I keep doing it...  

What makes a GREAT teacher?

A good friend of mine (who just happens to be a great musician too) was talking to someone who had taken piano lessons at school but had stopped since for various reasons. My friend began to encourage her to start again (because musicians can't imagine life without music). One of the things he said to her was: 'Find a great teacher... one who loves you as a person and who is sympathetic'.

Wow, did that floor me! I suddenly realised that THAT was it! A great teacher is one who CARES about his students as human-beings first, and teaches whatever craft is to be learned from that point-of-view.

All of the great teachers in history - the ones whose lessons have stayed with us for centuries and millennia - had that approach in common. They did not just care about the material, they cared for the people they were touching with the material.

Music teachers, let's all try to be that way...

What qualifies as 'PRACTICE'?

Yesterday I listened to a masterclass with the great Ron Carter (bassplayer with Miles Davis's 60's quintet). At one point he was asked what and how he practices... Yes, he does still practice daily, even after having played on over 2500 recordings and at the tender age of 75.

One of the things he said really made sense to me... it's super obvious, maybe so obvious that we sometimes overlook it... YOU HAVE ONLY PRACTISED IF YOU TOOK SOMETHING YOU COULDN'T DO PROPERLY AND YOU GOT IT RIGHT. This doesn't mean you have to perfect a really difficult piece at performance tempo every time you practice, but it does mean you should be able to describe what you ACHIEVED in your practice session, and not just talk in general terms about what you worked-on. For example, 'I practised improvisation for an hour and scales for 30 minutes' is not a valid description of practice. 'I worked on improvising on "Rhythm changes" to learn to deal with the chords on the B section and I found 5 new ways to get through the section and it took me an hour' is a good, measurable evaluation of the time you spent.

If you find yourself 'noodling' on your instrument during 'practice time' something is wrong with your approach. Practice is about ensuring constant and consistent progress. Great focus is required in order to ensure that your time is used in as beneficial a manner as is possible, because there are not enough hours in the day to mess around.

If you are truly dedicated to making a statement on your instrument then your time MUST be organised and geared towards positive change in your playing. If it is, then you are PRACTISING.